Black Executive CMO Alliance Takes the Stage at Cannes Lions Creativity Festival, Illuminates the Global Impact of Top Black Marketers

A delegation of 13 members of the Black Executive CMO Alliance® (BECA) and eight Future Leader participants from the organization’s BECA Playbook program will attend and take the stage at the Cannes Lions: International Festival of Creativity, June 20-24.

Representing leading companies from across the globe, BECA attendees will lead discussions on why Black matters — in business, creative, and culture. BECA will lead four sessions focused on the role of Black marketers in disrupting the marketplace, diversifying brand storytelling to reach all audiences, and creating a pipeline for the next generation of Black marketing leaders.

“I am excited to join Cannes Lions for this year’s international festival of creativity and will be joined by a number of our members and Future Leaders,” said Jerri DeVard, BECA founder.

“The Black Executive CMO Alliance is a little over one year old, and we look forward to celebrating this moment by holding timely conversations about the role of top Black marketers in the creative industry and what we can all do to increase awareness and representation in C-suites across the globe. Many talk about creating change, but in forming BECA, we are doing the work and have created a movement. Over the next few days, we will leverage the international stage and influence Cannes provides to galvanize even more support and champion change across industries.”

The festival marks BECA’s first official participation in Cannes’ programming. BECA aims to increase representation in the C-suite and boardroom while shedding light on why Black marketing leaders are key to the success of the creative industry by highlighting how they are currently disrupting the marketplace.

In partnership with Cannes Lions owner, Ascential, BECA will help to increase representation and inclusion of Black professionals by curating sessions, events, and speaking opportunities with leading company marketing executives. Ascential has sponsored eight BECA Future Leaders to attend Cannes as part of its partnership commitment.

“As a founding member of BECA, I want to build a sustainable relationship between BECA and Cannes Lions,” said Sharon Harris, BECA member and Ascential Digital Commerce CMO.

“The moment is now, and we want to showcase Black excellence and pay it forward for the next generation of CxOs. Ascential and Cannes Lions are committed to making a real impact and demonstrating on one of the world’s most influential stages that change is possible.”

BECA will lead four sessions during Cannes, including:

Monday, June 20, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. local time (8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. EST)

Now/Next: Future Black Marketers Transform Moments into Movements (part of Cannes Can: Diversity Collective)

Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) Future Leaders

Location: Inkwell Beach

Monday, June 20, 5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. EST)

Fear of Getting It Wrong: The Importance of Prioritizing Diversity in Marketing

Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) Future Leaders

Location: MediaLink Beach

Tuesday, June 21, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. local time (10:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. EST)

Wake Up: Top Black Marketers Discuss the New Status Quo for Women in the Industry

The Female Quotient + Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA)

Panelists: Bozoma Saint John, marketing executive; Jerri DeVard, founder, Black Executive CMO Alliance; Vicky Free Sistrunk, senior vice president and head of Global Marketing, adidas

Location: Equality Lounge

Thursday, June 23, 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. local time (5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. EST)

Top Black Marketers Talk Disruption, Paving the Way for Nextgen

Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA)

Panelists: Jerri DeVard, founder, Black Executive CMO Alliance; Ukonwa Kuzi-Orizu Ojo, Global chief marketing officer, Amazon Prime Video and Studios; Kirk McDonald, chief executive officer, GroupM North America; Anton Vincent, president, Mars Wrigley North America

Location: The Forum, Palais I

BECA’s programming compliments Cannes Lions’ focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry. This year’s program is built around six priority areas, as identified by the global creative marketing community through the LIONS’ State of Creativity Study, including diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Duncan Painter, chief executive officer of Ascential, adds, “Ascential is entirely aligned with BECA’s objectives, and we are delighted to welcome them to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. At Ascential, diversity is at our core. Our value as an employer and to our customers is greater when we draw on the full range of our collective perspectives and experiences. We have set a clear aim to create a workforce that fully reflects, at all levels, the ethnic diversity of our major markets before 2030 and we will continue to work with partners such as BECA to help us achieve this.”

Leading companies and marketers will be represented on the global stage as part of the delegation. BECA members include Nadja Bellan-White, Global chief marketing officer, Vice Media; Jerri DeVard, founder, BECA; Chris Foster, president, chief executive officer, Omnicom Public Relations; Sharon Harris, chief marketing officer, Ascential Digital Commerce; Kirk McDonald, chief executive officer, GroupM North America; Ukonwa Kuzi-Orizu Ojo, Global chief marketing officer, Amazon Prime Video and Studios; Gail Peterson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Ecolab; Julius W. Robinson, chief sales and marketing officer, U.S. and Canada, Marriott International; Bozoma Saint John, marketing executive; Vicky Free Sistrunk, senior vice president, Global Brand Marketing, adidas; Najoh Tita-Reid, Global chief marketing officer, Logitech; Dara Treseder; senior vice president and head of Global Marketing and Communications, Peloton; and Anton Vincent, president, Mars Wrigley North America.

Future Leaders attending from the BECA Playbook program include Tiffany Anthony, channel partner marketing director, UPS; Charles Chapman, leader, Global Media Strategy and Sponsorships, General Motors; Michael Craig, senior marketing director, Global Lifestyle/Gaming/IoT, Harman International; Logan Gill, manager, Marketing, Kohl’s, Lami Ibrahim, senior manager, SMB Lifecycle — U.S. and Europe, PayPal; Omar Moore, Global Strategic partner marketing lead, PayPal; Kellie Streat, director, Digital Marketing and Sponsorships, UPS; Charisse Williams, senior product manager, Deloitte Digital.

The BECA Playbook is a two-year journey to transform the future of marketing by investing in promising Black marketing talent, providing individuals with the keys to success for achieving and excelling in C-suite roles that Deloitte develops and delivers in conjunction with BECA and its members through Deloitte’s consulting relationship with BECA. Cannes participants won a team contest by answering the question of “How to turn a moment into a movement” and prepare companies for what is next in the creative industry. The winning submissions will be presented during two of BECA’s panels.

For more on events and the full festival schedule, visit https://www.canneslions.com/attend/festival-2022 and to follow BECA members during Cannes bookmark #BECAxCANNES. For more information on BECA, visit www.blackexec.com and follow @TheofficialBECA on Twitter and Black Executive CMO Alliance on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.