MELT U Speaker Series Podcast

Julie Bowerman is currently Chief Global Digital Customer and Consumer Experience Officer at the Kellogg Company, responsible for its $750M+ online e-commerce business, all-digital brand experiences, global media planning, buying, and shopper marketing. Before joining Kellogg, Julie was the SVP of Global eCommerce and Digital Engagement for Hain Celestial, a leading global organic food and personal care company. Julie also served as Global VP of Ecommerce, Shopper Marketing and Digital, Vice President and GM of eCommerce, and Head of Digital Marketing for the Coca-Cola Company between 2009 and 2017.

  Julie Bowerman is currently Chief Global Digital Customer and Consumer Experience Officer at the Kellogg Company, responsible for its $750M+ online e-commerce business, all-digital brand experiences, global media planning, buying, and shopper marketing. Before joining Kellogg, Julie was the …

Corey Gibbs is Founder & CEO at Elite Entertainment Experiences, LLC. Gibbs graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Sciences. Corey also received Master's in Sport Management in 2007 from The University of Alabama! He received a PhD in Management from The Wharton School of Business. Corey began his career as COO with Need One Ticket, Inc. in Tuscaloosa. In January, Corey Founded Elite Entertainment Experiences. Elite Entertainment Experiences: Provides a very select, carefully curated group of members the opportunity to maximize the value and return of their entertainment experience and hospitality budget through exclusive membership services Forecasts future values and optimal transaction times for the acquisition and distribution of entertainment experiences via various proprietary algorithms and intellectual properties Delivers unmatched, elite levels of client service, resulting in world-class levels of consumer experience for all E3 Members

  Corey Gibbs is Founder & CEO at Elite Entertainment Experiences, LLC. Gibbs graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Sciences. Corey also received Master’s in Sport Management in 2007 from The University …

Andrea Brimmer is Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer at Ally Financial Inc. She earned her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, where she also played varsity collegiate soccer for four years. Andrea joined Ally in 2006, spearheading the creation of the Ally brand, developing everything from the brand pillars and cultural framework to the value proposition and delivery in the marketplace. Brimmer was named chief marketing officer in 2015. In 2016, she launched the company's first unified brand campaign, “Do It Right”, highlighting Ally's unique focus on doing the right thing for customers. The campaign not only aligned the full scope of the company's product offerings under one mantra, it also reflected the company's internal culture and core values. “Do It Right” became a point of pride for Ally and resulted in the highest consumer brand sentiment and awareness in company history. Brimmer is widely recognized as one of the country's most innovative and effective marketing leaders. Honors and Awards: Andrea is the winner of Adweek's 2020 Brand Genius awards for marketers who have skillfully led their brands' messaging to new heights. She has also twice been named to Forbes' list of “50 Most Influential CMOs” and “100 Leading Women” by Automotive News. Prior to joining Ally in 2006, Brimmer spent 20 years on the agency side in Detroit, where she led the Chevrolet account and launched the iconic American Revolution campaign!!

  Andrea Brimmer is Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer at Ally Financial Inc. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, where she also played varsity collegiate soccer for four years. Andrea joined Ally in 2006, spearheading the …

  Jamael Hester is Chief of Staff, Office of The President of North America at The Coca-Cola Company. He graduated from University of Tennessee with a degree focused on Marketing. At Tennessee, Jamael was one of five undergraduate students selected …

Jamael Hester is Chief of Staff, Office of The President of North America at The Coca-Cola Company. He graduated from University of Tennessee with a degree focused on Marketing. At Tennessee, Jamael was one of five undergraduate students selected to enroll in coveted Executives in Residence (EIR) MBA course with 25 UTK MBA candidates led by the renowned Dr. Dick Reizenstein. He also was the 1st African American Male Intramural Athlete of the Year in school history in 2003-2004. Jamael began his career at PepsiCo, since then he has also worked for the Tom James Company,  Pepperidge Farm (Account Exec for PUBLIX), and Coca-Cola starting in 2014! Welcome Back (by popular demand) Jamael!

J.W Cannon is Senior Director, Sports Alliances for American Cancer Society here in Atlanta! J.W also recently began teaching as a Part-Time Professor at Georgia State in the Department of Kinesiology. He graduated from James Madison University majoring in Sports Management with a Minor in Business!

  J.W Cannon is Senior Director, Sports Alliances for American Cancer Society here in Atlanta! J.W also recently began teaching as a Part-Time Professor at Georgia State in the Department of Kinesiology. He graduated from James Madison University majoring in …

Darin White is Department Chair, Executive Director, Professor of Marketing, and Director of Samford University's Center for Sports Analytics (Brook School of Business). He is Founding Director of the Sports Marketing Program in 2011. They have placed 90% of students in positions within 6 months since 2012!!! Darin played Soccer at Birmingham-Southern College while majoring in Business. He also received Ph.D. in Marketing in 1994 from The University of Alabama. Center for Sports Analytics: The purpose of the Center is to promote the ethically-centered, rational inquiry into issues at the burgeoning intersection of big data, analytics, and sports. The Center seeks to be an international thought leader in the emerging field of sports analytics by providing a forum for industry professionals and students to learn about the increasing role of analytics in the global sports industry.

  Darin White is Department Chair, Executive Director, Professor of Marketing, and Director of Samford University’s Center for Sports Analytics (Brook School of Business). He is Founding Director of the Sports Marketing Program in 2011. They have placed 90% of …

Ashley Smith is currently the founder of GSD Advisory, a marketing advising and strategy company.  GSD Advisory leverages Smith's passions and 25 years of experience in connecting consumers and brands across music, sports, and entertainment. Prior to launching GSD Advisory, Smith was the Vice President of Brand Marketing for Madison Square Garden overseeing marketing, digital content and customer experience for the MSG portfolio of venues including The Garden, Beacon Theatre, Radio City Music Hall and Chicago Theatre. Smith was Senior Director of Sports Management/CreativeWorks for ESPN, responsible for leading sponsorship programs across SEC Network, College Football Playoff and special music projects. Smith developed the Nissan Heisman House, numerous movie studio integrations across the ESPN networks and spearheaded the first live client integration in the NBA Finals with partner Samsung.  The Senior Director role was Smith's second stint at ESPN: earlier in her career, she was a Director of Brand Marketing responsible for the strategic and creative development of advertising and marketing campaigns for SportsCenter, X Games and Winter X Games.

  Ashley Smith is currently the founder of GSD Advisory, a marketing advising and strategy company.  GSD Advisory leverages Smith’s passions and 25 years of experience in connecting consumers and brands across music, sports, and entertainment. Prior to launching GSD …

Matt Roberts is Founder & CEO of Drive & Company and Co-Founder of SANIL. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a Bachelor of Arts. Matt also received a Masters of Science in Sport Administration from University of Louisville! At Louisville, he was Chair of the Scholarship Committee of Sport Administration Club. Matt began his career in Revenue Generation Department at University of Evansville. Since then, he has held positions such as: Account Executive at Block Television Brand Manager at WTP Enterprises Revenue Generation at USF (South Florida) Executive Director at JAM Active Co-Owner of 24/7 Baseball

  Matt Roberts is Founder & CEO of Drive & Company and Co-Founder of SANIL. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a Bachelor of Arts. Matt also received a Masters of Science in Sport Administration …

  Rennie Curran is Keynote Speaker & Trainer for Game Changer LLC. He graduated from University of Georgia- Terry College of Business and was Team Captain, 3x All-American, and Team MVP for UGA. Game Changer’s clients include: The Coca-Cola Company, …

Rennie Curran is Keynote Speaker & Trainer for Game Changer LLC. He graduated from University of Georgia- Terry College of Business and was Team Captain, 3x All-American, and Team MVP for UGA. Game Changer's clients include: The Coca-Cola Company, University of Georgia, Chick-Fil-A, Chambers of Commerce, Associations, AXA Advisors, Oconee State Bank, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and more. Rennie is also a Corporate Trainer, Author, & Leadership Coach. He went to Brookwood High and had a stellar career at UGA. At Brookwood, Rennie was a star in Track, Football, Wrestling, Orchestra, and Music Tech. As a true freshman at Georgia in 2007, Curran appeared in 11 games making 53 tackles. In 2009, Rennie was voted First Team ALL SEC & First Team All-American after leading SEC with 116 tackles!! In 2010, Rennie was drafted by the Tennessee Titans and was given #53…an honor and tribute to fan favorite Keith Bulluck. Rennie is one of the best speakers around as he said at UGA he always tried to give a smart and articulate answer, even if he was upset.

  Hayes Johnson Hayes Johnson is the President at Swimmingly LLC, based in Raleigh-Durham. Hayes has been with Swimmingly for 7 years now, previously as VP of Marketing. He graduated from University of Texas with a B.A in Sociology & …

Hayes Johnson Hayes Johnson is the President at Swimmingly LLC, based in Raleigh-Durham. Hayes has been with Swimmingly for 7 years now, previously as VP of Marketing. He graduated from University of Texas with a B.A in Sociology & Education. At Texas: - Three-time member of Athletic Director's Honor Roll (2010-12) - Student Athlete of the Month (2012) - Elected captain of the 2011-2012 University of Texas Men's Swimming and Diving team - 2010 NCAA National Champion Missy Johnson Missy (Franklin) Johnson is a 5-time Gold Medalist. In her Olympic debut in 2012, she was 17 years old, winning 5 total medals….4 gold! Missy holds dual citizenship with US & Canada like both her parents. Missy's Olympic excellence gained her: -Swimming World's, Swimmer of the Year in 2011 & 2012 -American Swimmer of the Year in 2012 -FINA Swimmer of Year in 2011 & 2012 In total she has won 27 medals in International Competition…a true USA Legend!

  Josh Brooks is J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics at University of Georgia. He served 11 years at UGA most recently as Senior Deputy Director of Athletics. Brooks graduated from LSU with a degree in Kinesiology and also received …

  Frank Bracken is CEO of Foot Locker. He oversees Digital Transformation, Revenue Growth, E-commerce, and Digital Marketing as well. Frank graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in Marketing. He also received Masters in Marketing/Strategy from Georgetown! Frank …

  Jim Allen is Senior VP of Corporate & Premium Partnerships for the Atlanta Braves. He graduated from the California State University, Fresno with degree in Marketing & Management. Jim was born in Los Angeles, California, and currently resides in …

  Erin Levzow is Vice President of Marketing & Digital Technology for Del Taco Restaurants. She graduated from Illinois State with a Bachelors in Theatre. Erin also got her Masters at Cornell University- Johnson Graduate School of Management! She started …

  Jennifer Oliveras is Director-Global Sponsorships & Corporate Events at UPS. She graduated from Clemson University in 1999. Jennifer started her career as Sports Marketing Manager with Home Depot for 9 years. Since moving over to UPS in 2018, Jennifer …

  Danny Wuerffel is Executive Director of Desire Street Ministries and President of The Wuerffel Foundation. Under Danny’s leadership Desire Street moved headquarters from New Orleans to Atlanta. Danny is also namesake of The Wuerffel Trophy, which is presented to …

  Andrew Pudduck is Head of Digital Sales Transformation, Brand, Marketing, Events, and Partnerships for Cutter & Buck. Cutter & Buck focuses on making premium sportswear and outerwear in styles with distinctive details, quality craftmanship, and the finest fabrics. Andrew …

  Rob Temple is Chief Executive Officer of FishBait Solutions. He recently joined FishBait as CEO after 19 years at ESPN. Temple graduated from UNC with Bachelor’s in Political Science. Temple began as a General Manager, Olympic Sales/Marketing in Sydney …

  Michelle McKenna is Chief Information Officer of the NFL (CIO). She graduated from Auburn University with B.S, Accounting. Michelle worked as VP of Walt Disney World Online and VP of The Walt Disney Company from 1999 to 2006. She …

  Tameka graduated from UNC and also received her Masters from UGA in Sports Management. She held various roles at UNC including 3 years as Student Video Assistant for UNC Football. In 2002, she became a Recruiting Grad Assistant for …

  Steve Hogan is Chief Executive Officer at Florida Citrus Sports. Steve graduated from University of Central Florida in ’91 (Journalism). Hogan played Football at Central Florida and began his career as an Account Executive for McCaw Communications. In August …

  Emily Caron is a Sports Business Reporter at Sportico. Sportico is a leader in our industry providing sports industry news, data, insights, strategies, leadership and live media experiences. A Graduate from University of Virginia in 2018, Caron went on …

  Will Funk is Vice President at Turner Broadcasting, specializing in Sports Partnerships & Branded Content. Funk graduated from Bucknell University with B.A, Political Science ’94. He has been EVP at WarnerMedia (Turner Sports division) for 11 years counting. Funk …

  Gary R. Stevenson is Major League Soccer’s Deputy Commissioner & President of MLS Business Ventures. He oversees the domestic and international commercial business of MLS which includes Soccer United Marketing (SUM), media and broadcasting, digital, club services, marketing, consumer …

  Harvey Schiller is Chairman at Charles Towne Holdings and CEO of Schiller Management Group. He is also Chairman of the Board for Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation, Chairman of SportsGrid, and Managing Director for Diversified Search. Harvey graduated from …

  Dan Corso is president of the Atlanta Sports Council, the arm of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce that serves as a recruiter for major regional, national, and international sporting events. The ASC was instrumental in the selection of …

  Sharon Byers is the CEO at Ongev. Ongev is the first-ever interactive digital healthcare company created by and for patients with chronic illness. Their mission is simple: Empowering a personalized journey for your healthcare. Sharon graduated from Auburn University …

  Greg Powell is President/CEO of Fi Plan Partners. Fi Plan Partners is an investment firm specializing in financial planning, private wealth management and business consulting based in Birmingham, AL. “At Fi Plan Partners we use a unique process, called …

  Jack Markwalter is the CEO of CIBC Private Wealth Management, U.S. Jack earned a Bachelor of Science with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business. …

  Tracy Deforge is the Founder & CEO of The Players’ Impact. The Players’ Impact combines an extensive and elite cross-sport athlete network with industry experts, early stage business resources, and high-end investment opportunities. Their ecosystem has everything an athlete …

  Kristen Kuliga is the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Vanguard Sports and the Managing Director for Charlestowne Holdings.  …

  Erica Tuggle has been the Brand Director for The Coca-Cola Company since May of 2018. As Brand Director, Erica develops strategy and growth agenda for core business with a focus on consumer retention. She attended NYU’s Stern School of …

  Matt Wolff is the Founder and CEO of Ticket Time Machine. Ticket Time Machine™ is an Entertainment company that specializes in souvenir tickets/credentials for events. They help enhance the fan experience by giving them something to commemorate their memories. …

  Michele Elrod is the Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing for Regions Bank. Regions is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management and mortgage products and services. Based in Birmingham, Regions …

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  AJ Maestas is the Founder and CEO of Navigate. Navigate is the industry leader in evaluating and measuring marketing investments, primarily in sports and entertainment. Based in Chicago, navigate helps clients determine the value of their partnerships and understand …

  Rick is a serial entrepreneur, having founded and grown numerous agencies focused on sponsorship and fan engagement. FishBait celebrates its 17th anniversary in 2020, and Rick credits the longevity to a mix of “extremely hard work, good luck, loyal …

  Steve Pacheco is the President/CEO of the American Advertising Federation. Pacheco is tasked with designing a future-forward organization consistent with the changes impacting the advertising landscape. His role will span evolution of the AAF’s programs, services and membership; volunteer …

  Edward M. Kull was named Interim Director of Athletics at Fordham on July 1, 2020. A former Senior Vice President at GENYOUth Foundation, previously served as the Senior Director of Development and Senior Associate Athletic Director at Fordham University …

  Burke Magnus was named executive vice president, programming and scheduling, of ESPN in May 2015, having served as senior vice president, programming and acquisitions since January 2014, and senior vice president, college sports programming, since March 2008. In this …

  Kimberly Beaudin is the Chief Executive Officer of the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame.Kimberly graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Communication, Journalism and Related Problems. She started her career as a Director of …