The Panellists

Susanna V. Kempe 

CEO, Laidlaw Foundation

Susanna began her career in marketing and rose to be:

- Chief Marketing Officer of Informa, the FTSE 100 media giant;

- Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer of Emap (now Ascential), the owner of Cannes Lions, WGSN, and numerous other iconic marketing-led brands;

- Group Content and Marketing Partner of Brunswick Group, the world's leading crisis and communications firm.

Susanna is also currently Chair of B2B Marketing.

Chris Finnegan 

Senior Marketing & Communications Manager, Ipsos MORI

Chris has more than fifteen years of experience in small to global companies across tech, publishing, research and professional services. He previously worked as Marketing and Communications Manager at Design Council, and Marketing Manager of Guardian Professional at Guardian News & Media.

Specialising in multimedia content creation and editing, he has the imagination to tell both brand and personal stories, a belief in the power of words, and the empathy – read: healthy cynicism – to know how they’ll land.

Chris had enough successes to get him here, and enough failures to answer those competency-based questions that start with: “Explain a time that it’s all gone wrong and it’s mostly your fault."

Rina Hiranand

Head of Marketing Analytics & Insight APAC, BlackRock

Rina is a brand strategist who believes in creating better marketing through insights and data. Her career has spanned non-profit, luxury and financial services, but her approach has been united by a focus on helping clients build brand and reputation through marketing.

She started her career working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and grew to become Strategy Director for Social@Ogilvy Hong Kong, where she helped financial and insurance clients understand the value of digital and social media. Rina now works as the Head of Marketing Analytics and Insight, APAC for BlackRock, where she brings her strategic focus to measuring the impact of marketing.

Asih Wulansari

Multi Segment Product Marketing Head, Mashreq Bank; Laidlaw Scholar at London Business School

Wulan currently heads Multi Segment Product Marketing for a retail banking group in the UAE, leading strategic marketing efforts across all banking segments, such as Cards & Payments, Personal Banking, SME, Emirati & Islamic Banking.

She has 15+ years of experience across the Middle East and Southeast Asia, with a track record of delivering effective marketing & sales campaigns, successful product launches and innovative digital projects.

Moderated by Kayla Kim 

Communications Coordinator at UN Mine Action Service; Oxford University Laidlaw Alumna

Kayla graduated from the University of Oxford in 2020 with a degree in English Literature. As a Laidlaw Scholar, she conducted a research project titled 'Fashion in the Ferghana Valley: How Tajik national identity in a multinational region manifests in individual dress'.

Currently, she is in Public Information with the United Nations. Specifically, the UN Mine Action Service, which works to eliminate the threat posed by landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices.

Time codes

04:15 - Susanna: With your great marketing experience, what have been the most critical recent innovations in how organisations approach marketing today?

07:45 - Rina: Do you see any difference in your approach to B2B and B2C marketing?

11:35 - Chris: How do you use data to drive your strategies?

13:50 - Wulan: In this saturated digital space, how do companies make themselves stand out? 

17:46 - All panellists: What makes a successful marketing campaign?

23:20 - Chris, Rina, Susanna: How did you decide to begin a career in marketing, and what steps did you take to pivot your career in this way?

32:30 - Wulan: What are the advantages of studying Marketing at university?

36:50 - Susanna: What skills did you take from your career in Marketing to what you do today?

40:40 - All Panellists: Where is there a gap in the market at the moment, and what are employers seeking?

 47:15 - [Audience question]:  What is the best way to utilise your network if you are considering a career in Marketing?

 50:40 - [Audience question]:  How soon would you recommend beginning to specialise?