Come join our Thought Leadership Panel in person at the Paradox Hotel as we explore The Art and Science of AI and Marketing Leadership: Inspiring Creativity and Driving Results.

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Get ready to elevate your networking game with BCAMA's exclusive "Meet the Expert" Networking Session! This member only opportunity will immediately follow our TLS Panel on AI and Leadership on Oct 17th.

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As a BCAMA member, you're invited to join this unique event where you can connect, learn, and grow. Rub shoulders with our event speakers and industry leaders, gain invaluable insights, and forge meaningful connections that can shape your professional journey. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your network and deepen your industry knowledge. Secure your tickets now, as spaces are limited, and let's pave the path to success together!

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Registration & Networking Opens at 8:00am

Breakfast 8:15am

Presentation 9:00 – 10:00am

Meet the Expert Networking (Members only) 10:00-10:30am

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Moderator:

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Ruth Murray

Managing Director, West, iProspect

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Ruth Murray is Managing Director for iProspect - dentsu - West which oversees various West Coast clients in their paid media strategy across BC and Canada. Ruth has worked in media strategy and planning for over 16 years, starting her career in London, UK and moving to BC 10 years ago. Her experience spans industries including public sector, QSR, Automotive, travel and retail.

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Panellists:

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Cathy Thomson

EVP and Chief Digital Officer, Northland Properties

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Cathy’s career encompasses 25 years in global marketing, customer experience design, and digital transformation in both agency and client-side roles.  She has worked with prominent hotel, leisure resort, and online travel brands here and abroad, including Delta, Marriott, Intrawest, Hostelworld, and most recently as the Global VP of Growth Marketing; eCommerce for Dreamlines, Europe’s largest online booking platform for cruise holidays. She recently returned to Vancouver after 13 years in Europe to lead Northland Properties’ marketing strategy for ten hotel, restaurant, and resort brands in North America and Europe, including Sandman; Sutton Place Hotels, Moxies Restaurants, Denny’s Canada, CHOP Steakhouse, Grouse Mountain, and Revelstoke Mountain Resort. She also spearheads the enterprise-wide strategy for digital customer experience innovation, including ecommerce. Cathy’s leadership philosophy is to empower her teams by offering them the space to challenge the status quo, the vision and the ‘why’ behind the strategy, and the support they need to succeed.

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Christene Best

VP, Marketing and Channel Development, Inetco Systems Ltd.

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Chris has led marketing, sales, customer success and tech support teams for companies ranging in size from startup to Fortune 500. She launched her career with Xerox Canada in Toronto where she developed a solid foundation in sales, leadership, customer-focused process development and general management. Moving to Vancouver, BC in 1999, she shifted to enterprise software, working as sales and marketing leader for Fincentric Corporation, Klein Systems Group and Beanworks. Prior to joining INETCO, Chris served as VP Sales for AMPD Technologies. Chris has been a mentor with New Ventures BC since 2010. She also mentored for EMBERS Ventures, served on the boards of MOSAIC and Junior Achievement BC, and on the United Way of the Lower Mainland Cabinet. She earned B.A. (Hons) in Political Studies, and an MBA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

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Mitra Shad

Global Director, Brand Marketing, Plenty of Fish

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Selected as one of Business Insider's Rising Stars of Brand Marketing in 2023, Mitra is a marketing and brand expert who has worked across a number of different industries including alcohol, coffee, and most recently, online dating. Her strong background in brand strategy and her creative eye have been key to the multiple rebranding projects she's championed for both national and international brands including the likes of Vogue Slims, Okanagan Spring, and most recently Plenty of Fish. Within the last year, she also led two innovative, Webby award-winning brand campaigns that have helped turn around a legacy brand, while also catapulting her agency partners' successes.

Most importantly though, she's done all this while fulfilling one of her lifelong dreams and passions: to study culinary arts and work at a Michelin-star restaurant in Paris...proving that career paths are definitely not all linear (at least not the fun ones).

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