Global Marketer Week 2024

Global Marketer Week, the event for international marketers, is returning to Toronto in May 2024. Join us for another week of discovery, inspiration and learning with the best minds of the industry.

Registration for the whole week is open to global or regional marketers in WFA membership. Non-members can register for the Global Marketer Conference, the highlight event of the week, held Thursday May 16.

Conference agenda

Global Marketer Conference 2024: Building Better Brands

Brands around the world are increasingly under the spotlight; accountable to people, planet, regulators and shareholders. How are the world’s best marketers using their powers of creativity and innovation to build better, stronger, brands which our stakeholders and consciences can be proud of?

A shared global agenda - WFA CEO Stephan Loerke

9h00

Uncertainty and volatility are on the rise, whilst globalization is perceived to be in retreat. Yet marketers, no matter where they’re based in the world, face a very similar set of challenges. And that creates opportunities.

Reimagining a beer company - Marcel Marcondes

10h00

AB InBev’s CMO shares how from a follower to a leader in creative capabilities, to developing a culture of sustainable growth, AB InBev is harnessing marketing's super-powers to create a future with more cheers.

Selling sustainability - TED speaker Solitaire Townsend

10h30

Why are so many companies having a hard time selling sustainability in Canada, the USA, the world? Solitaire Townsend shares why ego-green marketing is dead and why that could be great news for your business.

Selling sustainability - TED speaker Solitaire Townsend

Should you put your trust in AI? - Jonathan Adashek

11h45

40% of companies have not yet deployed AI. 2024 is the year of overcoming entry barriers to AI. Jonathan shares on how marketers can move to build trust in technology and help companies get out of the AI sandbox.

Innovation driving sustainable growth - Allyson Witherspoon

12h15

From Nashville to Yokahama. As Corporate VP & CMO at Nissan, Allyson's journey within the company is as unique as the world-leading innovative marketing helping to drive Nissan’s global success.

Cultural Catalyst - Professor & best selling author Marcus Collins

13h55

Few external forces are more influential to human behaviour than culture, which makes cracking the culture code critical for marketers. With culture driving consumption & ushering brands' futures, this session is not to be missed.

CMO, the impossible job? - Better Marketing Debate

14h20

The CMO brief has never been so complex. CMOs are tasked to drive business growth through purposeful and inclusive brands that appeal to new, more diverse audiences. Has CMO become the impossible job?

The impact of Generative AI on brand growth

15h15

Raja Rajamannar & Stephan Pretorius give you a glimpse into the future of marketing: harnessing the transformative power of generative AI to help build brands and drive sustainable growth. For all stakeholders.

Global Marketer Week agenda

Week agenda

08:30 - 12:00

Executive Committee

Ballroom C, Park Hyatt

WFA members only

WFA's Executive Committee meets quarterly to discuss the organisation's priorities and guide the WFA strategy. The Executive Committee is made up of senior corporate and national association representatives.

This session will be hybrid.

13:30 - 14:30

Annual General Meeting

Ballroom C, Park Hyatt

WFA members only

The Annual General Meeting provides WFA members a review of the past year's activities, challenges and major achievements.

14:30 - 17:00

GARM Masterclass

Ballroom B, Park Hyatt

By invitation only

During the GARM Masterclas, we will curate a series of panels, fireside chats and keynote talks designed for senior media leaders and brand safety experts from advertisers, agencies, platforms and ad tech companies. This closed-door invitation-only session will foster thought-provoking dialogue and best practice sharing on topics such as Youth Safety, Gen AI, Elections, and Sustainability.

On the agenda:

Is 2024 a watershed year for brand safety?
What will be the impact of staffing reductions, 65 elections globally, new content from GenAI and an arms race on technology?
Can Simple Standards Make Youth Safety Achievable?
Panel to discuss voluntary principles and proposed technology solutions to protect our most vulnerable users.
DEI Best Practices + Use
DEI Taskforce on proposed best practices and a read out on recent GARM research.
Sustainability
Agencies and brands showcase a series of campaign and media strategies that have allowed for reductions in Media GHG.

18:00 - 22:00

ACA Welcome Cocktails

The Globe and Mail Centre

WFA members only

Join us and our hosts for an unforgettable evening with a spectacular view over Toronto. Dress code: cocktail (tie optional).

08:30 - 15:30

Media Forum

Ballroom B, Park Hyatt

WFA members only

The WFA Media Forum provides peers the chance to discuss and tackle common media challenges and further our industry's agenda.

WFA members can download the Media Forum agenda below:

Download the agenda

The session will be held under the Chatham House rule.

08:30 - 15:30

Policy Forum

Terrace Room, Park Hyatt

WFA members only

The WFA Policy Forum is meant for public affairs professionals. This year's Policy Forum will talk about bridging the gap between policy and marketing and how both can best collaborate to add value to business.

WFA members can download the Policy Forum agenda below:

Download the agenda

The session will be held under the Chatham House rule.

09:00 - 16:00

Sourcing Forum

Salon C, Park Hyatt

WFA members only

The WFA Sourcing Forum is meant for marketing procurement leaders. In this year's Sourcing Forum session, the group will share on how marketing procurement teams enable creativity and innovation, whilst ensuring the right investment is being made, at the right time, with the right partner(s).

WFA members can download the Sourcing Forum agenda below:

Download the agenda

The session will be held under the Chatham House rule.

09:30 - 15:00

CMO Forum

Ballroom C, Park Hyatt

WFA members only

The WFA CMO Forum is an invitation-only event for global marketing leaders. This year, the Forum will continue its transformative focus: addressing how global marketing organisations have delivered in terms of sustainable growth; enabling creativity and innovation within a framework of responsibility.

WFA members can download the CMO Forum agenda below:

Download the agenda

The session will be held under the Chatham House rule.

09:30 - 15:00

Insight Forum

Salon B, Park Hyatt

WFA members only

The WFA Insight Forum is the only global leadership network dedicated to senior insights & analytics leaders, looking to elevate their function.

WFA members can download the Insight Forum agenda below:

Download the agenda

The session will be held under the Chatham House rule.

08:30 - 17:00

Global Marketer Conference

The Carlu

Open to all

The WFA Global Marketer Conference is the Global Marketer Week's flagship event. During the conference, the most senior line-up of global marketers takes the stage.

This year the conference theme will be about building better brands: brands around the world are increasingly under the spotlight; accountable to people, planet, regulators and shareholders. How are the world’s best marketers using their powers of creativity and innovation to build better and stronger brands which our stakeholders and consciences can be proud of?

19:00 - 23:00

WFA Gala Dinner

Royal Ontario Museum

WFA members and by invitation only

Join us for a spectacular dinner in a location where art meets culture. Dress code: cocktail (tie optional).

09:30 - 14:00

National Associations Council

Salon B, Park Hyatt

National Association members only

The National Associations Council (NAC)is the global forum for heads and representatives of national advertiser associations in WFA membership. The NAC offers a unique opportunity to learn from each other, collaborate and share ideas, insights & success stories.

Tickets WFA members

Register for Global Marketer Week

Open to WFA members

Global Marketer Week tickets are available for WFA members, meaning global or regional marketers in WFA membership. The tickets are free and include access to the forums, the Global Marketer Conference and dinners during the whole week.

Tickets non-members

Register for the Global Marketer Conference

Open to non-members

Global Marketer Conference tickets are available for non-members at a rate of $600 (CAD). The conference takes place on Thursday May 16. Members of the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and national marketers within WFA membership enjoy a discounted rate of $350 (CAD). If you are applicable for a discounted rate, but have not received the unique code yet, please contact events@wfanet.org.

Conference speakers

Jonathan Adashek Jonathan Chief Communications Officer and SVP, Marketing and Communications, IBM

40% of companies have not yet deployed AI, underscoring a dramatic gap between hype and use. 2024 will be the year of overcoming barriers of entry to AI, including the skills gap, data complexity and, crucially, trust. Jonathan will share on how marketers and communicators can move to build trust in technology and help move companies out of the AI sandbox.
Dr. Marcus Collins Dr. Marcus Marketing Professor and best-selling author

Dr. Marcus Collins, Marketing Professor and best-selling author, will talk about how few external forces are more influential to human behaviour than culture, which makes cracking the culture code critical for marketers. Culture is not only driving today's consumption, but also ushering the future of brand.
Asmita Dubey Asmita Chief Digital & Marketing Officer, L'Oréal
Marcel Marcondes Marcel Global Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev

AB InBev’s Global Chief Marketing Officer will share one of the most inspiring stories of a company transformation driven by marketing. From a follower to a leader in creative capabilities, to developing a culture of sustainable growth, AB InBev is harnessing marketing's super-powers to create a future with more cheers.
Stephan Pretorius Stephan Chief Technology Officer, WPP

Stephan Pretorius has more than 20 years’ experience in marketing and advertising technology and is passionate about helping brands develop the ever-evolving capabilities necessary to deliver groundbreaking customer engagement strategies. Stephan joined WPP as its first Chief Technology Officer in October 2018 and is responsible for the company’s technology vision and strategy, and for managing its relationship with key technology partners such as Google, Adobe, Salesforce, Microsoft, IBM and Facebook. From 2016-2018, Stephan acted first as Chief Technology Officer and then UK Group CEO at Wunderman where he integrated the group’s agency and technology offerings to create one of the UK’s largest digital agencies with more than 2,000 specialist staff across commerce, marketing technology, consulting and CRM. Earlier in his career, Stephan recognized the potential of technology-enabled marketing to radically influence the way brands engage with consumers. In 1999, he founded Acceleration, the leading marketing technology consultancy. Acceleration joined WPP in 2012 and became a division of Wunderman in 2016. A native of South Africa, Stephan holds a Master’s degree in Media & Telecommunications Law from Columbia Law School.
Raja Rajamannar Raja WFA President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and President Healthcare, Mastercard

Raja is responsible for building the Mastercard brand, driving business for its products and services and advancing sustainable competitive differentiation for the company. Raja comes to Mastercard with a history of innovation and business transformation. Before joining the company, he served as the Chief Transformation Officer of Anthem (formerly, WellPoint), a Fortune 500 health insurance company. Earlier, he was at Citigroup for 15 years holding a number of leadership roles, including Global Chief Marketing Officer, Cards and Payments, and before that he spent 7 years with Unilever in sales and product management roles. He started his career with Asian Paints in India.
Jenny Rooney Jenny Chief Experience Officer, ADWEEK

Jenny is an award-winning innovator, curator and connector among the world’s leading CMOs and beyond. Having served as a business journalist for more than 25 years covering the advertising, marketing and brand industry, she has a deep understanding of the dynamics of marketing, the industry and its leadership. She’s conceived of and successfully launched multiple initiatives, platforms, series and events for CMOs and other business leaders. Currently Chief Experience Officer at ADWEEK, she oversees marketing, community engagement and events, creating new initiatives, resources and experiential offerings to better connect with and serve marketing decision-makers and the overall marketing ecosystem. She previously served as Managing Director and Cofounder of CMO House at Black Glass, an IPG consultancy, advising CMOs and providing them with needed resources and access to excel. Prior to that, she spent 10 years at Forbes as Communities Director, Assistant Managing Editor and Editor and Chair of the CMO Network, where she managed content and events critical to executive-level marketing decision-makers, particularly the annual Forbes CMO Summit and the World’s Most Influential CMOs list.
Solitaire Townsend Solitaire Co-founder and Chief Solutionist, Futerra
Jane Wakely Jane Chief Consumer & Marketing Officer, PepsiCo

Jane Wakely, Chief Consumer & Marketing Officer, has been at PepsiCo since January 2022, where she oversees the Global Consumer organization across different PepsiCo brands, which includes R&D, Marketing, Insights, Design and Category Strategy. Prior to PepsiCo, Jane was the lead CMO at Mars Incorporated for 21 years, where she was a driving force in the transformation of Mars’ consumer functions, leading and launching Mars’ innovative mandate for sustainable growth with people, data, creativity, and purpose at its heart. Jane began her career at Procter & Gamble and was one of the founding members of GARM.
David Wheldon David WFA Better Marketing podcast host
Allyson Witherspoon Allyson Corporate Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Nissan Motor Corporation

Allyson’s journey within the world of Nissan is as unique as the world-leading innovative marketing helping to drive Nissan’s global success.

Global Marketer Week speakers

Edward Bell Edward General Manager Brand, Insights & Marketing Communications, Cathay Pacific
Ramzi Chaabane Ramzi Global Category Manager for eCommerce & Emerging Platforms, L'Oréal
Mathias Chaillou Mathias Chief Media Officer, L’Oréal
Margarida De Las Cuevas Marques Margarida Strategic Sourcing Manager – Digital Marketing Experience, Unilever
Antonia Farquar Antonia Global Head, Media & Partnerships, Nestle
Jose Gonzalo Bisquerra Mora Jose VP Marketing, Sales and Technology Global Procurement, Haleon
Atin Kulkarni Atin VP Global Media, PepsiCo
Isabel Massey Isabel VP, Global Media, Marketing, Diageo
Susan O’Brien Susan Chief Marketing Officer, Just Eat
Alison Payne Alison Global Marketing Director, SVP Zero Alcohol Beverages, The Heineken Company
Andres Peñate Andres Global VP Regulatory & Public Affairs, AB InBev
Mark Proulx Mark Director, Media Responsibility & Quality, Kenvue
Cynthia Sanfilippo Cynthia VP Global Public Affairs, L'Oréal
Philipp Schuster Philipp Agency & Marketing Partnerships Director, Global Strategic Marketing, Consumer Health, Bayer
Phil Smith Phil Director General, ISBA
Tom Standage Tom Deputy Editor, The Economist and editor of The World Ahead

Tom Standage is Deputy Editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, The World Ahead. He joined The Economist as science correspondent in 1998 and was subsequently appointed technology editor, business editor and digital editor. He is the author of seven history books, including “Writing on the Wall” (2013), “The Victorian Internet” (1998) and the New York Times bestsellers “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” (2005) and “An Edible History of Humanity” (2009). His latest book, “A Brief History of Motion”, was published in 2021. Tom studied engineering and computer science at Oxford University and has written for other publications including the New York Times, the Guardian and Wired, taking a particular interest in technology's social and historical impact.

See last year's highlights

Where to stay

Hotel

Be at the centre of Global Marketer Week and stay at the Park Hyatt Toronto. As a WFA delegate, you can now book your hotel room at a preferential rate (available until 22 April). Contact events@wfanet.org for more information.

Global Marketer Conference

The week’s flagship event will take place at The Carlu, located within a 20-minute walking distance from the hub hotel, Park Hyatt, and easily accessible by public transport.