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Careers in Communications Speaker Panel

Feb 11, 2020 07:00 PM to 09:00 PM
CC-101, Career Centre, 192 King St. N., Waterloo

Registration Deadline: Feb 11, 2020 05:00 PM

This event is co-hosted with the Communications Students Association.

Join us as we welcome guests who will share their career experiences and advice. Attending this event is a great way to learn about potential career options and expand your professional network.

Panelists include:
​Katie Braithwaite, Human Resources Manager, Pool Supplies Canada

  • After many years of working in retail, Katie joined Pool Supplies Canada as a Customer Service Representative and subsequently became the Customer Service Manager. That role included hiring for the department, a task she really enjoyed and wanted to learn more about. This led Katie to take a recruitment course and decide to work on her Human Resources Designation. As Katie gained knowledge through her courses, she took on additional Human Resources responsibilities and gained her current title. 
Megan Carberry, Account Manager, Inbox Marketer a Trendline Interactive Company
  • Megan had always been of the opinion that no experience is bad experience. After university, despite graduating with a marketing degree, she decided to take a job opportunity in the financial sector. She had an interest as a student, investing her student loans. Through that job she learned how to manage her time better, talk to clients about sensitive topics and handle herself in a professional environment. From there she moved on to her current position at Inbox Marketer. A stark change moving from the financial sector to agency life. She started as an Account Executive working on several clients including Fortune 500 clients. In just under two years she moved from Account Executive to Account Manager. Managing her own portfolio of clients and providing them with a true extension of their marketing team.
​Holly Curtis, Marketing Communications Consultant
  • With BA in English, Holly launched her communications career as a technical writer. After growing an award-winning department over 14 years, she then became a Corporate Communications Director before also taking on Corporate Development and HR. After 20 years at Campana Systems, she moved on to a digital health startup as Communications Director, where she was the only non-engineer (and female) in a group of 12. There, she managed all marketing/PR/media content and campaigns, created collateral and ran the website. Most recently, she was at Sun Life, where she worked as a Creative Director and Marketing Strategy Director in different divisions. Now, between jobs, Holly has been taking on consulting work for some local companies. Holly has taught continuing education, managed many awesome teams, and been involved with HR, marketing, PR, branding, translations, media, social, digital, video, traditional, design, agile, UI, analytics, CX for internal and B2B/B2C audiences.
Jonathan Finn, Associate Professor, Communication Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University
  • Dr. Finn has a PhD in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester and has been a faculty member at Laurier for 15 years. His research areas include visual communication, visual culture, surveillance studies, and sport studies. He has published two books, Capturing the Criminal Image (2009) and Visual Communication and Culture (2012) and his third book, Beyond the Finish Line: Images, Evidence, and the History of the Photo-Finish, will be published this spring. In addition to researching and writing, he is an avid runner, spouse, and dad to two amazing daughters.
Stephanie Wellens, Direct Marketing Advisor, Marketing Communications, Suncor Energy Inc.
  • Steph has over ten years of experience as a digital marketing and communications expert. She graduated with a BA from Saint Mary's University in Halifax and obtained certificates in Web Marketing, e-business and e-commerce Management from the University of Toronto. The foundation of her career was established in a fast passed agency environment (which was conveniently located next to a martini bar). Steph moved client-side 6 years ago and works for Suncor Energy Inc. where she's had both B2B and B2C marketing communications roles. Steph is a podcast junkie, Volvo driving mom of 2, who flails at yoga but goes anyway!
     
Please bring your OneCard to this event.

We are committed to providing inclusive programs and services to all students and alumni. Please contact us if you require accommodation for a disability.

Each year, the Career Centre hosts a number of speaker panels covering various themes. Attend panels to gain information and advice about a range of careers you may not have previously considered!

2019-20 Speaker Series:  
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