MEETING WITH LEADERS
Our Marketing Talent Council
We meet with influential marketing leaders from across Canada who help our students shape their careers and land new opportunities.
Drawing from the knowledge and experience of some of the most influential marketers, we reflect on the latest hiring trends in the industry and translate those into real, actionable guidance for our students.
Collaboration
At the core of the Jelly Academy Advisory Council's work is the identification of current and future trends, contributing to 'best practice' advice, industry research and insights for professionals and the industry. This offers guidance on an educational framework to support the development and promotion of the profession and the opportunities for individuals and businesses.
Global Champions
Members are invited from global leadership companies and organizations that constitute business and consumer leadership, engagement and innovation in technology, platforms, brands, agencies and influencer domains. All members agree to give constructive criticism and feedback to our curriculum quarterly.
Our Marketing Talent Council
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Darian is founding partner of the award-winning Digital Marketing and PR firm known as Jelly. Darian brings unparalleled charisma and excitement to the brands that he popularizes). Known for off-the-wall ideas and fantastic stories, Darian’s energy keeps the Jelly bus rolling down fun and fabulous roads.
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Fernanda Ave is a senior marketing strategist and AI specialist who empowers marketers and businesses to thrive in the age of AI. Her 15+ years of experience across multiple industries, combined with her entrepreneurial and teaching roles, give her a unique blend of strategic thinking, practical execution, and educational expertise.
As the founder of Upskill Marketing AI, Fernanda designs and delivers practical AI courses, workshops, works
as factional CMO and offers consulting services for marketers, entrepreneurs and start-ups. She helps professionals build AI literacy, works with organizations to assess their readiness for AI, identify the solutions that actually fit their goals and context, and adopt AI responsibly, focusing on impact, data, and human decision-making rather than hype.
Fernanda also shares her expertise as a sessional faculty member at University Canada West and Douglas College.
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Karen Renaud is a senior marketing and brand strategy leader with deep experience building and scaling brands across hospitality, lifestyle, consumer goods, and digital platforms. She brings a unique blend of creative instinct and operational rigor, helping teams translate big ideas into integrated, high-performing marketing programs.
Karen has led marketing, communications, and growth initiatives for multi-brand portfolios, working across digital, content, CRM, paid media, partnerships, and customer experience. Most recently, she’s been consulting with agencies and brands to strengthen marketing operations, streamline workflows, and bring clarity and momentum to complex, fast-moving teams.
Known for her collaborative leadership style and strategic mindset, Karen excels at connecting brand storytelling with measurable outcomes. She’s especially passionate about helping organizations build systems and cultures that allow creativity, performance, and people to thrive together.
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Kylie McMullan, PhD, is the Principal of Finch Media and is a seasoned public relations and marketing strategist with experience both client-side and in an agency. She has supported communications and marketing for organizations including Johnson & Johnson, Doctors of BC, and Nature’s Path Organic Foods, and has guided campaigns for Celestial Seasonings, Happy Planet Juice, and Cadillac Canada.
An instructor of public relations, Kylie also co-authored Canadian PR for the Real World, the first Canadian-based public relations textbook. Her contributions to the field have earned her recognition, including being inducted in Marketing News Canada’s Marketing Hall of Fame and nominated as a BIV 2018 Top Forty Under 40. Her agency, Finch Media, was nominated as a YWCA Women of Distinction Award Outstanding Workplace.
A respected voice in the industry, Kylie’s thought leadership has appeared in The Globe
and Mail, BC Business, Daily Hive, and The Georgia Straight.
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Peter is an experienced, innovative, and award-winning communications and marketing leader who has successfully executed numerous offline and online strategies and initiatives across three public sectors (Municipal Government, Post-secondary, and K-12 education) and the private sector for almost 35 years.
With a BBA, MBA, and IAP2 and EOC certifications, he has presented at national and international conferences, continues to teach business courses at university, and is now focusing on growing his own small businesses including an e-commerce storefront.
Known for a data-driven and strategic approach, Peter combines innovation with best practices to successfully transform organizations’ brands, reputations, and bottom lines.
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Iryna Dudnyk, CM is a Chartered Marketer and strategic marketing leader with 10+ years of experience driving brand, product, and business growth across B2B and B2C markets. She specializes in building and scaling brands through integrated marketing strategy, digital marketing, and customer-centric execution.
Iryna has led go-to-market strategies, omnichannel and performance-driven campaigns, and digital growth initiatives, combining brand storytelling with data, CRM, and customer journey optimization. Her expertise spans product positioning, pricing, loyalty marketing, and CRM implementation — ensuring marketing strategies translate into measurable business results.
Throughout her career, she has managed world-renowned brands such as TOLO Toys, Playmobil, Meccano, Peugeot, De Buyer, and Contigo, expanding brand presence from 5 to over 40 countries. Known for blending strategic vision with hands-on execution, Iryna takes ownership from concept to completion — helping businesses cut through complexity, strengthen customer relationships, and achieve sustainable growth.
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Nupur Abrol is a Senior Manager, Digital Marketing & Events at Software Analyst Cyber Research with nearly a decade of experience in digital marketing, specializing in performance marketing, social and website strategy and client management. Her career spans both agency and client-side roles, where she has led full-funnel campaigns across healthcare, technology, retail, and consumer sectors.
Nupur has led impactful digital initiatives for prominent brands such as Skechers, Sobeys, Cadillac Fairview, and Google Cloud, as well as professional and government organizations like Egg Farmers of Canada, World Vision Canada, the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund, and the Workers Compensation Board of Canada.
Known for her data-driven approach and strategic thinking, Nupur combines creativity with analytics to build impactful, integrated digital experiences. She holds the Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association and brings a fresh, insightful perspective to her work. Based in Hamilton, she is passionate about meeting new people, spending time with her baby and building relationships.