Jenny Fernandez

Jenny Fernandez is a marketing executive, start-up advisor, leadership coach, and adjunct lecturer at Columbia University. As an Adjunct Lecturer of Marketing at Columbia SPS, Professor Fernandez asks students to think strategically about the role of the service economy in driving customer and shareholder value. She inspires students to see marketing for its interdisciplinary nature in combination with customers, a company’s value proposition, direct-to-consumer business models, customer reach and the customer journey.

With over 20 years of experience managing, launching, growing brands and leading strategic business turnarounds globally, Professor Fernandez brings incredible expertise in marketing, innovation and business management. She is a consumer obsessed storyteller, passionate about humanizing data and analytics to drive breakthrough ideas that deliver on customer needs. She speaks in engagements and moderates panels about leadership topics, marketing and business growth.

Professor Fernandez is VP of Marketing at Loacker USA. She has held leadership roles at Merlin Entertainments as VP of Sales & Marketing, managing the NA Entertainment Brand Portfolio including Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, The Eye Brand, SEA LIFE & The Dungeons. Previously, Fernandez was North America Marketing Director and Head of Commercialization at Mondelēz International driving all phases of brand equity and integrated marketing communications. She also was the global leader of the Oreo brand in Asia Pacific.

Prior to her Expat Assignment stationed in China, Professor Fernandez worked at Kraft Foods where she managed channel strategy and led break-through Innovation launching new platforms & brands. Prior to joining Kraft, Professor Fernandez worked in management consulting at Accenture focusing on the Retail and Manufacturing industries with clients such as J. C. Penney, Nordstrom, Toys ‘R Us, Sara Lee Corp., Miller Brewing Co., Big Lots, Pepsi Bottling Group, and Staples.