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Fredda Hurwitz, CMO, RedPeg Marketing

Originally from Boston, MA, life after my studies at the University of California Berkeley led to an eight-year stint in Paris, starting with the then named International Herald Tribune and Associated Press.

Having failed to uncover the next Watergate scandal, I shifted gears and joined Disney Consumer Products, EMEA where I was Communications Manager. Amongst my many tasks, one of them involved being a guinea pig for the new rides at the soon-to-open Disneyland Paris. If you’ve ridden Dumbo safely, you have me to thank.

A long foray into sports marketing and sponsorship followed, starting with the NHL International, then a move to London to join the NFL International and finally Octagon. Back then this kind of currency definitely gave me “uber cool chick” status. The good old days…

Fast forward with a stint in advertising as a Group Account Director, EMEA at OgilvyOne, followed by a quick retreat to my sponsorship roots as Associate Director, via supremo sponsorship consultancy, Redmandarin.

Another twist in the career path and off I went to join Butlins as the Director of Brand Experience. I may be the only American to have slept at all three resorts: Skegness, Minehead and Bognor Regis. Just trips off the tongue, doesn’t it?

Agency life harkened and this time I settled in at Momentum as VP International, before literally crossing the street a few years later to begin a new role as Managing Director of Cunning Stunts. Yes you read that correctly… Alas my love of all things French resurfaced with a vengeance and in 2009 I joined Havas Sports & Entertainment as Global Chief Strategy Officer.

In 2017 I took what I thought would be my biggest professional plunge to date and set up my own brand consultancy in the form of Gingernut Thinking. This however turned out to be the stepping stone that brought me back to the U.S. all these years later, as the Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer for RedPeg, an independent, award-winning brand engagement agency. Talk about a confused soul whose brain thinks it’s half Euro trash half American!

I have worked on a diverse group of brands throughout my career including American Express, Bacardi, Barclays, Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, Eurostar, FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, MINI, the NBA, Nestle, Yahoo! amongst others, and have had the privilege of working on large-scale international programs, brand experiences and integrated marketing campaigns from World Cups to music tours to fashion weeks to the Olympics and everything in between and beyond.

I have a great appreciation for Grey Goose and cranberry (or champagne when no vodka is around), traveling, good food and wine, The Princess Bride (it never gets old), books you can’t put down and giggling with my gorgeous daughter Ella and my ball-of-energy son Noah.

I’ve been on the board of the European Sponsorship Association since 2012 and joined Amaechi Performance in 2017 as an Advisory Board Member. I was an official mentor for the Marketing Academy’s UK Scholarship prior to my U.S. move, and am currently a mentor for Cannes’ SEEIT/BEIT initiative along with other mentoring relationships.

Very important: I have an unnatural fear of clowns.

It’s been a great ride so far.