Meet the Panellists: The CMO Agenda
Just when you thought you’d cracked the code on AI, TikTok algorithms, and inflation-era marketing, 2025 shows up with a whole new set of curveballs. So, where does that leave the people actually making the big decisions?
On Wednesday 18th June at 10:30am at the LBB & Friends Beach, Brittney Rigby, Managing Editor, AUNZ at Little Black Book is set to host 'The CMO Agenda', a panel session pulling back the curtain on what today’s top marketers are really up against in an ever-shifting landscape.
Joined by brand leaders from Angel Soft, Instacart, and Diageo, the conversation will dive into shifting budgets, evolving creative partnerships, and the behind-the-scenes battles over what gets funded, what gets cut, and what still counts as brand-building in 2025.
Britt will be joined by:
- Desiree DeRose, Brand Director, Brand Building, Angel Soft
-Laura Jones, CMO, Instacart
-Grainne Wafer, Global Director Beer, Baileys and Smirnoff, Diageo
Find out how to get onto the LBB & Friends Beach.
The CMO Agenda
Just when marketers were starting to get a handle on the AI revolution and the cost-of-living crisis, 2025 throws a fresh set of challenges into the mix. In this panel, top brand leaders unpack how they're navigating today’s ever-shifting landscape of budget choices — from where they’re really spending their advertising and marketing dollars to how this is reshaping partnerships, priorities, and ways of working. What’s changing, what’s staying, and where’s the smart money going next?"
PANELLISTS
Desiree DeRose, Brand Director, Brand Building Angel Soft
Desiree DeRose is a results-driven brand leader with a proven track record in building successful brands. As a Brand Marketing Director at Georgia-Pacific, she leads the marketing vision and strategy for Angel Soft, one of the company’s most recognized brands. With over a decade of marketing experience, Desiree is a proven leader passionate about building brands, delivering results, developing teams, and striving for excellence.
Desiree is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia, where she earned both her undergraduate degree and a Masters in Business Administration.
Laura Jones, CMO, Instacart
Laura Jones is the Chief Marketing Officer at Instacart. In her role, Laura is responsible for shaping a cohesive brand, fueling the company’s growth, and leading the marketing organization. Since joining in June 2021, Laura has led a comprehensive brand identity refresh, launched the company’s first-ever integrated brand campaign, built out its Creative Studio, and developed a full-funnel in-house media team. Her work has been recognized by Ad Age, Adweek, the Clios, the Effies and she was featured in the 2024 Adweek 50 list, and the Forbes Entrepreneurial CMOs 50 and Adweek Marketing Vanguard lists in 2023. Laura also serves as a member of the Board of Directors at Match Group and UNICEF USA.
Prior to Instacart, Jones spent six years at Uber, most recently as the Global Head of Marketing for its Rides business. At Uber, she built the global product marketing team from the ground up, spanning Uber’s whole product portfolio (Rides, Eats, Freight, etc). She previously worked at Google and Visa. She has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Economics and Government from Dartmouth.
Grainne Wafer, Diageo Global Director Beer, Baileys and Smirnoff
Gráinne Wafer is Global Director Beer, Vodka, Liqueurs and Convenience accountable for leading three of Diageo’s top five global brands and is a member of both the Diageo Global Marketing and Senior Management teams.
Gráinne joined Diageo over 25 years ago, working in the Irish business in a variety of roles, culminating with leading Guinness in Ireland, including Arthur’s Day celebrations for the brand’s 250th anniversary. Following this she moved to lead innovation commercialisation across Europe, before becoming Global Marketing and Innovation Director for Guinness in 2012.
Three years later she was appointed to the role of Global Brand Director for Baileys and Roe & Co. In this role, Gráinne led a strategy reframe to deliver a complete brand transformation, positioning Baileys as an adult treat which halted a decade of decline and unlocked a new pathway to turn around a global brand.
In 2019 Gráinne was appointed Global Brand Director for Guinness and set out a new strategy, positioning and community based marketing model that has delivered unprecedented levels of growth for one of the world’s most iconic brands. Under her leadership, Guinness innovation also reached new heights, with launches such as Guinness 0.0%, Guinness Nitrosurge & Guinness MicroDraught. She was promoted to her current role in 2022.
Gráinne also leads Diageo’s Progressive Marketing Programmes globally and an advocate for inclusivity and diversity across the advertising and marketing industries. She has served as an NED of Diageo Ireland, Guinness Nigeria PLC, and Ketel One JV. In recognition of her achievements, Grainne was awarded the European Marketer of the Year, 2024 by the European Marketing Confederations and is a Fellow of the Marketing Academy.
MODERATOR
Brittney Rigby, Managing Editor, AUNZ, Little Black Book
Brittney is LBB's managing editor across Australia and New Zealand. She joined in 2024 to grow the brand and editorial momentum across the region, champion the most creative and effective work, and ask the biggest names the biggest questions about the biggest issues.
She is a seasoned journalist with leadership experience across both newsrooms and agencies, including as editor at Mediaweek, deputy managing editor at Mumbrella, and head of communications at DDB Group Australia.
She has also written for a range of other industry titles, freelances regularly for mastheads like The Guardian and Sydney Morning Herald, and appears on radio and TV to talk about her work. In 2022, she was awarded a 30 under 30 accolade.
Brittney is qualified as a lawyer, and worked in law firms before joining adland.
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