In 2025, Women We Admire proudly recognizes The Rising Star Women Leaders in Marketing — a distinguished group of women transforming marketing across sectors. These leaders are at the forefront of innovation, strategy, and impact, executing customer-focused campaigns that drive brand growth and loyalty across industries such as:

• Technology

• Cybersecurity

• Consumer goods

• Healthcare

• Finance

• Manufacturing

• Nonprofit organizations

As marketing evolves into a strategic pillar of business growth, these women are setting new standards through cross-functional leadership, data-driven strategies, and purposeful storytelling.

Spotlight on Notable Honorees

Phaedra Cucina – Intel

Role: Recruitment Marketing Director, U.S. & Canada
Expertise:

• Brand strategy and retail marketing

• Product launch management and brand architecture

• Social impact, CSR, and DEI

• Employer branding and talent attraction

With over two decades of experience, Cucina brings a holistic approach to brand development and recruitment marketing.

Melissa Roels – Uniting Voices Chicago

Role: Director of Marketing
Approach:

• Purpose-driven and community-based marketing

• Creative campaigns that drive action and connection

• Over a decade of experience in building lasting brand impact

Roels emphasizes the synergy of purpose, creativity, and community in successful marketing initiatives.

Alexandra Hurtado – Anvilogic

Role: Director of Product Marketing
Strengths:

• Technical background as a sales engineer

• Cybersecurity marketing expertise

• Narrative-driven product positioning

• Leading initiatives in a competitive SIEM startup environment

Hurtado blends storytelling with technical insight to market cybersecurity products effectively.

Honoring a Diverse and Impactful Group

This year’s Rising Star list features accomplished marketing professionals from a wide array of companies and sectors. These women demonstrate the power of diversity, innovation, and leadership, including but not limited to:

• Aliana Miller (Roblox)

• Lianna Badran (American Parkinson's Disease Association)

• Michelle Snell (Circana)

• Janele Marek (Chesapeake Regional Healthcare)

• Erica Wiggins (George P. Johnson Experience Marketing)

• Makanaohaililani Waikiki (Purple Mai’a Foundation)

• Shira Re’em (LucidLink)

• Lindsey Williams (Walmart)

• Tami Iverson (Pacific Coast Producers)

• Kimberly Lachell (Globus Medical)

• Kimberly Saving (Accenture)

• Jennifer Rudy (Microsoft)

• Maria Lee (Flex)

• Carly Anderson (Cargill)

• Lina Tinsley (Mars)

• Jennie Zafft (Avison Young)

• Tamara Sinichkina (PepsiCo)

• April Jones (Ford Motor Credit Company)

• Diana Destin (Johnson & Johnson)

• Ashley Kelly (Meta)

• Carol Wentworth (Thermo Fisher Scientific)

• Lauren Calenda (Pfizer)

• Leah Rice (Medtronic)

The Rising Star Women Leaders in Marketing for 2025 exemplify the evolving role of marketers as strategic visionaries. From developing compelling narratives to leading analytics-driven campaigns, these women are not only shaping the present but also redefining the future of marketing.

Join us in recognizing and celebrating their extraordinary achievements in advancing marketing excellence across the globe.