Throughout Black History Month, The Message will be sharing short profiles of Black professionals from across the industry: marketing, advertising, PR, media, and production. Written by POCAM members, the profiles are a way to “fight invisibility,” an exercise in representation for an industry where representation must get better
Fiona O'Brien has worked in CPG marketing for close to 21 years. “Sounds so long,” she laughed. She gained her experience across a diverse array of brands, from Canadian brands like Cashmere to iconic global brands like Dove.
O'Brien’s long career in consumer packaged goods marketing began when she joined the team at Renee’s Gourmet after university. “It became so clear that was where I wanted to be,” she said. She discovered marketing’s impact on the brands she admired—it excited her.
O'Brien thinks that when she started, it may have been easier to break into an entry-level role than today, though even then she relied on a university friend who shared job postings and helped her write her resume.
O'Brien acknowledges that she has been privileged to lean on many amazing mentors and industry role models. She mentions Charmain Emerson (a feature earlier this month), Cultured Communications’ founder and one of O'Brien’s co-board leads on the Black Opportunity Fund. O'Brien describes Charmain as “a trailblazer… the cheerleader I never knew I needed.” And, she highlights POCAM co-founder Julian Franklin for being “an incredible sponsorship leader and BIPOC voice who has been a sounding board for me over the last few years.”
What delights O'Brien after all these years? “The first time you see a new product you’ve invested your hard work in hit the shelves… or hear the opening of your TVC roll is still an exhilarating moment,” she said. “Secretly I still merchandise every product I ever launched while I grocery shop… just to make sure they still sell through,” she admitted.
O'Brien didn’t always manage discrimination as she does now. She often “ignored or smiled through microaggressions and many instances of full racism while quietly planning my exit from those places of work.” In hindsight, she wonders if leaving before getting full credit for her hard work slowed her career. “As I progressed in seniority, I have found my voice for myself—and others,” she said.
In her organization, O'Brien is working to change how products are marketed, and viewed — and even who views them.
She wants fewer performative actions like camera-facing creative and more foundational changes that make our industry genuinely inclusive — starting with deeper consumer understanding at a cultural level that truly reflects diversity in product marketing and communication.
O'Brien advises young Black talent who want in to “find a mentor, join the groups, attend the mixers, get to know the people in the industry and ask for what you want—one foot in the door.”
This POCAM BHM 2024 profile was written by Gavin Barrett [ गैविन बैरिट ], CEO/CCO/founder of Barrett and Welsh Inc. and a co-founder of POCAM and the Multicultural Marketing Alliance of Canada.
Social Media Strategy Manager Tera Norman-Beljo's parents wanted her to be a lawyer but she had always loved writing, so she persevered. She began with a temp role as the EA to Hallmark’s Director of Graphics. Impressed with her ideas, he assigned Beljo to a special project with the marketing team, and she fell in love with the work.
Beljo learned fast, worked hard and was a team player, but she’d keep hearing, “marketing is a cost centre,” and soon enough she’d be hunting for a new role. But Beljo added each experience to her arsenal and began to excel at many different things.
“If you want a great brand strategy, I can do it. Want to do an event or participate in a tradeshow, I can do it. Want a fantastic organic social media strategy? SEO strategy? Content writer? Podcast or docuseries? I can do it. And I can do it all well,” she said.
Her passion project is the AMPLIFY Docuseries + Podcast which turns up the volume for Black professionals in the music industry. She surrounds herself with incredible talent who open up and share their stories, which Tera uses to create a virtual mentorship docuseries and podcast.
For a long time, Beljo was used to being the only person of colour in the room. “I have never had a Black boss or worked for an organization that had a Black person in the C-suite,” she said. With ADVANCE, that changed, and she connected with successful Black professionals who wanted her to succeed too. In particular, she names Keziah (Myers) Carter, Alison Copeland, Joanne Marcano, and Wayne Samuels.
A peak career moment? Winning a WISE (Women In Search of Excellence) award, at her firm in 2022. It made Beljo feel seen and valued for her workplace contributions and for her AMPLIFY project work with ADVANCE.
As a light-skinned biracial person who identifies as Black, Beljo is acutely aware of her privilege. “Because my race is ambiguous,” she explained, “People say things in front of me… I see it as a duty to speak out in those moments… a thousand times if I must.”
Beljo wants more women of colour in the C-suite. She wants to make the words “First BIPOC person to…” extinct in her lifetime. As a busy mom to two young boys with a demanding job and a side hustle, she barely has a moment to herself, but remains committed to showing up.
“Whatever knowledge I have, I share. If you need a hand up, I will grab it and lift you,” she said. To those who feel they don’t belong, Beljo said, “You absolutely do.” She advises young Black talent who want to get into the industry, to “Never stop learning, never stop being curious.”
Beljo has an unusual personal mantra. “No, but…” She asks questions and gets curious. “I love to problem-solve and brainstorm to make whatever “it” is, happen.”
This POCAM BHM 2024 profile was written by Gavin Barrett [ गैविन बैरिट ] Barrett, CEO/CCO/founder of Barrett and Welsh Inc and a co-founder of POCAM and the Multicultural Marketing Alliance of Canada.
Kimesha Walters is the powerhouse behind Oasis Integrated Communications, a strategic marketing communications firm with operations in Canada and Jamaica.
The name "Oasis" isn't just a brand; it's a promise of tranquility in the chaotic world of marketing. Walters’s experience spans public relations, advertising, branding, corporate communications, and marketing. Walters has a M.A. in Communications, and began her career in journalism, writing for one of the top newspapers in Jamaica. It was there she nurtured her calling, sharpened her writing, and became a voice for the voiceless. She developed a deep love for storytelling that led her into a career in PR and communications in Jamaica, and now, in Canada.
As a newcomer to Canada, Walters found the transition into the Canadian industry to be, simply put, a challenge. This challenge later became a deciding factor that inspired Walters to launch her own business. One of her goals is to provide others with an equal opportunity to be employed and adequately compensated for their work, regardless of their status or ethnic background.
Her mission? To ensure her clients are not just seen and heard but remembered. “Whether you’re a start-up, a business that’s scaling up, or a corporate giant, we focus on creating a fusion of credible, authentic, and meaningful brand stories that make you stand out” explained Walters.
Stand out clients include: Adidas, BMO, Frito Lay, Grace Foods, Heineken, Hyundai, Microsoft, Pepsi, Red Stripe, Samsung, Scotiabank, T&T Supermarket, and Western Union. A memorable moment for Walters was securing free earned media coverage for her first clients across CTV News, CBC, Toronto Star, Narcity, and a host of media channels across Canada and the US.
“This was huge for me!” Kimesha recalled, “Even better was relishing the feeling that here I was working progressively on building my business in Canada. That feeling is unmistakably beautiful and empowering.”
Her experiences as a newcomer breaking into the industry highlight the need for change.
Walters encourages hiring managers to consider candidates from diverse and underrepresented groups, revisit biases, and continuously work on breaking them. “The industry needs to hire from a wider lens focusing more on talents, abilities, and diversity," Walters said. Talent knows no boundaries, and everyone deserves a seat at the table.
For young Black professionals, Walters advice is golden: “Think of your career, and yourself as a brand. Then connect with and follow people who inspire you or can mentor you. Mentorship is like a moving sidewalk that takes you from where you are right now to where you dare dream. It eases you along ever so gently, gives you momentum, provides a welcome break from struggling, and gives you a pep in your step!”
For Walters this inspiration list includes the team at ByBlacks.com who continue to do groundbreaking work, Dwania Peele, founder of the Canadian Small Business Women, and trailblazers like Brandon Gonez, CEO/Founder of Gonez Media Inc.
But Walters’s not just about business. She's a beacon for change, advocating for diversity and inclusion, and lending her time, knowledge, and expertise to various organizations like Startup
Canada, the YWCA, and the Hamilton Fempreneurs. She continues to run Amazing Prospects, a charity she founded in 2010 to give back to one of her Jamaican schools, and is a budding DJ as well!
This POCAM BHM 2024 profile was written by Joycelyn E. David owner of AVCommunications and POCAM board member.
