Marketing Minds Unite—Alumni Share Career Insights with Peers

The conversation was all about marketing when Canterbury alumni in the field reconnected with fellow graduates during a recent virtual Career Connections session.

The three alumni—Christopher Jeyes ’06, Digital Communications Manager for Ferrari North America; Christina Milano-Damaskos ’09, Co-founder and CEO of Athlon; and Raymond Zulauf ’06, Vice President, Olympics & Paralympics Ad Sales Marketing for NBCUniversal—offered intriguing glimpses into their professional paths and personal experiences. Subjects ranged from recent shifts in the marketing landscape to balancing data and creativity to the use of storytelling and AI in marketing. 

Christina co-founded Athlon, a youth wellness technology company, with her husband Matt after more than a decade in sports, media, and entertainment. Athlon’s first mobile app, Rallee, is a science-backed augmented reality app gamifying “microworkouts” for kids by turning sedentary screen time into active play. As CEO, Christina wears many hats, including marketing and communicating the company’s brand values and mission to its clients.

“We try not to just be about the digital communication but the real-world experiences we can drive,” she shared. “It is highly interactive, and we take the same approach with our marketing. Our end users are kids, but we also have to market to the teachers and parents around these children. It is not an either/or; we need a strategy that pairs both together.” 

An effective strategy for Ray at NBCUniversal is storytelling. In his role, he develops and leads custom marketing campaigns that align brands with NBC’s Olympic and Paralympic coverage. 

“The unique thing about NBC's relationship with the Olympics and Paralympics is that it is a partnership rooted in storytelling,” he said. “We tell the stories of athletes who are training their entire lives for two minutes of glory once every four years. It allows the audience to get to know these athletes, and their stories are often incredible. And we draft off of that to partner with advertisers on stories that align with their brand messaging, bringing the brand closer to the Olympics and the passion of its fans. We integrate that messaging into our coverage so that it is seamless and organic.”

Chris, who leads digital strategy, content, and brand storytelling for one of the world’s most iconic automotive companies, spoke about the importance of balancing creativity and data. “It is like diet and exercise; it only works if they go hand-in-hand,” he said. “What we know about our customers now is incredibly powerful thanks to robust CRM platforms that track web interactions, app interactions, and customer interactions with retailers. But the creativity is what resonates and convinces someone to take that next step down the purchase funnel.” 

He cautions against leaning too heavily on data when marketing a product. “It can lead to scared marketers, but sometimes we need to be fearless because great marketing has to make you feel something,” Chris explained. “You often need to take risks to make a statement. When we take great creative and water it down so every executive at the table feels good about what is being produced, we end up with something that feels safe but doesn't move the needle.”

For her part, Christina has embraced AI technology to help add that personal touch to her product. “When we started building our mobile application, we laid the groundwork for an AI model that would personalize the experience for children,” she said. “For example, if a child gets fidgety and loses focus throughout the school day, they will get prompted for more movement breaks. Or maybe a child loves sneakers, so one of the prizes in our virtual fitness model is a sneaker avatar skin. AI is transforming our technology so every child has a different version of the app based on their unique wants and needs.”

One thing all three alumni have in common is their strong belief in what they are marketing. Whether it is Christina’s joy of being around kids, Ray’s desire to be a part of something as big as the Olympics, or Chris eagerly serving as a “custodian for brands that are meaningful,” these Saints have found both success and fulfillment in promoting the benefits of great products and services to people.

Be sure to stay tuned to our Alumni Events page for future Career Connections sessions. Saints graduates: if you are interested in joining an alumni panel for Career Connections, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Kate Heslin ’96, P ’24, ’25, ’28 at 860-210-3954 or kheslin@cbury.org.