About Tilona

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Storyteller, problem solver, team player, and awards guru—these are just a few of the words used to describe Tilona (pronounced ti-LA-na). She is a Director in Marketing and Communications with expertise in copywriting, creative excellence, and visual content. She excels at crafting compelling visual narratives and impactful communication strategies that elevate brands and inspire their teams.

Highlights

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    Secured +500 awards

    Major successes include Adweek Experiential Agency of the Year, Adweek Experiential Brand of the Year for Cadillac, and Silver for Campaign Global AOTY.

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    14 years in marketing

    Extensive experience in internal and external global communications, C-suite collaboration, and high-profile event coordination.

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    Community Advocate

    A dedicated supporter and mentor with D&AD Shift New York, as well as an active participant in DEI groups and initiatives.

My Journey into Marketing and communications

Since beginning my professional career over 14 years ago, I’ve explored many facets of communications. From creating brand guideline assets and editing executive presentation decks, to pitching ideas to external stakeholders and managing social media content development. I’ve always been interested in writing film and have a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts for Dramatic Writing—with a concentration in Screenwriting—from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. My official journey into marketing communications and awards management, however, began during a trial period as the assistant to the Chief Creative Officer. Just six months into my role at Jack Morton, I represented him on a call regarding an award submission.

Based on that one call, I noticed inefficiencies plaguing the global awards program, including a lack of engaging and effective storytelling. This inspired me to try my hand at crafting my first award entry. To our pleasant surprise, it won a Gold Reggie from the ANA, and I was encouraged to continue honing my craft. Within a year, I earned recognition from the entire C-suite and was granted ownership of the global awards program, along with a dual title of Executive Assistant/Global Awards Coordinator. From there, I forged my own path in a global, creative project management role that had never before existed at the agency.

That single moment of inspiration, paired with agility and confidence in my abilities, launched my career in global communications. After transitioning to the agency marketing team, I mastered the art of developing effective communication strategies, ensuring cohesive brand messaging and visual identity across key assets, and elevating brand visibility through industry recognition and creative excellence. I also learned to pitch thought leadership and speaking engagement ideas that would capture industry attention and inspire fellow marketers. Along the way, I discovered the importance of fostering a collaborative and encouraging environment where junior employees could learn, grow, and forge their own unique paths, much like I did.

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Social media post: Moody’s reel

To celebrate the Moody’s x MetLife Stadium sponsorship activation, I worked in collaboration with a video editor to create this launch post for LinkedIn and drafted the caption.

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Case Studies

Video storytelling with strategic use of AI

A case study that tells the story of Jack Morton’s highly successful employee experience, AI Fest. As a writer who typically uses AI as my grammar buddy and personal sounding board, my team and I were challenged to use AI across the entire creation of this case study. Challenge accepted!

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Published thought leadership

To enhance brand visibility for Vivi, Jack Morton’s multicultural marketing practice, I leveraged my involvement with D&AD Shift to publish a thought leadership piece on the value of hiring diverse talent from non-traditional backgrounds.

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Want to know more?

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