MADELINE MCPHERSON

Manager, Brand Marketing - Aritzia

After graduating from Brentwood, I began the next chapter of my academic and professional life at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Driven by a deep interest in understanding both people and business, I pursued a Dual Bachelor of Arts degree with a specialization in Sociology and Business Management. This combination gave me a strong interdisciplinary foundation—one that blended analytical thinking with insight into social behavior, organizational dynamics, and strategic decision-making.

Eager to further strengthen my business acumen, I continued on to complete a Master’s Degree at the UBC Sauder School of Business. My time at Sauder not only expanded my technical and strategic skill set, but also reinforced my interest in marketing, brand building, and the ways in which businesses connect authentically with their customers. The experience prepared me to enter the professional world with a strong business background and a passion for elevating brands through strategic marketing tactics and creative thinking.

My career began as a Marketing Coordinator within the Furniture & Decor industry, where I spent a year gaining hands-on exposure to the fundamentals of marketing across several different areas. In this role, I developed a strong understanding of campaign execution, content creation, social media management, event planning, and cross-functional coordination. It was an opportunity that allowed me to see how creative and analytical thinking come together to shape a brand’s presence in the market.

After that, I pursued the Fashion industry and joined Aritzia as a Product Catalogue Analyst —a role that opened the door to working closely with E-comm Merchandising strategy and cross-functional management of both business and creative teams to bring the seasonal E-Commerce Catalogues to life. Over the span of 3 years, I grew into more senior positions, advancing to Senior Analyst and then Manager of Product Catalogue. Each step deepened my expertise in digital product experience, organizational efficiency, and people leadership.

Today, I am the Manager of Brand Marketing at Aritzia, where I lead initiatives that shape brand perception, elevate storytelling, and strengthen the emotional connection between Aritzia and its community. I am responsible for building and leading the seasonal marketing and Go-To-Market plans, ensuring brand strategies are carried through from initial planning to execution across all of Aritzia’s marketing teams and Channels — from Social, .com, Retail Marketing, Retail Merchandising, Influencer, Direct-to-Customer, and more.