Her Story
About Jeanniey
Jeanniey Walden is a marketing executive, brand advisor, entrepreneur, and media host whose career spans more than three decades across some of the world's largest companies and most respected advertising agencies. She began her career at JCPenney, where she rose to lead customer relations and helped launch the company's first website and email marketing program, before moving into global advertising roles at Gray Advertising and Ogilvy. She went on to serve as Chief Marketing Officer at a series of major organizations, including Rite Aid, Mercer, Barnes & Noble, and Rakuten Rewards, building a reputation for scaling brands, improving marketing ROI, and driving growth at enterprise scale. Along the way, she also founded the Email Experience Council and led the sale of a business, the Thrifty ice cream brand, at a notable 19x multiple.
Today, Jeanniey serves as CEO and host of Liftoff Enterprises, where she partners with C-suite leaders and boards on brand strategy, growth, and trust-building in the AI era. She hosts the nationally broadcast TV show "Liftoff with Jeanniey Walden," reaching millions of households, as well as the top-ranked podcast "Liftoff Journeys." She also advises companies including Fluent, Inc., where she sits on the Board of Advisors, and Lead | Rolf's Global Institute, powered by L'Oréal. Her work is guided by her proprietary AIR Method™ (Authenticity, Inspiration, Relatability), a framework she has applied throughout her career to help brands and leaders build trust and lasting influence, and which forms the foundation of her bestselling book, "The Trust Threshold."
Jeanniey holds a master's degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh, with an undergraduate focus in psychology and a minor in sign language, which she originally studied in order to work with autistic children. A sought-after keynote speaker, she has taken the stage at TEDx, Davos, Cannes Lions, and the World Marketing Forum. She is a Stevie Award "Woman of the Year" recipient and a Webby Awards judge. Outside of her professional life, Jeanniey is the mother of five children and is passionate about travel, outdoor adventure, and staying active, values she credits as central to how she balances a demanding career with family life.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jeanniey
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to leaning into and owning who I am, the good, the bad, and the weirdness of it, leveraging that from a very authentic perspective to define future successes without trying to be somebody else.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Never be afraid of taking a risk. Always pursue it with all the guts and the glory no matter what.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Work hard and understand that success takes time. Afford yourself the opportunity to learn your craft, build a great network, and ignore imposter syndrome because I don't believe in it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of my most significant accomplishments was serving as CEO for Rite Aid, where I demonstrated my entrepreneurial expertise by achieving a nineteen-fold increase in Thrifty ice cream sales. I was also at the forefront of pioneering email marketing campaigns. Most notably, I currently host a business lifestyle television program that airs on both Bloomberg and CNBC.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I coined the AIR method which stands for Authenticity, Inspiration, and Relatability. If you have all three of those you create trust, and trust builds belief, and belief builds your brand.
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