Meredith McCracken

I attribute my success to very strong communication and a strong focus on collaboration, alignment, and process improvement. When I started at Getty Images 9 years ago, it was a very siloed company. It's a global company with teams spread out across geographies. During my time here, I have focused consistently on breaking down the silos among the teams Marketing interacts with, making sure people are aligned early and often at the beginning of a project so we're talking across the aisle. The siloed nature has greatly reduced over the years. I really lean into strong communication, coordination, and collaboration, as well as process and alignment. Process doesn't really get top billing as a factor in success, but when you have strong operational success, it can make a huge difference. I also think my early interest in psychology has helped me understand the link between marketing and psychology, and combining customer behavior with data-driven analysis to drive insights and impact.

The best career advice I ever received - and I absolutely hated hearing it at the time, yet it's true - is that there's always something you could have done differently. My manager at Audible gave me this advice, and his point was that even if you think you had no role in a mess-up that happened, if you were involved in it either as a manager or executor, there's something everybody could have done differently. Whether it was earlier communication and alignment between teams, adding another check or step to a process, or something else - even when you think you've crossed every T and dotted every I, it's a chance to look at what you can do differently and better for the next time, even if you're the manager where you're a bit more removed from the details. I hated hearing this feedback but it was great advice to always check yourself and ask, 'What can I do differently next time to make the situation better or prevent this from happening again?' It's about recognizing that every situation, whether success or failure, is an opportunity for growth.

My advice to young women entering this industry is to advocate for yourself and communicate clearly. Understand what matters to you, make your accomplishments visible, actively promote your "personal brand", and don’t be afraid to pursue opportunities. Early in my career, I assumed hard work alone would be recognized—but being bold and confident about your value is essential for growth. You have to proactively go after what you want and develop an open line of communication with your manager so they can support you.

One of the biggest challenges (and opportunities) I see in my field today is figuring out how to incorporate AI in our workflows. It doesn't need to replace "human made", but we've already found ways to make our work more efficient by using AI tools, and it feels like the possibilities are endless. Other issues on my mind are evolving the approach to our work to continue to show impact and ensuring our work is driving results. Measurement is not always easy or inherent within certain Marketing teams but it's critical to ensure individuals are not goaling themselves simply on a list of tasks they executed and projects they launched. Additionally, I’m passionate about leveraging psychological insights alongside increasingly segmented and personalized data and analytics to drive more effective, targeted marketing.

The values I prioritize in work and life are trust, openness, and authenticity. Trust is essential—whether relying on colleagues or family, it keeps relationships and teams strong. I also lead authentically, sharing challenges and admitting when I don’t have all the answers, because embracing our humanity builds connection and growth.