Ishma Alexander Huet always knew she’d end up in advertising. As a child, she was fascinated by TV commercials and deeply curious about how and why they were placed in specific programs.
As she approached the end of high school, Alexander Huet decided to pursue a career as an advertising copywriter and enrolled in an undergraduate creative writing program. But partway through her first year, she discovered she was pregnant with her first son.
“It was then that I enrolled in Centennial,” she says. “I wanted to make sure I was being practical and would have the most effective route to a career.”
During her time as a student of the three-year honours diploma in creative advertising, Alexander Huet discovered a passion for marketing and strategy.
“I was apprehensive about switching gears, but my professors encouraged me to recognize my full skillset,” she says. “There was a lot of guidance provided by the faculty, which I’m so grateful for.”
Today, as vice president of client advice and management at top marketing agency Initiative, Alexander Huet manages a team of professionals overseeing accounts that include Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada, Lego Canada and RBC Royal Bank of Canada.
The biggest highlight of her career to date? The opportunity to move her family to Trinidad and Tobago for a year to oversee RBC Royal Bank of Canada’s rebranding efforts in 19 Caribbean countries.
Advice for New Alumni
“Be inquisitive, make connections and – this is the biggest thing I say to everybody – be your authentic self.”