COUNSEL

AFTER STUDYING AT SIXTEEN SCHOOLS IN TEN DIFFERENT CITIES MARIALEJANDRA FELT HER VARIED KNOWLEDGE GAVE HER THE EDGE SHE NEEDED TO START A CAREER IN THE WORLD OF ADVERTISING. INITIALLY SHE WORKED IN THE ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT OF "CONCEPTO CREATIVO", A BOUTIQUE AGENCY WORKING ON ACCOUNTS LIKE 3M AND NESTLÉ. AFTER A YEAR TRAVELING, SHE RETURNED TO COLOMBIA TO WORK AT EPOCA PUBLICIDAD, AN AGENCY WHERE SHE WAS IN CHARGE OF STRATEGY ON MAGGI, HELPING TO ESTABLISH THE COLOMBIAN MARKETING ICON, "LA GALLINA AZUL".

SHE SPENT THE EARLY 90S AT JWT WHERE SHE LAUNCHED THE FORD BRAND FOR COLOMBIA, ALSO HANDLING THE COMMUNICATIONS OF FORD VENEZUELA AND ECUADOR. IN 1998 SHE CAME TO LONDON TO FURTHER HER STRATEGIC TRAINING AT JWT, SHE RETURNED TO JWT BOGOTÁ AS ACCOUNT DIRECTOR FOR MULTINATIONAL BRANDS. IN 1999 SHE WAS HIRED BY YOUNG & RUBICAM TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE STRATEGIC DEPARTMENT IN MEDELLÍN. AFTER THREE YEARS THERE, SHE RETURNED TO COLLEGE TO ATTAIN A MASTERS IN MARKETING AT THE WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY.

ON HER RETURN TO BOGOTÁ, SHE BECAME DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AT Y&R. HER ROLE WAS NOT ONLY TO DELIVER STRATEGY FOR THEIR CLIENTS BUT TO ALSO LEAD THEIR NEW BUSINESS INITIATIVE. SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN WINNING KEY ACCOUNTS SUCH AS TELECOM, CRM FALABELLA, LG AND MOVISTAR, AMONG OTHERS.

IN 2007, TAKING A BREAK FROM THE ADVERTISING WORLD, SHE DEDICATED HER TIME AND ENERGY TO SOCIAL WORK WITH THE SALVI FOUNDATION WHERE SHE MANAGED FUNDRAISING FOR THE "CARTAGENA, INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL". SHE RETURNED TO ADVERTISING IN 2008 AND TOOK THE POST OF PLANNING DIRECTOR AT O&M, WORKING SPECIFICALLY FOR COCA-COLA BRANDS ACROSS 23 COUNTRIES IN LATIN AMERICA.

IN 2010 MARIALEJANDRA JOINED LOWE/SSP3 GROUP AS DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND LATAM REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR LOWE COUNSEL.