Founded in 1937, our chapter reflects the innovation, standards of excellence, and industry and population diversity for which the Bay Area is known and celebrated.
Photo Credit: Gustavo Fernandez Photography
2021 - 2022

For over two decades, Gerardo Garcia-Jurado has been part of the so-called “creatives.” He built his own first job by starting his visual communications firm in Mexico City. Seven years later, his American adventure began when he moved to New York City. Gerardo has been a key player in the development of award-winning campaigns for global brands. From advertising to promotions to retail marketing; from Effies to Emmys; and from NYC to DEN to SFO, his professional life has been filled with exciting projects, all of which have left significant learnings that have made him the well-rounded marketing professional he is today. His full name is Luis Gerardo García-Jurado Rébora but you can just call him Gerardo (Her-are-doh). > LinkedIn

Laliv is a high-performing B2B Sales and Marketing executive hailing from prominent media companies and high-profile, venture-backed start-ups. She has a successful track record crafting marketing strategy, communications, sales development and marketing programs that drive awareness and revenue growth for brands. Laliv is skilled at setting a vision, partnering with all stakeholders, building teams, and operationalizing for outcomes. She has broad industry relationships, has proven herself as a successful leader and people developer/mentor. Laliv spent her early days at AOL and Yahoo!, and more recently leading integrated marketing for Wikipedia brand Fandom Wikia. Currently, she’s VP of Marketing and Brand for events and communications leader InVision Communications. A long-time Bay Area resident, she’s a proud Cal Berkeley grad. LinkedIn

Gene Filipi has been an AMA SF member since 1999 and is a former past president. During his tenure as president he led the chapter to win the coveted “Turn it Up Chapter of the Year” award, as well as much-deserved Merit Awards for its Communications and Membership efforts. Gene draws upon more than two decades of successful sales, marketing and market research experience. He strongly advocates connection and collaboration amongst his team – whether on the job or in the AMA. In his spare time, Gene holds his 50 ton USCG Master Mariner captain’s license and has his PADI DiveMaster certification. On any given weekend you’ll find Gene sailing around the Bay with clients and friends and his dog Ruby. LinkedIn

Kati is a graduate of Western Illinois University. Shortly after moving to the Bay Area, she was bit by the tech bug and became the Executive Assistant to the CEO of Zuckerberg Media. Throughout her years in the Bay she has gain experience supporting high level executives in multiple verticals and industries. Today she is a Senior Executive Assistant at Yelp. Being a highly organized and insightful strategic partner has enabled her to be the president of Phi Epsilon Sigma Kinesiology Honors Society and an advisory board member of the San Francisco Admin Awards. In her spare time, she enjoys a good book and a glass of wine on a rooftop. Fun Fact: middle name is legally Sunshine. LinkedIn

Eva is excited to join AMASF as the Treasurer. Eva is originally from Madrid, Spain, and holds an MBA from USF. She’s worked in the international and domestic marketing world for over 10 years, where she’d enjoyed promoting products in different markets and geeking out on customer and industry research and analysis. She also helps female entrepreneurs create marketing strategies that allow them to reach clients faster and increase sales so they stop going around in circles with no results. > LinkedIn

A passionate and seasoned marketing leader, with over 20 years digital and product marketing experience in the investment, banking & insurance industries – from start-up/disruptor to establish brands. Originally from the UK, Luke has lived and worked around the world, helping to launch and grow businesses in HK, Japan, Australia, Canada and the US. Perhaps not surprisingly, Luke loves to travel and has visited over 80+ countries. A professional Dive Master, Luke organizes group adventure travel in his free time, including diving, skiing & high-altitude trekking. > LinkedIn

In his current role, Thomas leads the integrated media team to drive strategy and media activation for his clients. Thomas brings a decade of experience working with Fortune 500 clientele across the agency, publisher and technology sides of the digital business in roles that include media, sales engineer and product marketing. Thomas has worked with a diverse clientele such as: Capital Group, Logitech, Workday, Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Hotwire, Microsoft, and many others. Further, Thomas is a part time professor at UCSC Extension teaching digital marketing related courses. > LinkedIn

Matt Safranek has been a volunteer with AMA SF for 5 years and a board member for 3. A seasoned product marketer, Matt has brought 0-to-1 and mature products to market for leading companies in the ad tech and financial services industries. In his prior roles, Matt ran the Marketing and Fundraising functions for a local non-profit and worked as a Product Manager and Market Researcher in the financial services industry. Matt earned his MBA in Marketing from the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis. In his free time, Matt is an active volunteer and member of his faith community at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church. He also enjoys hosting dinner and cocktail parties as well as camping and hiking in his beloved Sierra Nevada mountains. > LinkedIn

Irene Sanchez is Sr. Director of Marketing and Creative for community-powered entertainment destination, Imgur, where she and her team help brands build cultural credibility and connection with consumers. Throughout her career she has focused on driving revenue growth and developing strategic initiatives, from branded content to events, that strengthen awareness for her clients. Irene’s media roots began at the SF Chronicle and grew at AOL and Yahoo! where she held positions in advertising strategy and product marketing for their entertainment and lifestyles portfolio. Irene is passionate about building brands, fascinated by the internet’s ability to do good, and inspired by the opportunity to mentor young leaders, women, and BIPOC in media and tech.

Eric has been a AMA SF member since 2010. His vision for a successful AMA SF is to bring together technology, knowledge and thought leadership to help others in the marketing community succeed. He wholeheartedly believes his fellow members and the AMA SF’s resources have helped him stay informed and connected to the overall practice of great marketing. As the owner of Workbox, Eric provides leadership to his clients by tapping into his extensive marketing and technology background to design and build websites and web apps, and run sophisticated online marketing campaigns for clients such as Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Neos Therapeutics, and SanDisk. > LinkedIn

Denise is an accomplished B2B Sales and Marketing Professional with more than 20 years of experience working for data, technology, and media companies. She has excelled in a variety of sales and management roles, and has experience working at everything from early-stage start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Denise has a strong background on successfully helping companies pivot their sales, service, product and messaging, to help reposition themselves in the market. Her dedication to her partners both in and outside of her organization has led to successful outcomes for her client and lifelong strong customer and industry relationships. A Bay Area native, Denise graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. In her free time, Denise enjoys hiking, traveling, playing the ukulele, karaoke, and spending time with her family. > LinkedIn

Jessica Donnelly leads Exponent’s marketing team and oversees the firm’s global inbound marketing strategy. Mrs. Donnelly has 14+ years of expertise in building digital strategies that connect customers with insights. Throughout her career, she has developed a specialization in branding and design, market research, analytics, integrated marketing strategies that drive lead generation, and identifying opportunities for revenue growth. She is passionate about cultivating team synergies, working in dynamic environments that demand creative solutions, and designing strategic initiatives in competitive marketplaces. LinkedIn