Our Business Management and Economics students had the good fortune of hosting an alumna, Alessandra Mariani, on 24 September. Alessandra is the Global Music Lead for TikTok’s Product Marketing team, as well as co-president of Women@TikTok for Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa (EMEA). Alessandra holds an MSc in Brand Leadership and a BA in Society, Culture and Media from The University of East Anglia. She joined TikTok in early 2020.
Alessandra, who graduated from BISS Pudong (now NAIS) in 2012, happily shared her academic and professional journey, highlighting the key role that the IB Diploma played in shaping her perspectives. After earning her master’s degree, she worked in creative and advertising agencies serving well known global brands such as LEGO, Tommy Hilfiger, Honda, Walmart, YSL and Armani. She discussed how significant these experiences were in preparing her for her current role at TikTok where she delivers global music and product feature campaigns, as well as industry-facing activations for emerging and independent artists.
Alessandra discussed the impact that TikTok has had on the global music industry, creators and influencers. She also shared how TikTok has helped small and big businesses to thrive in increasingly competitive environments. She was keen to demonstrate how the students can leverage TikTok to market themselves as brands to universities and employers in the future. During the Q&A session, the students asked a range of questions covering topics such as career advice, what skills are needed to join global tech companies such as TikTok, and the role of women in leadership.
