Kerry-Ann Stimpson: A passion for brand success

AT the heart of JMMB Group’s dynamic marketing strategy is a leader who believes in the power of engaging and empowering employees to be a brand’s best advocates. Kerry-Ann Stimpson is more than the group’s chief marketing officer, she has been championing an international movement that places people at the centre of brand success.

For her, marketing isn’t just about promoting products to customers; it’s about engaging employees, inspiring teams, and creating workplaces where people thrive.

This conviction has propelled her onto global stages and into conversations that are helping to reshape marketing strategy. From producing and hosting her own podcast,
The Internal Marketing Podcast, publishing 50 episodes with an international cadre of thought leaders, including marketing icon Seth Godin, to speaking at the Financial Brand Forum in Las Vegas, Stimpson is amplifying a message that businesses can no longer afford to ignore: Internal marketing is not a trend; it’s a growth strategy.

Her passion for internal marketing grew from recognising a gap in the marketing function: Too few companies were engaging employees as part of their brand strategy.

At JMMB, she saw first-hand that a culture valuing team members as much as clients creates powerful brand ambassadors.

“Whenever you see JMMB doing something for clients, chances are we’re mirroring that for our team,” she noted.

That experience helped to reinforce her belief that employees are a brand’s primary target audience, and its most powerful and influential advocates to its customers.

Stimpson’s career journey began far from the spotlight. Initially aspiring to follow her father into medicine, she pivoted to business after discovering her strength in management studies. That decision led to a master’s in business administration at the University of Maryland, and eventually to senior marketing roles in Jamaica’s financial sector. Today, she’s also a recognised thought leader, an international speaker, Forbes Communications Council member, and advocate for employee engagement as a driver of brand success.

Her podcast, launched during the pandemic, has attracted guests from the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond, creating a global dialogue on a concept many overlook — marketing to your own employees.

“Companies hire their first employee before they welcome their first customer,” Stimpson explained. “If your team isn’t enrolled, aligned, and empowered, your brand promise will fail at the point of delivery.

“Internal marketing is promoting a company’s products, services, and mission to its employees — not to sell to them, but to excite and equip them to be effective advocates. It’s about creating a workplace culture that mirrors the experience you promise to customers. Comfortable spaces, respectful leadership, and clear communication aren’t perks; they’re part of the experience that you must offer to your employees. Happy employees become powerful advocates who will deliver great experiences to customers, who will keep coming back.”

Stimpson’s influence extends beyond boardrooms and brand campaigns, it’s also about creating opportunities for the next generation. She believes that when young people are equipped with knowledge, confidence, and mentorship they can transform businesses and communities. Through her involvement at her alma mater, Immaculate Conception High School, to her role interviewing applicants to her former business school in the United States, Stimpson is helping to send the elevator back down, ensuring that future leaders rise with the tools and mindset to thrive.

What’s next for Stimpson? She’s preparing new podcast episodes, stepping onto more international stages, and exploring fresh ways to share her insights with the world. But her ultimate goal goes beyond thought leadership. It’s about helping businesses create cultures where people feel valued, empowered, and inspired to lead. In her words, “Start inside and the outside will follow.”

For Stimpson this isn’t just a strategy; it’s a movement to transform workplaces, unlock human potential, and position businesses to be more competitive.