We’re excited to announce the distinguished guests joining us for Brandcenter’s 2026 Commencement. Shazzia Khan, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Havas Health, will deliver this year’s commencement speech, and Geno Schellenberger and Jack Westerkamp, co-founders of Breaking and Entering Media, will serve as emcees.
Together, they bring a unique blend of leadership, perspective, and energy to help us celebrate the next generation of brand leaders.
Read more about our guests below.
Shazzia Khan
Global Chief Marketing Officer / Havas Health
Shazzia Khan is the Global Chief Marketing Officer of Havas Health, where she leads global marketing across one of the world’s leading advertising networks.
With more than two decades at Havas, Shazzia has been instrumental in shaping the company’s evolution; guiding teams through transformation while keeping humanity at the core. In her current role, Shazzia partners closely with leadership to strengthen the Havas Health brand globally. Her remit spans corporate and employer brand, ensuring the network shows up with clarity and impact. Previously, Shazzia held senior global leadership roles across talent, innovation, inclusion, corporate social responsibility, communications, and served as Chief of Staff to the Global CEO for over 8 years. Earlier in her career, she built her foundation in account management and strategic planning, working with iconic brands such as Maxwell House, Pantene, and Snapple.
Beyond her professional work, Shazzia is a committed advocate for inclusion and access. She serves as a Board Member of the NAACP Foundation and volunteers with the NAACP Image Awards and Membership Committees. She most recently joined the Board of Creative Spirit, a nonprofit dedicated to creating fair-wage, integrated employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals and people with developmental disabilities. She also serves as on the Director’s Council of the VCU Brandcenter, supporting the next generation of creative leadership.
Shazzia is based in New York City.
Geno Schellenberger
Co-founder / Breaking and Entering
Geno Schellenberger is the co-founder of Breaking and Entering Media, an advertising and marketing media company delivering fast and fun content for the global ad industry. He launched the company in 2020 while studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has since interviewed over 500 of the top advertising professionals across agencies and brands.
Geno holds a Master’s in Strategic Brand Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he also taught the university’s first AI in Advertising course focused on ethics and real-world application. Over the past five years, he has helped hundreds of students and young professionals break into advertising agencies. He has spoken at more than 20 universities across the United States.
Jack Westerkamp
Co-founder / Breaking and Entering
Jack is the Co-Founder of Breaking and Entering Media. He grew up in Lombard, IL, with 5 older siblings and quickly learned to master the art of capturing attention.
After graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in Finance, he began his career as a Commercial Banking Analyst and then worked in Risk Consulting. During this time, he began assisting his buddy/roommate Geno with some of the business dealings for his advertising podcast, Breaking and Entering, and unknowingly was building the foundations of a fully-fledged media company.
In September of 2024, Jack and Geno decided to ditch their full-time jobs and move from Chicago to New York to build Breaking and Entering Media Company where they strive to create the best advertising and marketing news content in the world.
He has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, Business Insider, and Ad Age for the work they are doing at Breaking and Entering