The Brandcenter welcomes Jessica Collins, our newest strategy professor and the latest addition to our full-time faculty roster in the master’s program.
A Brandcenter grad (Strategy, 2010), Jess returns to the program eager to share her passion for strategic planning, which she first fostered here as a student, and her newer-found passion for teaching.
In the time since her #SixtyWeeks, Jess spent more than 10 years in the trenches as a strategic planner working on some of the largest brands in the world—Walmart, Target, Kellogg’s, Colgate, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and SC Johnson, to name a few—and at The Martin Agency, The Mom Complex, Good Run Research & Recreation, and more. She also began teaching at VCU, starting first as an adjunct professor and then becoming a full-time professor, giving her more than eight years of experience in the classroom.
Jess comes to the Brandcenter from the VCU Robertson School of Media & Culture, where she designed curriculum, taught capstone classes, and developed initiatives, such as the Strategic Workshop in collaboration with the One Club for Creativity and VCU Camp ADventure, expanding educational access and professional opportunities to students around the country. Her impact on the creative community earned her the Ad Person of the Year for 2020 distinction from the Richmond Ad Club.
“Of everything I’ve done in my career, teaching has always been my favorite. I have never felt more energized than when I’m in the classroom. Students keep me young, keep me current, and keep me sharp,” Jess says.
As with all of our professors, Jess continues to practice her craft beyond her teaching duties; she is the Director of Strategy at Fable Branding & Advertising.