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‬Finola‬‭
McDonnell‬‭
Chief‬‭ Marketing‬‭ & Communications‬‭ Officer‬ ‭
Financial Times
‬Finola‬‭ McDonnell‬‭ joined‬‭ the‬‭ Financial‬‭ Times‬‭ in‬‭ April‬‭ 2018‬‭ as‬‭ chief‬‭ communications‬‭ and‬‭ marketing‬‭ officer‬ ‭ (CCMO).‬‭ McDonnell‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ member‬‭ of‬‭ the‬‭ FT‬‭ Group’s‬‭ executive‬‭ board,‬‭ which‬‭ is‬‭ responsible‬‭ for‬‭ corporate‬ ‭ governance, global strategy and digital transformation.‬ As‬‭ CCMO,‬‭ she‬‭ oversees‬‭ global‬‭ communications,‬‭ brand‬‭ and‬‭ brand‬‭ partnerships,‬‭ design‬‭ and‬‭ public‬‭ affairs.‬ ‭ Her‬‭ mission‬‭ is‬‭ to‬‭ protect‬‭ and‬‭ grow‬‭ the‬‭ FT’s‬‭ reputation‬‭ as‬‭ the‬‭ leading,‬‭ global‬‭ source‬‭ of‬‭ unbiased‬‭ business‬ ‭ news and analysis. She leads an international team based in London, New York and Hong Kong.‬ Finola‬‭ is‬‭ also‬‭ a‬‭ trustee‬‭ of‬‭ national‬‭ charity,‬‭ Citizens‬‭ Advice‬‭ and‬‭ of‬‭ FLIC,‬‭ the‬‭ Financial‬‭ Literacy‬‭ and‬‭ Inclusion‬ ‭ Campaign, a charity backed by the Financial Times.‬ Before‬‭ the‬‭ FT,‬‭ McDonnell‬‭ worked‬‭ for‬‭ CNBC‬‭ International‬‭ as‬‭ VP, Communications‬‭ and‬ ‭Marketing.‬‭ She‬‭ joined‬‭ CNBC‬‭ from‬‭ Business‬‭ Europe,‬‭ the‬‭ largest‬‭ business‬‭ lobby‬‭ group‬‭ in‬‭ Brussels,‬‭ where‬‭ she‬ ‭ led‬‭ all‬‭ communications‬‭ and‬‭ campaign‬‭ work‬‭ directed‬‭ at‬‭ EU‬‭ institutions.‬‭ For‬‭ a‬‭ number‬‭ of‬‭ years‬‭ she‬‭ was‬‭ Head‬ ‭ of‬‭ Public‬‭ Affairs‬‭ with‬‭ the‬‭ Irish‬‭ Business‬‭ &‬‭ Employers’ ‬‭ Confederation,‬‭ IBEC.‬‭ The‬‭ early‬‭ part‬‭ of‬‭ her‬‭ career‬ ‭ was spent as a social policy specialist with a variety of NGOs.‬
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27 May 2026 14:15 - 14:45
Resilience as a growth strategy: What the Financial Times’ 140-year legacy teaches modern CMOs
Markets shift. Leadership changes. Business models evolve. So what does that mean for CMOs? The real test of a brand is whether it can absorb shock and still move forward with clarity and conviction. With 61% of business leaders now prioritising resilience over pure growth, according to BDO, join Finola as she explores how resilience can be an active growth lever, not just a defensive posture, and what modern CMOs can learn from a 140-year legacy of adaptation. Key takeaways: - How to evolve a heritage brand without weakening the trust and identity that define it - Ways to shift marketing from a cost centre mindset to a long-term investment engine - Practical lessons in maintaining strategic clarity during leadership and organisational change - How to build resilience into culture, capability, and commercial strategy so growth remains sustainable