Remaining Creative in an AI-Enabled World

Carmen Garcia is Head of Global Creative at BlackRock, where she leads the firm’s global in-house creative organization, driving brand identity, global campaigns, content, and client experiences that strengthen trust and deliver commercial impact. Known for transforming creative organizations into strategic business partners, she has helped redefine the role of creative as a driver of innovation, AI adoption, and business growth at enterprise scale. Under her leadership, Global Creative has evolved into an AI-enabled Center of Excellence, embedding AI-powered workflows, automation, and scalable operating models that have transformed how creative is delivered across the firm.

With more than 20 years of experience spanning global brands, agencies, and startups, Carmen has built high-performing creative organizations recognized for operational excellence, innovation, and strategic partnership. Prior to BlackRock, she held leadership roles at Realm, Hallmark Cards, and BBDO, leading award-winning work for clients including UPS, Fiserv, SunTrust, Novelis, Assurant, and Georgia-Pacific.

Beyond her professional role, Carmen serves as Global Co-Chair of BlackRock’s SOMOS Latinx & Allies Employee Network, is the Marketing Lead for BlackRock’s Atlanta iHub, serves on the boards of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and WABE (Atlanta’s NPR affiliate), and is a member of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2027. A passionate mentor, speaker, and advocate for inclusive leadership, she is committed to developing the next generation of creative and marketing leaders while creating opportunities for others to thrive.

John Renz leads the in-house creative agency for Prudential’s U.S. Businesses: Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life Insurance, and Prudential Advisors, which represents roughly half of Prudential’s global revenue.

Before joining Prudential, John led in-house agencies for two other Fortune 100 firms. First at Dow Jones, where he was a pioneer in online advertising and promotion, leading all creative efforts to launch the company’s full suite of digital properties, including The Wall Street Journal Online, Barron’s Online, and Dow Jones Interactive (now Factiva). And MetLife, where he led the creative efforts to launch MetLife’s first asset management and advisory accounts.

Prior to his move in-house, John held multiple creative leadership positions at ad agencies, spearheading efforts for many globally respected brands including New York Life, Lionel Leisure, and Johnson & Johnson. Work that John created or led has earned numerous awards for creative excellence and effectiveness and has supported billions in revenue.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and lives in New Jersey with two exceptional sons and one tolerant wife.

Wylie Kain is Vice President, Head of Brand at American Century Investments, where she leads the firm’s brand strategy, creative, content, and experiential marketing efforts. In this role, she focuses on building a distinctive, credible brand that reflects both the firm’s investment expertise and its long-standing commitment to funding medical research through the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. Prior to joining American Century, Wylie built her career in both agency and client-side roles. She worked on global brands at agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi and Wieden+Kennedy, before moving in-house to lead brand and marketing initiatives at E*TRADE and OppenheimerFunds. Her experience spans brand strategy, advertising, and integrated marketing, with a focus on translating strong ideas into real-world impact. Known for her plainspoken approach and creative rigor, Wylie is particularly interested in how strong brands are built through clarity, collaboration, and trust. She is based in Brooklyn, New York, and is a graduate of Hamilton College.