Shelley Ong graduated from Sauder in 2003 with a double specialization in Marketing and International Business. Active in extra-curricular activities while at school, she served as Director of the Executive Mentorship Program, Event Co-coordinator for the Marketing Club and played intramural volleyball.

While finishing her degree, Shelley took a full-time position with Slide Productions in Vancouver, working on a team of three people to design and implement the launch of the The Beat 94.5 FM Canadian Talent Development Program. Her job entailed managing the planning and logistics of multiple program initiatives from music conferences, workshops and local talent nights to organizing charity concerts.

Shelley moved to Toronto in the summer of 2004 to pursue a career in advertising. Her first job was with Leo Burnett, where she managed the day-to-day activities of the Procter & Gamble North America accounts Gain and Cheer, specifically running the production of television, website, print, and outdoor initiatives. Working with a multi-million dollar production budget, her efforts contributed to Gain reaching $1 billion sales and two back-to-back Bronze Effie awards for advertising effectiveness.

In November 2006, Shelley moved to TAXI, a fast-growing independent agency known for its world-class work. In addition to working on the Telus, Canadian Diabetes Association, and National Advertising Awards accounts, she spent the last year and a half working on the launch of Koodo Mobile, building the brand’s positioning, identity and managing a fully integrated national launch campaign. The success of Koodo Mobile has been recognized a number of times in the industry, including winning the Strategy Magazine B!G Silver Award. The B!G Awards recognize agency thought leadership in going beyond traditional advertising to create a big impact.

Originally from Vancouver, Shelley enjoys Toronto for its energy and opportunities to work with larger clients on an international scale. She stays active through volleyball, dragon boating, snowboarding and has travelled extensively to destinations that include Asia, Australia, Hawaii and Costa Rica.

Shelley advises new graduates to stay focused but be flexible, bearing in mind that there can be multiple paths to your end goal. And on a practical note, she suggests investing time to build relationships, as it really is a small world.