Amanda is widely respected as a leader in business education and an accomplished
scholar. By the age of 32, she built & sold two thriving businesses from scratch; an online fitness
subscription community for women and a digital marketing and production company working
with some of the biggest names in fitness.

Amanda directed and advanced marketing education by creating the first accredited influencer
marketing curriculum (launched at UCLA and University of Texas). Her work is now being
launched as the newest program in the highly regarded Emeritus MBA-level and executive
certificate programs in collaboration with top universities from across the globe.

Russell advises some of the top companies in the world on influencer marketing including
Lamborghini, Cedars Sinai and Lionsgate and speaks across the globe on influence and the
future of marketing with a focus on building, leveraging and scaling a brands community.

Her latest book, The Influencer Code became the official resource to influencer marketing for
college programs worldwide, complete with proprietary case studies, exemplary methodologies,
& original frameworks.

Amanda’s international experience is vast and she has taught at some of the top schools in the
world, including Harvard (ongoing visiting lecturer), The University of Stockholm Business
School, Stanford, The University of Cologne in Germany, New York University, HEC in Paris,
and the University of Southern California.

She also serves as board member and advisory council to several global organizations
including Lamborghini and The University of Richmond Business School.

In January 2016 Amanda created Renaissance Women, a leadership conference to advance
and support female leaders in entrepreneurship sponsored by JW Marriott Hotels. In 2021 she
launched the podcast ‘School of Influence,’ with the widely celebrated marketing scholar Neal
Schaeffer.

As a former world class runner who came to the United States from Canada, Amanda
strongly believes in providing youth opportunities in sports as a way to teach life skills,
discipline, and provide greater opportunity. In addition to volunteering independently, she holds
a board position in the Andy Roddick Foundation.

Influencer Marketing (MKTG-939-5)
Throughout history, Influential individuals have shaped thought and behavior in politics, religion, business, even interpersonal relationships. Today, because of the democratizing effects of digital media, social influence is no longer limited to the traditional ranks of authority figures. Modern influencers include subject-matter experts (from scientists to non-credentialed bloggers), social media stars, even virtual avatars and individuals who prefer to remain "anonymous." These influencers have become critical components of modern marketing strategy, particularly given the fragmentation of audiences across millions of media outlets, and the formidable expense of mass-media/omni-channel advertising. True influencers can efficiently generate awareness in niche audiences, amplify messages, and also lead their followers to desired actions, whether that means buying, voting, or simply changing their minds. In this course, you will learn not only how to work with influencers to reach your business goals — including identifying, analyzing, approaching, managing, and measuring them — but also how to differentiate between attention and influence. This course answers questions such as: • Why is influencer marketing central to the future of marketing? • What are the biggest mistakes brands and marketers are making when it comes to influencer marketing and how do we avoid them? • How do you get ‘buy in’ from senior leadership that influencer marketing is worthy of support? • What are the main issues in influencer marketing? • How do we evaluate and select the right influencers? • How is influence measured? • How do we connect influencer strategies to business goals and profitability? • What methods are most effective for tracking and measuring success of influencer strategies? • What communication and tactics are most appropriate for building high value influencer partnerships?