2025 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Jen O'Brien (Q&A)
Jen O’Brien
Senior Manager, Digital Marketing, Website, Content & CRM
Lindt & Sprüngli Canada
How did you get your start in the business?
My start in CPG happened by chance. I was headhunted while working in digital marketing at a luxury fashion brand. When I heard about the open role at Lindt, I was intrigued. I saw some similarities in terms of what I was already doing working for a premium global brand, but also a lot of opportunity to grow in a role where I could help shape the future of digital commerce at Lindt Canada.
What do you like most about your current role?
At Lindt, our purpose is to “enchant the world with chocolate” and I find that a very inspiring mission to keep top of mind every day. I also live for innovation—exploring new technology, fresh approaches to content creation and enhanced ways of working. My current role allows me quite a bit of freedom to test and learn as well. Lindt has a strong global community, especially within digital commerce, and that really energizes me. We are constantly encouraged to share best practices and learn from other markets. I’m super proud that my team has been recognized several times on a global stage, winning awards for dreaming up innovative digital campaign ideas and driving process enhancements that resulted in better cross-functional collaboration.
Proudest career accomplishment?
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how far I’ve come over the past few years. I originally went to school for journalism and spent most of my career working in magazine publishing on the digital side. In 2019, I realized I needed to make a career shift to open myself up to new opportunities. I had an amazing mentor at the time who told me I should open my eyes to how my experience with SEO, website management, content creation and social media marketing could translate into other fields outside of publishing. I decided to really dive into this possibility, reading books, poring over industry newsletters and watching endless YouTube videos to supplement my existing knowledge with more formal marketing principles. Since veering off my original career path, I have put in a lot of hard work to push myself with continuous learning and it really has paid off. I now lead a team of amazing digital marketers and I’m equally over the moon when I see them push themselves out of their own comfort zones and succeed.
What is your best quality?
My curiosity. My parents always told me one of the first things I ever said as a child was “what’s that?” I’m always questioning, always wondering—usually out loud—if there is a different way something could be done to drive impact, excite consumers or increase efficiency. Curiosity is essential when you work in the digital space since things change virtually every day and you need to be okay with that.
Why is mentorship important to you, and how do you support others in their careers?
Mentorship is extremely important to me because I know the impact it can have. My entire career path has been shaped by mentorship relationships past and present. I’ve been extremely lucky to connect with some brilliant women in leadership who have helped me realize and unlock my potential. I try my best to pay that forward, participating in panel discussions and making time for important conversations with my team members and my current mentee.
How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
I love to travel and explore new places and am constantly planning my next trip. Most recently, I flew to India to celebrate the wedding of a team member, which was an unbelievable experience that I’ll never forget.
Click here for the full list of 2025 Star Women in Grocery Award winners.