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April 29 - May 1, 2024 | The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Deborah Cavanagh

Deborah Cavanagh

Deborah Cavanagh is a senior marketing executive and recognized leader with a track record of driving growth through authentic and innovative brand building, bringing strong strategic and creative leadership experience across iconic fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands and diverse industries.

Deborah is the senior vice president, chief marketing officer of TALBOTS where she leads brand positioning, omnichannel marketing, creative, marketing operations and public relations. Since joining Talbots in July 2014, she has leveraged the DNA of the brand, in conjunction with strategic insights around the customer and her values to introduce a new brand platform for TALBOTS. This work has been translated into omnichannel marketing strategies, storytelling platforms to build engagement and advocacy, social and influencer initiatives and customer experience & loyalty programs that have served to differentiate Talbots, create deep engagement, loyalty and brand advocacy. She conceived and launched TALBOTS corporate philanthropic platform ‘Give Confidence, Hope & Style’ in support of Dress for Success and forged a dynamic partnership with O, the Oprah Magazine. Now in its 5th year, the platform has generated over $5 Million dollars, and positively impacted the lives of 125,000 women.

Prior to Talbots, she was the senior vice president, brand marketing at LOFT the $1.2B Women’s Fashion Retail Brand, with 510 stores in and Canada. Beginning in 2010, she led the re-positioning of LOFT as a fully differentiated brand from Ann Taylor, and introduced LOFT’s core brand proposition, the creative brand platform, and omnichannel marketing strategy, driving growth through digital and social innovations.

Deborah was the associate publisher, creative services at VOGUE from 2004-2010, where she introduced VOGUE’s brand proposition and established the foundation for all internal and external marketing and sales platforms. She conceived and launched profitable new platforms, including Vogue’s creative agency, Vogue Studio, and Vogue.TV. Under her leadership, Vogue Studio delivered brand campaigns for over 25 fashion, beauty and lifestyle accounts, including Cartier, Clairol, Lancôme, Valentino, Via Spiga, Adrienne Vittadini and Wal-Mart. In 2007, Ms. Cavanagh launched Vogue.TV, the digital entertainment network, producing over 400 hours of original programming, including Model.Live, the weekly broadband series and an interactive 24/7 entertainment platform. She collaborated with R.J. Cutler’s production & marketing of The September Issue film. Deborah also led the marketing for the launch of the CFDA/VOGUE Fashion Fund with original production of the documentary film Seamless, by Douglas Keeve premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Over her career, Deborah has held marketing leadership roles at some of the industry’s most recognized media brands, including Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, Condé Nast Traveler, and SELF – where she launched the iconic Pink Ribbon campaign to create awareness of breast cancer.

Deborah graduated Summa cum Laude from Ohio University, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. She was honored by Total Retail in 2016 as a Top Woman in Omnichannel Retail, was a recipient of the Webby award, the MIN digital innovation award, and was recognized twice as a Woman of Influence, by Irish Central.