Jo McKinney

Experience-driven, unknown embracer, bored with the status quo, Jo McKinney is the CEO of Burns Group and an inspired brand architect with a proven record of success inventing novel strategies that build brands and drive profitability. Prior to becoming Burns Group’s CEO in 2018, Jo served as Chief Strategy Officer for 8 years, building Burns Group’s brand consultancy and launching an industry-leading consumer co-creation practice, BrandInformers. In 2015, she founded BGIN, Burns Group’s branding accelerator, focused on bringing essential branding skills to startups, and the bravery of a startup to legacy brands. Jo started her career at Grey Advertising, and joined the Burns Group following her move back to the U.S. from Belgium, where she served as Director of Integrated Marketing for Kraft Europe. In 2019, Jo was named one of 24 global agency innovators by The Internationalist, in recognition of her transformative work in the industry. Jo serves on the Advisory Council for Entrepreneurship at Cornell University, her alma mater, and is a repeat guest lecturer at Harvard and Cornell and a speaker at industry events, such as Social Media Week, The One Club, Advertising Week, ANA Masters of Marketing, Cannes Lions and more.