Andrea Brimmer was named chief marketing and public relations officer of Ally Financial in 2015. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the company’s marketing, advertising, public relations, market research initiatives, social media and brand management.

Andrea joined Ally at the height of the financial crisis when the company faced intense challenges – transitioning from its roots as a captive auto finance company, while also launching the first-ever onlineonly deposits franchise, Ally Bank. Andrea was charged with standing-up the Ally brand; developing everything from the brand pillars and cultural framework, to creating the value proposition and delivery in the marketplace. Under Andrea’s direction, Ally emerged with a strong reputation as a “different” kind of financial services company, relentlessly focused on solving pain points that traditional institutions set forth.

Since 2009, Ally has grown and diversified, and today is a top 25 digital financial services company, with not only auto and banking products, but corporate finance, online brokerage and wealth management, home mortgage, credit card and insurance products. Despite its growth, the brand has remained centered around customers and contributing to their financial well-being.

In September 2016, Andrea launched the first-ever unified brand campaign in Ally's history, called “Do It Right”, highlighting the brand’s unique focus on doing things right for customers. The campaign not only aligned the full scope of Ally’s financial services offerings under one mantra, it also reflected the company’s culture and core values internally. “Do It Right” has become a point of pride for Ally, resulting in the highest consumer brand sentiment and awareness in Ally’s history.

Experience & Accolades
Prior to joining Ally in 2006, Brimmer spent 20 years on the agency side in Detroit, where she led the Chevrolet account and launched the iconic American Revolution campaign, as well as numerous product offerings.

In 2014 and 2015, Brimmer was named to the Forbes list of 50 Most Influential CMOs. In 2015, she was named to the 100 Leading Women list by Automotive News, which recognizes leaders in the automotive field. Brimmer was named an Automotive News 2016 ALL STAR of MARKETING for her forward-thinking approach and creative knack with the successful launch of Ally’s brand campaign earlier in the year.

In 2017, Brimmer was named “Marketer of the Year” by the Financial Communications Society, and recognized for the successful launch and widespread impact of Ally’s “Do It Right” brand campaign.
In 2018, Brimmer was named to AdAge’s esteemed list of Women to Watch, cited for her forward-thinking, disruptive approach.

Brimmer holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University.

Passion Points
As a top female executive, Brimmer believes in supporting career growth and development among women at all levels of the organization and outside of Ally.

She personally mentors several junior colleagues at Ally and college students from Michigan State University and Clemson University. She also participates in the Forbes CMO University Alumni Series, which brings successful marketing professionals to college campuses around the country to encourage young people to pursue marketing careers.

Brimmer speaks honestly about the role of bravery in her career, and the importance of being brave enough to take risks, in order to reap rewards both personally and professionally. (June 2018)