Melissa Allen – Online Marketer & Casa Loma Board Member

Take an avid book reader, throw in a passion for business, and more ambition than you can wrap your head around – you’ll end up with Melissa Allen. Already an accomplished online marketer and the youngest Casa Loma board member in history, yet speaking with her, you get the impression that she’s just warming up. She’s considering getting an MBA, opening a side business, writing a manuscript, and starting a mentorship program for girls. As if that weren’t enough, “way down the line [she is] considering pursuing politics,” she says.

Where does all this drive come from? “My mom,” Melissa says, “she is a very strong woman.” This strength has helped Melissa break into publishing – a notoriously competitive industry. “I always wanted to work in publishing,” she says, “as a child, books were my escape and way of learning about the world around me.” Pursuing business due to it’s transferable nature, Melissa choose to focus on marketing because it “allows for more creativity and working in many different industries.” Bringing these two worlds together however, took sometime and a lot of hard work.

In her fourth year at university, Melissa went on an exchange to study in France. During her summer there she landed an internship at the Canadian Cultural Centre – part of the Government of Canada’s Foreign Affairs department. There she helped manage Canadian art exhibitions and literary events, as well as work on the marketing of Foreign Cultures week in Paris. “It was very challenging to land an internship,” she says, “but it proves that if you want it badly enough, and work for it, you’ll get it.”

Back in Canada, Melissa chanced on an offer to work at one of the largest publishers in the world. Among her many responsibilities she was hand picked to be part of the Trend Watching team. It was their job to put together reports on new trends in media, culture, and current events. After working there for several years Melissa has moved on to the vendor/agency side of the marketing industry. Currently she is responsible for leading projects and meetings with high-profile clients, mainly working on the online marketing side of things.

In addition to marketing, Melissa has been on the board at Casa Loma for over two years. A few months after being encouraged by a mentor to join a board of an institution in order to “gain high-level strategic experience” she saw an opening. A “nerve-wracking” interview later she had the job. As a member she oversees the day to day functioning of the castle, fundraising , and other tasks.

Through all her experience, Melissa has learned that you can achieve whatever you want if you have the drive and willingness to work hard. “Learn as much as you can about what you’re interested in doing,” she says, and “do not be afraid to reach out to the people in your field for mentorship, advice, and guidance.”