How to Elevate Your Personal Brand in Today's World

Shana Renee Stephenson, Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, New York Liberty

As senior vice president and chief brand officer, Shana Renee Stephenson oversees the strategy and day-to-day management of branding, marketing, creative, game presentation, performance marketing, digital content, and brand innovation for the New York Liberty. Now in her ninth season with the organization, Stephenson’s guidance has contributed to a transformational era for the franchise, culminating in the team’s first WNBA championship in 2024 and New York City’s first professional basketball title in more than 50 years.

Stephenson, a native New Yorker,  joined the Liberty as a consultant in 2018 and became vice president of marketing in 2019,  drawing inspiration from her hometown to shape the Liberty’s rebrand. 

A former ESPN marketing professional with nearly 20 years of sports industry experience, Stephenson has a passion for storytelling, adding a unique perspective, relatable relevance, and necessary perspective to the sports community. Her keen knowledge of sports inspired “All Sports Everything,” her New York-centric sports blog. She has also contributed to Bleacher Report, espnW, Essence, Madison Square Garden, MSNBC, Refinery29, and more.
She currently resides in Harlem. She received her BA in Psychology from Spelman College and her MS in Sports Business from New York University.

Aniko DeLaney, Advanced Lecturer, Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University

Aniko DeLaney is an advanced lecturer in the marketing area of the Fordham University Gabelli School of Business. She is a brand consultant at Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., where she collaborates with the CMO on a strategic brand initiative. Prior to this role, DeLaney was head of Ultra High Net Worth Marketing for Bank of America’s Private Bank and Merrill's Private Wealth Management. She completed the rebrand of US Trust to Bank of America Private Bank. DeLaney also previously served as the chief marketing officer and global head of corporate marketing for BNY Mellon. She was responsible for BNY Mellon’s enterprise-wide corporate brand strategy, digital marketing, and market research. She also led the rebranding of The Bank of New York Mellon to BNY Mellon.

DeLaney attended Middlebury College and the NYU Stern School of Business. She was the vice chair of the Borough of Manhattan Community College Foundation Board for 10 years.

Moderator: Madison McCarthy ’27

Madison McCarthy is a senior at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, pursuing a B.S. in business administration with concentrations in marketing and finance and a minor in economics. She serves as president of the Fordham Marketing Association, where she helps create professional development and networking opportunities for more than 100 members.

She is also a Fordham Rose Hill Orientation Captain, Marketing Scholar candidate, head team manager for Fordham’s Division I women’s basketball program, and a member of ASILI: Fordham’s Black Student Alliance. McCarthy has served internships with American Express and Vacheron Constantin, and following graduation, she will join American Express as a U.S. consumer services marketing analyst.