Vanessa Bakewell

Vertical Lead – Entertainment, Film, Music at Facebook

Speaker

Vanessa graduated in 2001 from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) with a First-Class Degree in Performing Arts (Enterprise Management), heading to London from Liverpool straight after to work for M&C Saatchi. She then moved to EMAP (now Bauer Media) where she worked across Music and Lifestyle press including Q, Mojo, Kerrang!, Smash Hits, The Face and Empire Magazine, and led commercial partnerships with major and indie record labels, film studios and music retailers such as HMV and Virgin. Vanessa also partnered with Glastonbury to lead the sponsorship and production of the Q Glastonbury Guide each year.

In 2007, Vanessa moved to Google just post-listing of the company on the Stock Exchange, where she started to build out their specialist Entertainment Team, leading global partnerships with film studios, gaming and music. She then continued to YouTube in 2008 when Google acquired the platform.

In 2011, Vanessa joined Facebook Inc. prior to its listing on the Stock Exchange to lead Retail Sector partnerships, and in 2012, set up the first Entertainment Vertical team where she continues to drive fundamental evolution and change as a Global Client Partner in how film and music industries globally market their releases and events on Facebook via the explosion of video consumption on mobile across Facebook and Instagram.

Vanessa is on the Board of Trustees for The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

Vanessa also founded ‘The Wed Network’ (Women in Entertainment and Digital), a supportive network of 1500 women in arts and entertainment sectors.

Vanessa lives in Brixton London with her husband Spencer, and 3-year-old daughter Florrie. She has a huge passion for music, film, education and community and bringing all those things together where she can for good.