Telisa Yancy made her mark at Gies College of Business as a ’90 Business Administration graduate, and for the past nine years has done the same for American Family Insurance.

As the company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Yancy’s influence earned her a designation from Savoy magazine as one of the Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America for 2018. Earlier in July, the publication awarded this to “an elite representation of African-American men and women who have been recognized for their executive and business leadership in national and global-leading corporations.”

Yancy’s work includes re-positioning the 85-yeard old company with “The Dreams Protected” campaign, which began in 2011. It won a Silver Effie while changing the conversation for the insurance industry. Just over a year ago, her success led to an appearance on another list: Advertising Age’s Women to Watch in 2017.