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She began her career agency-side as an Account Manager before progressing to Team Leader, managing and developing a team of six. Several of those team members have since moved into more senior roles across the industry, a legacy Germana considers one of her proudest achievements.
le actually discover and buy today.”
partners are not only delivering results but growing sustainably. Her relationship-led approach has strengthened retention, improved campaign outcomes, and created a culture of trust across her portfolio.
That shift is reflected directly in her own organisation. Seven of vCommission’s fifteen senior leaders are women, a balance achieved not through quotas, but through performance and consistency. “It wasn’t planned,” she says. “It was earned.”Account Manager, Aeroplan eStore, Air Canada
“This recognition is deeply meaningful to me,” Rachel reflects. “As a cis white woman, I’m aware of the privilege I hold and the many underrepresented people who aren’t afforded the same visibility or opportunities.”
Rather than seeing that awareness as symbolic, Rachel has translated it into action. She actively promotes pay transparency, challenges unpaid and unrecognised labour, and advocates for more diverse leadership pipelines. As a DE&I Champion, she works to ensure that women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ professionals, and caregivers are supported through fair policies, inclusive benefits, and accessible career development.
Inclusion through action
During her time at CJ, Rachel used her platform to lead internal conversations on diversity, equity, and belonging, encouraging colleagues to share cultural perspectives and advocate for causes that mattered to them. “Education, empathy, and exposure to new viewpoints create safer, stronger workplaces,” she explains.
She is also vocal about protecting DE&I investment at a time when many organisations are deprioritising it. As an immigrant to Canada, she continues to champion diversity as a core business and human value, not an optional extra.
Leading with integrity
Rachel’s leadership style is rooted in quiet confidence and clarity. “Being the loudest in the room doesn’t mean you’re being heard,” she says. “Being deliberate with how you use your voice is far more powerful.”
She encourages early-career professionals to take risks, learn from failure, and trust their instincts. “Confidence doesn’t have to be loud,” she reflects. “It just has to be yours.”
Rachel believes transparency and accountability will define the strongest partnerships. By pairing performance with integrity and allyship, she continues to help shape a more inclusive, ethical, and resilient affiliate industry.
Rebecca Clarke
Head of Strategic Partnerships, Blue Light Card
Over the past six years, Rebecca Clarke has been a cornerstone of Blue Light Card’s growth, helping transform it into one of the UK’s most influential consumer membership platforms. Her leadership across affiliate and strategic partnerships has directly contributed to helping members save more than £500 million in the last 12 months, through high-impact relationships with brands including Samsung, Shark, Ninja, JD Sports, New Look, and Nike.
At the centre of Rebecca’s work is a belief that affiliate should be commercial, accountable, and genuinely valuable to all sides. She has been instrumental in pioneering Blue Light Card’s omnichannel partnerships, integrating online and in-store activity to deliver measurable sales uplift while creating a differentiated proposition for members.
Building commercial confidence
Rebecca currently leads a team of 17 women and has made developing commercial confidence a core part of her leadership style. “High-pressure negotiations demand clarity and conviction,” she explains. “I focus on preparation, data, and a strong commercial narrative.”
Despite her reputation today, she is open about early moments of self-doubt. “The first time I sat around the board table, I was genuinely petrified,” she recalls. “What helped was leaning into what I knew best and backing it with insight.”
That experience now shapes how she supports others, encouraging her team to lead negotiations, own senior relationships, and build credibility through experience.
Championing the next generation
Rebecca is widely recognised as a standout mentor. She actively shares best practice, negotiation frameworks, and partner insight, helping women build confidence and commercial judgement. Many of those she has coached have gone on to feature in industry “ones to watch” lists and senior roles.
“I want people to progress on merit,” she says. “That comes from trust, exposure, and being backed to step up.”
Rebecca has played a central role in redefining how major retailers view affiliate. Through omnichannel activation and new retail media formats, she has pushed partners beyond traditional levers and into more strategic, full-funnel collaboration.
Rebecca believes the strongest partnerships in 2026 will be built on transparency, honesty, and shared long-term goals. “Strong commercial outcomes and meaningful relationships don’t have to be mutually exclusive,” she says.
Rebecca Marley
Head of Partnership and Influencer, Silverbean
Over the past two years, Rebecca Marley has played a pivotal role in redefining how Silverbean approaches affiliate and partnership marketing. Trusted with building a brand-new Partnerships function from scratch, she has created a high-performing team and a new commercial growth channel that now sits at the heart of the agency’s strategy.
What began as a bold internal initiative has become a major revenue driver. Rebecca has successfully introduced and scaled new partnerships across the UK and EU, expanding Silverbean’s reach and unlocking new commercial opportunities for clients across fashion, beauty, home, and lifestyle.
She is also a leading advocate for moving beyond traditional last-click CPA models. Through her work on smarter attribution, “mindful recruitment,” and fairer reward structures, Rebecca has helped brands recognise full-funnel value and build more sustainable partner ecosystems.
“I try to be vocal about results and back ideas with data,” she says. “Visibility matters. If you don’t own your impact, someone else will simplify it.”
Building a modern partnership function
As Head of Partnership and Influencer, Rebecca has built a function that bridges brands, publishers, and creators. She has integrated performance influencers into affiliate programmes, helping clients diversify partner mixes and drive incremental growth.
She has also become a recognised industry voice, hosting webinars, moderating panels, and organising more than 50 publisher showcases, all focused on improving partner experience and collaboration.
“Don’t wait for a roadmap,” she advises. “Build it yourself. Make yourself hard to ignore.”
Championing people and progress
Rebecca is widely known for her approachability and commitment to mentoring. She makes herself available for informal coaching, career guidance, and practical support, both inside Silverbean and across the wider industry.
“I try to create space in meetings,” she explains. “The loudest voice isn’t always the most valuable.”
At the core of Rebecca’s leadership is a belief in genuine collaboration. “Advertisers know their brand. Publishers know their audience,” she says. “The magic happens when those come together properly.”
Eniola Ogunbanwo
Senior Manager, International Growth, TopCashback
Building a Market from Scratch (and Making It Stick)
Eniola is a driving force behind TopCashback's rapid expansion in Australia. Within just two years of entering the market, TopCashback has become one of the leading players, despite only recently establishing a local team. Much of that success has been fuelled by Eniola’s persistence, commercial rigour, and willingness to go the extra mile including early-morning 5am calls from the UK to secure stronger rates and better value for members.
Creating pathways to leadership
For Eniola, recognition as a Top Woman in Affiliate is deeply personal. Having grown through the industry herself, she is acutely aware of the barriers that still exist for women, particularly at senior and decision-making levels.
“Leadership hasn’t always been diverse,” she reflects. “So being recognised as part of this change really matters.”
Through her role on TopCashback’s Shadow Committee, Eniola helps bring new perspectives into leadership conversations, advocating for clearer pathways into senior roles and greater representation at the top.
One of Eniola’s defining qualities is how intentionally she supports others. She is known internally as a “cheerleader” for women, often speaking up for colleagues when they are not in the room and making sure their work is recognised.
She is equally committed to creating safe spaces for honest conversations. By sharing her own experiences openly and listening without judgement, she helps others find confidence in using their voice.
“Even now, sometimes my voice still shakes,” she admits. “But you grow by doing it.”
For women finding their footing in affiliate, Eniola’s advice is practical: “Find your cheerleaders. Ask questions. Speak up, even when it feels uncomfortable. Every experience builds confidence.”
Kirsten Black
Affiliate Director, Head of Affiliates, EssenceMediacom
Over the past two years, Kirsten Black has emerged as one of the most influential leaders inside agency-side affiliate marketing, combining commercial ambition with deep investment in people, innovation, and long-term capability.
One of her most significant achievements has been pioneering cross-functional collaboration. She led the successful pilot bringing together affiliate and e-commerce teams to launch Amazon storefront affiliate programmes, creating a new revenue stream and positioning EssenceMediacom among the first UK agencies to offer this capability.
Building future leaders
Talent development sits at the heart of Kirsten’s leadership.
She co-created a training programme designed to turn school leavers and graduates into affiliate specialists. The programme’s first cohort member is now approaching their fifth year and third promotion, and seven participants have gone on to build long-term careers in the industry.
“I’ve always believed success comes from building teams where people feel supported and trusted,” Kirsten says. “You don’t have to change who you are to lead.”
Leading with empathy and ambition
Kirsten is known for backing people before they fully believe in themselves, encouraging team members to lead projects, speak publicly, and step into stretch opportunities.
“Confidence usually comes after you take the leap,” she says. “Not before.”
Looking to the year ahead, she believes the strongest affiliate partnerships will be deeply integrated, trust-led, and strategically aligned.
“They won’t be transactional,” she reflects. “They’ll be built on shared goals and long-term value.”
Smita Pillai
Regional Vice President, Customer Success EMEA, impact.com
Smita Pillai has played a central role in driving growth and client success across impact.com’s EMEA region. She leads complex enterprise programmes for brands including Skyscanner, B&Q, Coinbase, British Airways, and Omio, while also overseeing the region’s fast-growing SMB portfolio.
Smita took on leadership of a Cape Town-based team supporting small and mid-sized businesses. Under her guidance, this segment has become one of the strongest performers in the region, delivering sustained revenue growth through increased creator activity, smarter cross-sell strategies, and deeper client relationships.
“It reflects work and impact over time,” Smita says. “I’ve learned so much from managers, mentors, teams and clients. No one gets to this point alone.”
Known for breaking down internal silos, Smita aligns affiliate, creator, and referral teams to maximise impact across channels. Her approach combines data-led decision-making with long-term partnership thinking, helping brands move beyond short-term performance towards more integrated growth models.
Giving women access to influence
A passionate advocate for visibility and sponsorship, Smita is deliberate about bringing women into strategic conversations early, ensuring their work is recognised, and advocating for them in rooms they are not yet in. “Women often do a lot of the work that keeps programmes running,” she reflects, “but don’t always get the same access to influence.”
Through formal mentoring and day-to-day leadership, she supports the progression of women at every stage of their careers. “Leadership doesn’t have one look,” Smita says. “It can be human and grounded while still delivering serious commercial impact.”
You can find the first part of our Top Women in Affiliate 2026 here.
We'll be unveiling the final part of the Top Women in Affiliate 2026, including the Woman of the Year later this week.
A huge thank you to the panel of judges who helped make this year’s Top Women in Affiliate 2026 list happen. You can read more about the annual campaign and our amazing panel of judges here.
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