Jennie Jackson.

I’m Jennie, Creative Lead at City National Bank. Most days, I’m leading a team, unpacking briefs, asking inconvenient questions, and making friends with legal and compliance to make financial marketing that real people can actually relate to.

Whether it’s helping first-time buyers crack into a wildly competitive housing market or supporting families passing on a business Succession-style, my goal is to make money make sense—and help build sustainable generational wealth along the way.

City National is a bank, yes—but it’s also the financial engine behind much of the entertainment industry. Since joining in 2019, I’ve helped navigate the bank’s transformation from a family-run company to a subsidiary of RBC, one of the world’s largest financial institutions. That shift brought more visibility and regulation, but also a lot of opportunity.

I help craft the stories that connect the reality of banking with performance data and audience behaviors. I also lead campaigns rooted in cultural insight and built to earn attention. Some days it’s messaging strategy. Other days, it’s steadying the brand during a crisis. Either way, it’s my job to keep the work human.

The “American Dream” we talk about in life and in marketing is complicated. That’s why it’s my job to make space for that complexity in the work. Money is emotional. It’s messy and powerful and often very exclusionary. If I can help someone feel less overwhelmed and more in control, that’s a win. Sometimes things don’t need to sound bigger than they are, just clearer.

Before City National, I lived in Boston, building creative campaigns and content strategies at agencies like Weber Shandwick and Merge—writing about everything from cranberry juice and sparkling water to multiple sclerosis and chronic kidney disease. After returning to Los Angeles, I freelanced for Microsoft, Teeling Whiskey, natural beauty brands and The Bachelor franchise. I also stepped away to care for family during a cancer diagnosis—an experience that changed my view on what “meaningful work” really means.