Jill Schnarr
Chief Communications & Brand Officer
As TELUS’ Chief Communications & Brand Officer with more than 30 years of telecommunications experience and communications expertise, Jill Schnarr leads the corporate citizenship and communications team. Jill brings our social purpose to life to drive social change, leveraging our world-leading technology and compassion to enable remarkable human outcomes, while amplifying internal and external campaigns, bolstering TELUS’ storytelling impact, and fostering strong, positive relationships with customers and all Canadians. Jill is a dynamic, engaging and authentic leader with a natural ability to build integrated, multi-platform strategies that pair bold marketing with creative storytelling to convey our narratives to varying audiences in unique and memorable ways.
At the helm of corporate communications, media relations, government advocacy, social media, community investment, cause marketing, team member giving, volunteerism, humanitarian relief, sponsorships, brand office, brand marketing, TELUS Studios, and corporate events, Jill has significantly influenced, built upon and safeguarded TELUS’ reputation as a global leader, enabling TELUS to be the most trusted telco brand in Canada.
Enabling the hearts, hands and voices of TELUS to strengthen the communities where we live, work and serve, Jill leads our annual TELUS Days of Giving, facilitating over 40,000 volunteers globally in 2019 alone, and our Team TELUS Cares programs, enabling over $736 million in giving and 10 million volunteer hours from TELUS since 2000. She oversaw and continues to evolve and expand our innovative Connecting for Good programs including Health for Good, Internet for Good and Mobility for Good, as well as TELUS Wise, building Canada’s digital economy and connecting Canadians despite social, or geographical divides, while promoting safe and responsible use of technology.
She has also led award-winning marketing campaigns including We Give Where We Live, Go Pink, Rise Above, Share Love, All Connected, Million Hours, Most Giving Company in the World, as well as the launch of the $120 million TELUS Friendly Future Foundation through a forward-thinking creative campaign that set a new standard of corporate giving marketing. Jill is recognized as one of Canada’s Distinctive Women, as one of the Most Influential Women in Vancouver, and as the Most Innovative Leader by the Canadian Women in Communications. Under Jill’s leadership, TELUS was acknowledged as the Most Philanthropic Corporation in the World by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and #ShareLove, TELUS’ 2017 pride platform won an Experience Design & Technology Award, the world’s largest recognition program celebrating the best live experiences around the globe, for the best integrated digital & live campaign.
Furthering her dedication to giving where she lives, Jill serves on several boards and associations including a founding board member of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, and previously served as a director on the B.C. Women’s Hospital Foundation for seven years, and as a TELUS Vancouver Community Board member for six years. She was also a Board Director and Chair of the Women’s Leadership Circle on the Vancouver Board of Trade, served on the fundraising cabinet for B.C. Women’s Health Foundation (formerly B.C. Women’s Hospital Foundation) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and was Co-Chair of Glow, the inaugural B.C. Women’s Hospital Gala.
Jill holds her Masters of Business Administration from the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria, Honours in Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business, and a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation from the University of Waterloo.