Brian Jackson ’95

Brian Jackson is Head of Commerce Partnerships at Google, responsible for business development and strategic partnerships in the company’s global advertising technology business.  He joined Google in 2010 and has held various leadership roles across the company, including ad sales strategy for YouTube.  Mr. Jackson joined Google after a 10-year career at NBC Universal in New York, where he led international sales for CNBC and sales strategy for the NBC and MSNBC news divisions.  He has held marketing and communications positions for The World Bank in Washington, DC, and was a researcher in Internet and telecommunications policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tufts University.

Brian graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Southwestern in 1995 with University Honors in international studies.  He was a member of the Alpha Chi honor society and the Alpha Phi Omega service organization.  He holds a master’s degree in international relations and business from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.  He is also a member of the Southwestern University Alumni Association, a class agent, and a member of Southwestern’s LGBTA alumni connection group.

Thomas Ranase

Thomas recently joined Uber, where he leads Global Marketing, after a ten year stint at Google and a career that spans the public and private sectors. 

At Google, Thomas held three “start up” leadership roles building the marketing org and shaping the Google brand - as the first head of Global Strategy & Operations for the CMO, then as founder of the Brand Studio, and most recently, as VP of Hardware Marketing responsible for the launch of Google Pixel and re-brand of Google Nest. 

 Prior to Google, Thomas was the first CMO for the State of New York where he was responsible for direction and oversight of the I LOVE NY tourism program, the Governor’s Office of Film & TV, and business marketing for the New York State economic development agency. Previously, he led the brand strategy and valuation practice at Interbrand and before that, he was a management consultant at McKinsey and Company.  

Thomas earned a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor of arts in political science with honors at Stanford University. He grew up in Brooklyn NY and now calls California his home where he lives with his partner Brian and their lab Bruno.