5 Minutes with… Selena Cameron

With over 20 years of industry experience, including consulting to global Fortune 100 companies, Selena Cameron has established herself as an expert voice across the realms of content technology, communications, and marketing. Most recently taking the form of leading the conversation about how brands should balance human creativity and machine speed within an AI era, she’s always seeking to push for better practices, thereby unlocking the next frontier of business in the process.

This is especially valuable, given Selena’s role as global CEO of Group SJR (a content technology agency that is part of the VML network), where she’s worked for the past decade. Having previously served as both president of its Canada and EMEA operations, she’s in the perfect position to not only guide the agency’s direction on an international scale, but lead by example, transforming complex AI change into clear, practical steps teams across SJR can use. From building new systems to creating deep connections in emerging content directions, she’s constantly working on the cutting edge, making her an exciting figure to watch as 2026 continues to unfold.

To learn more about her journey, the factors influencing SJR’s current chapter, and how she’s taking things further in the months to come, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Selena for a chat.

LBB> Selena, you’ve been at SJR for over 10 years now – congratulations! Since starting, how has the industry changed? What are the biggest factors impacting conversations at the moment?

Selena> It's certainly the infusion of technology. The ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of content has been completely rewired.

On the ‘what’, we're seeing the complete convergence of content and experience. It's no longer enough to have excellent content; you need excellent content experiences.

Why we create has also changed, because technology has enabled a new era of relational value where people expect to see their contributions mirrored back to them. In this new era, brands need to become orchestrators of two-way dialogue through content. And then, of course, how we create has completely changed because of generative AI tools.

LBB> In more recent years, you’ve cemented your reputation as an expert voice when it comes to helping brands rebalance people and machines for modern marketing. So, what does it take to optimise in this day and age?

Selena> The conversation in the last 18 months has been very focused on helping brands keep up. Indeed, most companies are trying to figure out their content supply chain. But too much focus on faster and cheaper is having an impact on brand value. We're already seeing that it’s eroding differentiation and becoming a race to the bottom. So, the emerging conversation is around how to stand out. That requires a whole different approach to content that today’s sea of similar, disconnected AI solutions and omni-channel efficiency hacks can’t deliver. Optimising today means looking at content end-to-end, transforming creation right across humans and machines.

LBB> As part of this, what are some of the major learnings you’ve come across? And how have you applied these – as well as your larger industry experience – internally to help sharpen SJR?

Selena> There’s an expectation now that content is going to be dynamic, reactive and alive. For me, that’s the next frontier businesses need to be preparing for: building systems that allow content to move fluidly across touchpoints, delivering consistent, connected experiences that feel personal and meaningful.

That is the driving force behind Generative Experience Manager (GXM), a solution we developed with Microsoft to transform websites. The days of content foraging are over. People don’t want to navigate; they want to be guided, but in a personalised way. GXM collapses the complexity of unwieldy content libraries and allows you to have a real-time conversation with a website that dynamically generates personalised pages. It’s changing the rules of content and unlocking insights around content and conversion that our industry hasn’t had access to before.

LBB> Building on this, what are some of the best examples of work from SJR across the years? What do they represent to you?

Selena> We worked with Spotify to create ‘For the Record’, a home for the company’s news and other editorial initiatives (including, of course, the beloved and culture-breaking ‘Wrapped’). It’s a platform that has enabled Spotify to own its narrative, correct misconceptions about how it operates, and build excitement for new initiatives.

We also publish one of the longest-running global CRM programmes in the high-net-worth sphere for Patek Philippe, centred around its gorgeous, highly-coveted magazine for owners. To align with the brand, it has to come to life as something beautiful and truly smart. Personally, I think the magazine's success is a wonderful reminder of the enduring power of print in a highly digital world.

LBB> Looking to the future, with 2026 having now kicked off, what are your main aims and ambitions for the agency’s next chapter?

Selena> SJR started as a content marketing company, but today, we are firmly a content technology company. We have a long history of creating exceptional content by humans for humans, and that thought leadership content is still critical in today’s era of AI. But, now we’re also focused on creating deep connections in three emerging content dimensions: human-to-machine, machine-to-machine, and machine-to-human. Our current solutions combine creativity, tools and platforms, allowing us to think big and small, fast and slow, strategically and tactically. But, most importantly, holistically.

Part of SJR’s magic is our newsroom roots. Agility is in our DNA, and that ethos still sits at the heart of the company. And, because we’re small and entrepreneurial, we can quickly pivot to meet the market, which is critical because marketing is moving faster than ever. So, we’re leaning into our roots, adding new skills and AI products while helping our clients thrive and our people grow.

LBB> Moving over to you, how would you describe your leadership approach? What are the biggest factors which inform it?

Selena> My leadership approach is grounded in setting the pace in a collaborative way.

What informs it? Well, one of the reasons I love agency life is because I believe the best ideas and work come from a collective. Working with different people and companies is also how we learn, and the shared joy of success is infectious in the office. So, I’m deliberate about being highly involved in the work but doing so also helps me to set the pace, whether it’s addressing an issue quickly, brainstorming a solution, or celebrating a win. Essentially, I try to be engaged to model a work culture that’s intentional about moving quickly, together. (Of course, as a leader, you can only be collaborative to a point, and there’s tension in that space, but that’s what keeps things interesting).

At the same time, I’ve learned to balance being ‘on’ with moments of reflection. As an introvert in a role that often demands extroversion, taking time to process and think deeply is just as important as being visible and accessible. It’s this balance that helps me make thoughtful decisions and stay grounded.

LBB> Finally, what helps you de-stress after a long day at the office?

Selena> A colleague recently inspired me to pick up knitting again after a 15-year break, and I’m hooked… no pun intended. There’s something really soothing about the repetition and the total focus it requires. My poor dog is now forced to wear some ill-fitting sweaters, but the end result doesn't really matter. For me, it's still deeply satisfying to create things that aren’t just digital.