Shelley Ambrose
Principal, Creative Director
The Hotbed

What do you do with an Honours Degree in Modern Languages, an ability to tap dance and a penchant for wearing black? Well, if you're Shelley Ambrose, you end up pursuing a career in advertising. Before co-founding The Hotbed in 2002, her well-honed communication skills propelled her into the job of Vice-President Executive Creative Director of J Walter Thompson as well as a partnership role in an integrated agency. To round out her eclectic resume, she also held the creative reins at Manifest, a leading social marketing agency. A quick glance at the award show hardware stashed in Shelley's closet, drawers and basement will attest to her place in the creative firmament. So it's hardly surprising that she's been highly sought after as an award show judge and industry pundit. Over the years this multilingual creative director has turned her talents to just about every category imaginable. Her words and ideas have helped shape the destiny of powerhouse brands like Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Clorets, Diet Pepsi, Listerine, Benylin, and Brandes. Most importantly she has made the world a slightly better place with highly touted work for the likes of Mount Sinai Hospital, CrimeStoppers, Bloorview Kids Rehab, Toronto Rehab, Invest in Kids Foundation, the Canadian Association of Food Banks, the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario and the Landmines Survivors Fund.