Sarah J. S. Wilner

Sarah Wilner is the Laurier Brand Chair. She holds a PhD in Marketing (minor in Product Design) from York University, an MBA in Marketing from the State University of New York-Buffalo, a post-baccalaureate in communication studies from Bentley University and an undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology from Brandeis University (minors in Sociolinguistics and Women's Studies).

Wilner is also a seasoned manager, having managed marketing and communications in a number of public sector organizations, as well as leading several as executive director.

Dr. Wilner's 2019 Journal of Product Innovation Management paper, “Doing Design Thinking: Conceptual Review, Synthesis and Research Agenda” with Pietro Micheli, Sabeen Bhatti, Matteo Mura and Michael Beverland (March 36(2), pp.124-148. DOI: 10.1111/jpim.12466) was named winner of the 2019 Tom Hustad Outstanding Paper Award for having made the greatest contribution to innovation theory during the year.

In 2017, Dr. Wilner was named the Laurier Brand Chair. She is the recipient of the Innovation Award at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics (2016) and an Insight Development Grant from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2016-2018).

Wilner is also a three-time recipient of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and was awarded a Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada in 2009.

She was named the Canadian Federation of University Women's Beverley Jackson Fellow in 2010-2011 and an M&T Bank Fellow from 2000-2002.

In addition, she has received merit-based awards from York University, State University of New York at Buffalo's School of Management and Brandeis University and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1988.

RESEARCH INTERESTS / ONGOING PROJECTS

• Marketing and Brand Management
  • marketing practice and consumer response
  • 'design thinking'; the role of design in brand meaning and positioning
  • experiential marketing for brands
• Product/Service Innovation and Design
  • innovation and its microfoundations
  • design as a mechanism for legitimacy during market creation
• Consumer Behaviour and Consumer Culture
  • consumers' experience of brands, products and services