Distinguished Alumni Award

2024 Recipients

Drew Elliott ’99 Bio
Janis Smith-Gomez ’85 Bio

Drew Elliott ’99 Bio

DREW ELLIOTT
SVP, GLOBAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR
M·A·C COSMETICS

Drew Elliott leads M∙A∙C Cosmetics’ creative vision as Senior Vice President, Global Creative Director while also serving as Strategic Creative Advisor for Too Faced Cosmetics.

At the creative helm of M·A·C Cosmetics, Drew is responsible for elevating the brand’s iconic creative identity and trendsetting authority across all touch points of the consumer journey, including retail, digital, packaging, visual merchandising, and multiplatform experiences. In partnership with Marketing, he continues to evolve the brand’s strong heritage in artistry, inclusion & diversity, trendsetting, and expression of individuality demonstrating M·A·C as the premier storyteller in a competitive beauty landscape.

Since joining M·A·C in October 2019, Drew has successfully transformed the brand into a creative powerhouse for the digital age and reaffirmed the brand’s position at the center of the cultural zeitgeist. Among his many accomplishments, Drew was the creative visionary behind the groundbreaking Challenge Accepted campaign featuring Cher and Saweetie, developed the unique creative concept for M·A·C Stack Mascara, and launched an always-on M·A·C Trend campaign which has been instrumental to helping double M·A·C’s social share of voice since its creation last year. Drew’s proven track record translating consumer insights into breakthrough creative campaigns – combined with his deep knowledge of beauty, fashion, and entertainment – make him an ideal fit for both M·A·C and Too Faced, brands steeped in pop culture and trend.

Before coming to M·A·C Cosmetics, Drew held the position of Creative Director of ENTtech Media Group which acquired PAPER Magazine. At PAPER, he led groundbreaking campaigns including #BreakTheInternet featuring Kim Kardashian, which brought more than 16 million people to PAPER Magazine's website in just two days. Under his leadership, PAPER’s social media presence increased fivefold. Before joining PAPER, Drew was Vice President of Brand Integration for the California-based social media and publishing company TheAudience.

Drew is known as an industry tastemaker who defines our cultural zeitgeist. In 2016, Drew was tapped as Creative Consultant and joined the cast of judges on the top-performing series “America’s Next Top Model,” elevating the production by integrating high-fashion and celebrating diversity. Drew also collaborated with The Business of Fashion, instructing an online course in Digital Marketing and providing crucial insight for the 2019 playbook, "How to Maximize Your Influencer Strategy.”

Janis Smith-Gomez ’85 Bio

Janis Smith-Gomez is an Independent Director of the Board of Envoy Medical, an innovative hearing health technology company and of The Honey Pot Company, a leading feminine care brand. Janis is also a Brand 50 Advisor, part of World 50, a private community for senior-most executives from globally respected organizations to intimately share ideas, solutions and collaborative discovery.

Janis recently retired from Johnson & Johnson in April 2022 after 15.5 years. Her last role was Vice President of Global Brand Experience for Johnson & Johnson MedTech. Her responsibilities included leading the organization’s strategic branding and change management efforts to strengthen its brand, employee and customer experiences while amplifying its science and technology expertise in a digital-first and ESG-principled world. She also designed and integrated purpose-led initiatives from the Johnson & Johnson enterprise into MedTech business strategies, content curation and culture to inform, engage and inspire stakeholder audiences, including its 60,000-employee base.

As part of her Johnson & Johnson career, Janis was previously Vice President of US Marketing at Ethicon, serving as a member of the US Ethicon Regional Leadership Team and several Global Ethicon Platform Innovation Leadership Teams. Other roles included: Vice President of US Marketing at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Skincare and at McNeil Nutritionals, while also serving on each respective Global Leadership Team. Janis was a Venture Leader for Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, launching a technology that created a $400+ million business. Before joining J&J, Janis drove exceptional results at Mars, Kraft Foods, and PepsiCo Companies. She started her career in consulting at Booz, Allen & Hamilton and interned at Procter & Gamble.

Janis has spent over 30 years in marketing strategy, branding and general management, expanding her responsibilities and scope in numerous P&L leadership roles. She has built her career as an accomplished innovator, talent champion and value creator, positioning global enterprises for competitive advantage and market leadership with strong growth trajectories. She establishes excellence in marketing and differentiation, uses strong business acumen to balance strategy with operations as well as inspires and empowers others with her ethical leadership, dedication to mentorship and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access (DEI&A) advocacy.

Janis is a graduate of University of Chicago with an MBA in Marketing and Business Policy and a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Option: Business (completing both in 5 years).

Janis is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a national organization comprising current and former Black CEOs and senior executives at Fortune 1000 companies who are focused on building an inclusive business leadership pipeline to positively impact business and our communities.

Janis has a long history of non-profit board service in strategic leadership roles, She focuses her service in her passion areas of health, education and storytelling. She currently is on the Board of Trustees for The New York Academy of Medicine (Nominating Committee Chair, member of Development and Retirement Plan Committees). She is a member of the Vanderbilt University Parents and Friends Association Board. Janis is also a board member of Black Public Media. Janis spent 9 years as a Board Trustee of Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey, serving as the Board Vice President and the Chair of the Compensation Committee. She also chaired the Audit Committee, the Committee of Trusteeship and was New Head of School Search Co-Chair. Janis also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for Citymeals on Wheels in New York City (Nominating, Strategic Plan and New Executive Search Committees).

Janis has been married to Todd Gomez for over 28 years; Todd is a Senior Vice President of Bank of America in Community Development Banking. Janis is the proud mom of Anna Gomez, a graduate of Vanderbilt University now pursuing her master’s degree. Janis and Todd live in Maplewood, New Jersey and Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts and Naples, Florida.

Janis grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. She graduated from Park Tudor School and was the Valedictorian of the Class of 1985.