Liya Sharif Lancia

Liya Sharif Lancia has over 25 years of experience in marketing and communications. Liya is currently serving as the Co-Founder and Board Member of Cercle, a position they have held since September 2021. Prior to this, Liya worked at Qualcomm from 2009 to 2021, where they held various roles including Vice President Marketing and Head of Brand, Sr. Director of Global Brand & Advertising, and Sr. Director of Marketing, Sponsorships & Global Communications. At Qualcomm, Liya was responsible for brand strategy, advertising, sponsorships, and integrated marketing campaigns.

Before joining Qualcomm, Liya worked at JHG (formerly Townsend Agency) as the SVP, Managing Director from 2007 to 2009. In this role, they led a group of brand, PR, and communications practitioners, with a focus on technology and entertainment industries. During their time at JHG, Liya developed award-winning PR and branding campaigns.

From 2003 to 2007, Liya served as the Vice President of Public Relations & Brand Strategy at Townsend Agency. Liya was responsible for business development, client relationships, and the execution of branding campaigns for global clients in technology, media, and entertainment industries.

Prior to that, Liya held positions at WIDCOMM (acquired by Broadcom) as Director of Marketing and Communications from 2001 to 2003, and at IdeaEdge Ventures as Director of Marketing and Communications from 1998 to 2001. At IdeaEdge Ventures, Liya directed marketing and communications for several start-up companies in the early days of the mobile Internet era.

Liya's career began at Clark Security Products in 1994, where they worked as Sr. Manager of Marketing Communications/PR until 1999.

Throughout their career, Liya has demonstrated a passion for building authentic marketing and PR programs, utilizing creative insight and strategic communications to achieve audacious results.

Liya Sharif Lancia has a diverse education history, starting with their studies at the University of Dance and Choreography in Azerbaijan Baku, former Soviet Union. Liya earned their B.A. degree in Dance and Choreography from this institution in 1987. Later, they pursued their academic interests at UC San Diego, where they obtained a B.A. degree in Psychology from 1992 to 1997. Continuously striving for knowledge and growth, Liya attended the Design Institute of San Diego from 2021 to 2022, completing a Bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture. Currently, they are enrolled at the Academy of Art University, pursuing a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Interior Architecture and Design, which is expected to be completed in 2023.