Peloton CMO, Megan Imbres, finds her creative calling in a global marketplace

Megan Imbres (‘04, international business) is a creative-at-heart. Just watch the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show with Rihanna or Peloton’s latest ad campaign. 

Imbres was managing director of Apple Marcom LA for three years and her team helped bring the Apple Music Halftime show to life. On any given day, she worked with creative directors, copywriters, filmmakers, and a superb creative team. Now Imbres is the chief marketing officer for Peloton where she oversees global brand and product marketing.

Despite her original plan to work in corporate finance, it was Imbres’ required study abroad experience at San Diego State University that set the tone for a creative career trajectory.

As an international business major with an emphasis in finance at SDSU, she chose to study abroad in France after taking only one French language course. It was a crucial step in her growth as a student.

She dreamed of studying in Paris, but found that the academic opportunity was based in Aix-en-Provence. She was concerned that because it was not in Paris it would limit her experience, however, Imbres quickly discovered Aix-en-Provence “is one of the most magical places on earth.” It forced her out of her comfort zone.

After a year of language and cultural immersion, she was presented with an internship opportunity in France to work in marketing. She thought marketing was “mumbo jumbo” and that it was not “real life.” However, she found out that marketing is actually focused on people, relationships, and connections. “It’s something that I eat up,” Imbres said. “It is the core of who I am.” After the internship, she could never imagine herself in a finance role again.

Career trajectories are not always linear

Her first job out of college was at a small ad agency in New York, where she had an opportunity to learn the account management process. It was a great place to hone her skills and be seen. She was working on pharmaceutical accounts which she calls “uninspiring” for a young 20-something. “I wasn’t going to talk to my friends and family about diabetic peripheral neuropathy drugs,” she said.  

Agency work (despite being in the pharmaceutical sector) helped her move to other companies that were more interesting, like Netflix, where she had a role in launching the first season of “House of Cards.” During those formative years, she enjoyed exciting and challenging work full of growth opportunities. Knowledge acquired during her studies in international business at SDSU helped her gain valuable insights on how to market to a wide variety of international audiences. She managed marketing teams in Singapore, Japan, the UK, Amsterdam, and Brazil.  

As a marketing executive at Apple for the past three years, Imbres found the focus on craft to be exhilarating. She calls herself a galvanizing leader who loves a good challenge. In any given business role, she always seeks core alignment with the business vision. At Peloton, she’s found a home. With the support of her team at Peloton, she finished the 2025 Ironman World Championships in Kona (official time 11:48:42) while balancing the role of motherhood and new CMO.

Advice for students: ride the wave and find your superpowers

In 2023 she joined the SDSU international business advisory board, where she gives back to students of her alma mater. In the future, she hopes to create a scholarship for students so that they can explore a life-changing study abroad experience like hers.

You won’t find Imbres reading business books, instead she is reading books like “Unreasonable Hospitality” or “Careless People” to gain insights on business. In “Unreasonable Hospitality,” Imbres likes the storyline about one of the world's best restaurants — it captured her attention because she is, after all, a foodie. But, it also features serious themes that can translate to business. “It is an example of how you can overdeliver, and push, push, push in a way that isn't alienating,” Imbres said. “You can be the best in the world and have mutual respect. It is really critical for a leader to understand.”

When she thinks about her career journey, Imbres sees the wave as a metaphor. “You have to learn how to ride it, and to not swim against the current,” Imbres said. About the waves, “some will be great, and some not so great.” Her advice to students is “to be open to different opportunities — determine your unique skills set and find your superpowers.”

Being open to opportunity is a theme running throughout Imbres’ life. She appreciates the fact that even with her IB degree and finance emphasis she was able to tap into her creative side and find a rewarding career with engaging businesses focused on craft and creativity. “That’s in my soul, it is what I identify with.”