Yahoo has named the 30 emerging leaders who have been chosen from more than 200 entries to participate in the Yahoo Academy 2024 programme.
Now in its 13th year, the Yahoo Academy has a stellar track record as the industry’s leading talent-building initiative, boasting 360 graduates to date.
The 2024 cohort is made up of individuals across major holding companies, indie agencies and brand marketers from Australia and Singapore, who will converge in Sydney from 14–15 May for a carefully curated and immersive learning experience aimed at helping them master the skills needed to thrive in the future of work.
Across two days, they will be mentored by industry experts with workshops including:
Rob Campbell, Head of Strategy, Colenso BBDO, will lead a strategy session to inspire creative leaps.
Simone Gupta, Co-founder, Supermassive, will address idea generation for competitive advantage.
Tim Sharp, Founder and Principal, GEN8, will workshop practical application and strategies to assess and master AI tools.
Kathryn Williams, Owner, KMint, will provide a finance-is-for-everyone session that will help participants master the language of CFOs.
It all culminates in the Pitch Off, where delegates will break into teams to solve a real business problem for the Australian charity Musicians Making a Difference (MMAD). They will be tasked with applying learnings from the workshops in this practical, team-based challenge. The stakes are high this year, with the winning team receiving a trip to a leading media and marketing conference in June, including flights, 4-nights’ accommodation and conference tickets.
John McNerney, Managing Director of Yahoo AUSEA, says: “We’re proud of the Yahoo Academy and its impact over the last decade, providing a unique career development experience for many of today’s industry leaders. This year’s programme has been designed to help delegates master a range of skills which will be essential in a more automated future workplace. At Yahoo we are excited to offer practical and innovative approaches to solve partner business challenges, which is something we are dedicated to help spread across more of the industry.”
Wilfred Ban, Business Head of CPXi Asia for Yahoo Academy, adds: “We are excited for the participants to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn, connect, and grow alongside emerging industry stars in the region. Yahoo Academy is a fantastic opportunity for rising talents, and we look forward to seeing our team member leverage invaluable learnings, best-in-class skills and knowledge from this experience to push the envelope and make strides in our ever-evolving industry.”
Participants must have between 1–7 years of experience in digital media, be currently working in a digital role within a media agency or marketing team, and have a passion for the digital media industry. Endorsement by a senior manager was also required to secure a place in the final cohort.
Congratulations to the Yahoo Academy Class of 2024:
Jasmine Phua, Team Lead, CPXi Asia
Tom Doran, Digital Media Coordinator, Endeavour Group
Santiago Aristizabal, Performance Associate Manager, EssenceMediacom
Judith Kottwitz, Client Dev Manager, Group M Nexus
Shriya Tewari, Client Solutions Executive, Half Dome
Connor Dempsey, Investment Manager, Initiative
Tate Boden, Associate Digital Director, Initiative
Alexandra Whitehouse, Senior Programmatic Manager, iProspect
Daniel Caruso, Senior Programmatic Account Manager, JCDecaux Australia
Daniel Miller, Senior Platforms Manager, Kaimera
Luke Pritchard, Addressable Manager, Kinesso
James Hill, Addressable Account Director, Kinesso / IPG
Navzeeth Bijayananda, Associate Director – Performance, Mindshare
Marcus Billingham-Yuen, Client Strategy Manager, News Corp Australia
Shelby Healey, Account Director, OMD
Sophie Cole, Senior Account Manager, OMD
James Porteous, Digital Director, OMD WA
Arunima Sharma, Digital Manager, PHD Media
Angelica Frago, Digital Manager, Publicis
Benjamin Smith, Senior Digital Trader, Qantas Loyalty
Mike Tekeu, Senior Programmatic Trader, Slingshot Media
Charlotte Delay, Senior Exec, Spark Foundry
Kati Wilmer, Associate Digital Director, Spark Foundry
Amirah Mokhtar, Digital Manager, Starcom
Peter Tait, Client Planner, The Speed Agency
Xuan Vo, Senior Account Manager, Them Advertising
Cara Thomson, Planning Manager, UM
Liam Wilson, Strategist, UM Australia
Kate Hughes, Digital Manager, Zenith
Matt Taylor, Digital Executive, Zenith Media Brisbane
