SINGAPORE — Yahoo has announced the 30 outstanding emerging leaders who have been chosen from more than 200 entries to participate in the Yahoo Academy 2024 program.
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 May 14 to 15 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 workshop learnings 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, four-nights accommodation, and conference tickets.
John McNerney, Managing Director at Yahoo AUSEA, said, “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 program has been designed to help delegates master a range of skills that 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 helping spread across the industry.”
Wilfred Ban, Business Head of CPXi Asia for Yahoo Academy, added, “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 members 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 one to seven 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.
The Yahoo Academy Class of 2024 is as follows:
- 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
