Yahoo’s industry-leading talent program, Yahoo Academy, has wrapped after two days, concluding with a pitch-off for youth charity Whitelion.
The winning team - Joshua Green (Spark Foundry), Vanessa Metelovski (Initiative), Rebecca Williams (OMD) and Sarah Mushan (Kaimera) - will be heading to Advertising Week New York after successfully selling their idea to judges.
The campaign will be brought to life by UnLtd and Yahoo to build awareness and funds for Whitelion’s three peaks challenge.
The pitch-off was the closing piece of this year’s two-day career-building program, which resumed entirely in-person for the first time since 2019.
Yahoo Academy brought 40 emerging leaders from across Australia and New Zealand’s advertising and marketing industry together for an intensive program focused on education, skills learning and career growth.
Rachel Page, general manager of sales at Yahoo ANZ, said: “What a spectacular showcase of our industry’s finest young talent in action.
“All 40 attendees were so open to learning, grateful to be taking part in this legacy program and the energy in the room was palpable.
“Yahoo is so proud to have played a small part in the career journeys of these amazing young superstars - the future of our industry is in very capable hands.
Day one kicked off at Yahoo’s Sydney office, where attendees networked, took professional headshots and had the chance to hear from industry leaders on their career journeys.
Day two saw Rishad Tobaccowala, Briony Benjamin, Nicole Hatherly and Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham speak about the importance of learning, how to find a proper work-life balance and personal branding, among other topics.
Attendees were then given 70 minutes to respond to a brief from Whitelion, an Australian charity helping youth at risk.
After an intense back to back pitch off, judges Chris Freel (UnLtd), Hang Vo (Whitelion), Gai Le Roy (IAB), Julia Edwards (Yahoo) and Nick Behr (Kaimera) ultimately awarded the four-person team with the win.
Pitch winner Joshua Green, associate strategy director at Spark Foundry said: “Yahoo Academy has been an extraordinary experience made all the more extraordinary by the remarkable individuals I shared it with.
“As an industry, it's rare that we have the opportunity to connect and learn from each other across agency brands. Yahoo Academy provided just that - a chance to grow and be inspired by peers.
“We're looking forward to continuing the collaboration with Whitelion and bringing this into the world.”
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