Yahoo Academy
Yahoo has announced the 30 emerging leaders in its 2025 Yahoo Academy program.
This year's delegates have been selected from an entry pool of more than 180 media and marketing professionals from across Australia and Singapore.
Marking its 14th year, the 2025 cohort brings together delegates from companies such as Kinesso, OMD, Initiative, UM and Starcom.
Over April 8 and 9 in Sydney on April 8 the delegates will engage in a carefully crafted and immersive learning experience designed to equip the group with the skills needed to thrive in a complex, ever-evolving digital landscape.
They will be mentored by industry experts with workshops including:
- Colenso BBDO head of strategy Rob Campbell who will lead sessions across both days aimed at creating marketing fit for the real-world;
- Supermassive co-founder Simone Gupta who will share her tips on thinking like an earned media guru to gain real cut-through in the modern media landscape;
- Lucio AI founder Lucio Ribeiro who will provide the latest updates on practical AI tools that can be applied to actually help at work;
- The Nest Consultancy founder Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham is a leading pitch expert who will offer his insights on delivering presentations that will cut through.
The two-day program will culminate in a high-stakes Pitch-Off, where participants split into teams to tackle a real business issue for the Australian charity Musicians Making a Difference (MMAD). They will be put to the test, applying their learnings while collaborating as a team in this practical, real-world scenario.
The winning team will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to a major international marketing conference in May, including flights, accommodation and event tickets.
Yahoo AUSEA managing director John McNerney said every year, Yahoo Academy brings together some of the brightest up-and-coming talent in media and marketing and 2025 is no exception.
"It’s fantastic to see the calibre of professionals joining this year’s program. We’re proud to be leading an initiative that not only equips the next generation with the tools to thrive, but also empowers them with the skills and confidence to lead," McNerney said.
"Congratulations to the class of 2025.”
Hearts & Science Australia managing director Liz Wigmore said Yahoo Academy is an incredible platform for developing the future leaders of our industry.
"It’s fantastic to see our nominee included in the 2025 program, and we can’t wait to see the fresh perspective he’ll bring back to the team," Wigmore said.
To qualify for a Yahoo Academy, participants must be employed in a digital role within a media agency or marketing team, have 1-7 years of experience in digital media, and possess a keen passion for the digital media industry. Endorsement by a senior manager was also a criterion that needed to be met to secure a spot in the final cohort.
Congratulations to the Yahoo Academy Class of 2025:
- Abigail Legg, Account Manager, Starcom
- Adam Prandalos, Activations Manager, Kinesso
- Alex Mencinsky, Senior Account Manager, OMD
- Ally Zahra, Activations Manager, Kinesso/Initiative
- Avika Bhardwaj, Associate Business Director, Slingshot
- Brian Yak, Senior Account Manager, CPXi Asia
- Darshan Pawani, Performance Manager, Starcom
- Emirza Prabu, Digital Manager, Starcom
- Harry Davies, Performance Manager, Wavemaker
- Hira Ramakrishnan, Senior Activations Manager, Kinesso
- Jessica Phillips, Client Director, Wavemaker
- Julie Maguire, Senior Digital Manager, Zenith
- Maddie Kenna, Digital Media Specialist, BWS (Endeavour Group)
- Maddie Toso, Senior Client Manager, Athyna
- Matthew Varrica, Digital Manager, PHD
- Meaghan Lowth, Performance Manager, OMD
- Meg Anderson, Investment Manager, The Speed Agency
- Natalie Blazevski, Associate Activation Manager, Half Dome
- Pawena Kaniah, Strategist, iProspect
- Ray Hidayat, Programmatic Executive, UM
- Rowan Slade, Associate Client Director, Spark Foundry
- Sanjana Varma, Planning and Trading Manager, Atomic 212
- Shai Stern, Native & Social Campaign Executive, News Corp Australia
- Sophie Wood, Senior Account Manager, OMD
- Spencer Moore, Digital Manager, PHD
- Taylor Bencic, Partnerships Manager, UM
- Thanik Asawasirisilp, Associate Activations Director, Kinesso
- Thomas Makowiak, Media Implementation Manager, Hearts & Science
- Tom Padfield, Integrated Comms Senior Manager, INNOCEAN
- Vrinda Patney, Investment Manager, OMD
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