Credit: IMAA
The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has wrapped up its largest Female Leaders of Tomorrow mentoring program.
This year’s six-month program included nearly 30 mentees from IMAA member agencies, expanding for the first time to include participants in Brisbane and Perth, alongside the existing Sydney and Melbourne cohorts.
The IMAA credited the growth to strong member agency support for middle-management professional development.
Participants took part in a mix of online and face-to-face sessions, gaining exposure to senior media and marketing executives, as well as IMAA media partners.
All mentees reported improvements in applying their leadership capabilities post‑program. Eighty-six percent said the experience had boosted their ability to lead and given them greater confidence in handling challenging situations.
All respondents reported seeing improvement in their application of new leadership skills.
“I set out to get comfortable with being uncomfortable again, especially when it came to using technology to tackle business challenges,” said Ashley Grey, group account director at The Pistol.
“The most valuable insight I gained was from my mentor, who helped me realise I wasn’t being clear enough about what success actually looked like.
“That lack of clarity was fuelling my hesitation and resistance to step into the unknown.
“Once I defined a clear goal, I found myself more willing to lean into discomfort to guide me toward meaningful solutions. This program was genuinely transformative.”
Claire Piotrowski, group account director at Momentum Marketing, said she routinely second-guessed herself before joining the program.
“I’ve since grown into a more confident, strategic leader. I now speak up with clarity, back myself in tough conversations and lead with purpose,” she said.
“I’ve learned to be more assertive, to delegate effectively and to trust my instincts.
“I’ve also brought real change to our business, initiating a strategic shift that has given our agency clearer direction.”
IMAA chair and COO at The Media Store, Jacquie Alley, praised this year’s cohort.
“If our mentees are representatives of the women that we've got coming up in the ranks, in our industry, we are in safe hands,” she said.
“They have a beautiful balance of ambition and self-awareness. They are bravely vulnerable and keen to lead with intention and purpose.”
OMA CEO and mentor Elizabeth McIntyre said the experience had been a rewarding one.
“Mentoring showed me that setting goals and putting pathways into your career, you actually have to make the time,” she said.
“Mentoring reminded me how important that time is to put aside.”
The program is open to women in manager or director roles with at least five years' experience in any media agency discipline.
Applications for the 2025–26 intake will be announced soon.
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