IMAA Female Leaders of Tomorrow mentees. Credit: IMAA
Independent Media Agencies of Australia has accepted 39 mentees to its 2026 Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme, more than in previous years.
The mentees, from IMAA member agencies and partners across NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, were selected from a substantial applicant pool.
The programme targets women holding manager or director positions with at least five years' experience in media agencies or associated disciplines.
Programme facilitator and founder of WeGrow, Wendy Gower, judged applications alongside former Audible regional general manager, head of APAC, Leanne Cartwright-Bradford and Fractional CMO Belinda Gruebner.
Applicants submitted agency endorsements, 90-second videos and written submissions covering goals, development areas and programme contributions.
The successful applicants will be paired with media and marketing executives for leadership support and professional development across online and face-to-face sessions facilitated by Gower.
"The judging process for this year's programme was once again a testament to the incredible female talent in our industry, all seeking to accelerate their careers with support from experienced mentors," Gower said.
"While the calibre of candidates gives us confidence in the industry's future, it also made our decisions difficult, as we just couldn't select everyone."
IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan said the quality and volume of applicants demonstrated the programme's popularity and ability to deliver change.
"Last year, 100% of mentees said they had improved in actively applying the leadership capabilities and learnings from the programme to their current roles, it's a testament to the programme's ability to give mentees a more strategic approach to leadership," Buchanan said.
"This programme continues to be a vital part of the IMAA's education and professional development offering.
Buchanan said the Female Leaders of Tomorrow is designed to future-proof the independent media sector.
“(By) supporting young women in their leadership aspirations and helping to address the shortage of women in senior agency roles,” he said.
Mentors will be announced soon.
The 2026 mentees are: Maryellen Arkinson (Impressive), Cassandra Atherinos (Seven Network), Tania Babela (Hatched Media), Raksha Bandu (Media Republic), Mallory Cassidy (Sunny Advertising), Emily Changizi (REA Group), Gabby Corcoran (Channel Factory), Luisa Estigoy (Apparent), Clare Farrugia (Hatched Media), Tatiana Fernandez (AdMatic), Emma Fry (Southern Cross Austereo), Caitlyn Grant (This Is Flow), Sarah Halliday (BFJ Digital), Maddie Kulk (C7EVEN Communications), Adrienne Le Mura (Pivotus), Kathy Lu (Nexxen), Hannah Mannion (Yango), Aimee McCall (JCDecaux), Ella McConnell (oOh! Media), Maddie McMahon (News Australia), Esha Nandhra (QMS Media), Elaina Opare (The Media Store), Natalia Papas (News Australia), Haemund Pong (Slingshot), Alison Powell (Bishopp), Stephanie Pratt (Cummins and Partners), Katherine Rafferty (The Marketing Room), Ana Reyes (Orange Line), Alex Rhead (StackAdapt), Angie Angel Sigmin (The Speed Agency), Jemelle Silvestre (AdTorque Edge), Megan Simmonds (Network 10), Erin Stafford (Joy Agency), Vanessa Thaler (Soup Agency), Lauren Tyler (News Australia), Nicole Wagenecht (ABL Digital Media), Ramona Wardan (Equality Media), Brittany White (REA Group) and Ella-Jane Williams (Unify).
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.