30 rising stars chosen from across Australia and Singapore
Singapore – Yahoo has announced the 30 emerging leaders chosen to participate in the 2025 Yahoo Academy programme. This year’s delegates have been selected from an entry pool of over 180 highlytalentedmedia and marketing professionals from across Australia and Singapore.
Marking its 14th year, Yahoo Academy is recognised as a leading talent-building programme within the industry, boasting upwards of 400 alumni to date.
The 2025 cohort brings together delegates from companies such as CPXi Asia, Kinesso, OMD, Initiative, EssenceMediacom, and Starcom. Over 8 to 9 April in Sydney, 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:
- Rob Campbell, Head of Strategy, Colenso BBDO, who will lead sessions across both days aimed at creating marketing strategies fit for the real-world;
- Simone Gupta, Co-Founder, Supermassive, who will share her tips on thinking like an earned media guru to gain real cut-through in the modern media landscape;
- Lucio Ribeiro, Founder, Lucio AI, who will provide the latest updates on practical AI tools that can actually help you at work;
- Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham, Founder, The Nest Consultancy, is a leading pitch expert who will offer his insights on delivering presentations that will leave an impression.
The two-day programme 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.
John McNerney, Managing Director of Yahoo AUSEA, says: “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 programme. 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. Congratulations to the class of 2025.”
Wilfred Ban, Business Head of CPXi Asia, adds: “We are excited to see our colleague join rising talents from across the region at this industry-renowned talent development programme. Yahoo Academy is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and learn best-in-class skills from industry experts. We look forward to Brian leveraging this enriching experience to push the boundaries in our ever-evolving industry and drive impactful innovation for our agency and clients.
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 Australia
- Thomas Makowiak, Media Implementation Manager, Hearts & Science
- Tom Padfield, Integrated Comms Senior Manager, INNOCEAN
- Vrinda Patney, Investment Manager, OMD
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