IMAA launches first Western Australian Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme

Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has launched the first-ever Western Australian intake for its Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme, with a meet and greet held in Perth.

The 2024/2025 programme, which follows the successful inaugural programme last year, is being offered for the first time in Perth this year, along with programmes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The Western Australia Female Leaders of Tomorrow commenced with a meet and greet event at Crown Perth, giving this year’s inaugural Perth mentor and mentee a chance to meet, alongside IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan, who ran through the programme outline.

This year’s Perth mentor is Antonell Doyle, group commercial director at Nova Entertainment, paired with Bang Digital’s Sophie Glasfurd.

The Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme offers IMAA members the opportunity to be paired with some of the industry’s top leaders for mentoring and professional development.

The inaugural programme, which launched in August last year, matched 16 media industry experts with up-and-coming agency talent in a six-month structured mentoring programme, including online and face-to-face sessions, training and meet-ups.

The pilot programme was a resounding success, with all the participants describing the programme as “life-changing,” giving them new-found leadership skills and confidence.

Doyle said: “The launch of the Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme in Western Australia is a very welcome initiative for our industry and I’m honoured to be a mentor for the first time. We have a thriving indie sector in Perth, and I am looking forward to sharing my experience and advice with my mentor and Sophie and watching her career flourish.

”Initially designed to address the gender gap in senior positions in the media industry," Buchanan said. He noted that the programme was making significant strides in future-proofing the indie media sector.

“Our Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme is now truly national, having expanded to both Western Australia and Queensland. With our existing Sydney and Melbourne programmes, we are now able to offer a bigger mentor network, teaming 28 mentors and mentees for an invaluable experience in career development for young women in the industry,” he added.

“We are incredibly grateful to Antonell for coming forward and volunteering as a mentor in Western Australia, bringing her wealth of experience and learning to our lucky mentor. I am certain her insights will be invaluable.”

The Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme is exclusively available to IMAA members and partners nationwide. It is designed for individuals who currently hold manager/director positions, with a minimum five years’ experience in any media agency discipline.

-

Top image: Antonell Doyle, Sophie Glasfurd, Renae Lunjevich, Sam Buchanan