ACA announces incoming Board of Directors for 2021/2022 fiscal

The new Board of Directors of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) for the 2021/2022 fiscal was announced at the association’s 74th Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday 30th June 2021. The incoming Board is as follows:

 Wayne Naidoo: Chair Duke Advertising Chief Executive Officer
 Karabo Songo: Exco The Brave Group Group Chief Executive Officer
 Mathe Okaba: Exco Association for Communication & Advertising Chief Executive Officer
 Monalisa Zwambila: Exco The Riverbed Chief Executive Officer
 Thabang Skwambane: Exco FCB Africa Group Managing Director
 Adeshia Singh (Cape Town Rep) Singh & Sons Managing Director
 Aileen Sauerman Duke Advertising Managing Director
 Alison Deeb Metropolitan Republic Group Chief Executive Officer
 Andrew Brand Ninety9cents Chief Executive Officer
 Ayanda Mbanga Ayanda Mbanga Communications Chief Executive Officer
 Colett Naidu Wunderman Thompson SA Managing Director Integration
 Enver Groenewald Ogilvy South Africa Chief Executive Officer
 Gareth Leck Joe Public United Group Chief Executive Officer
 Graham Vivian Nahana Communications Group Chief Operating Officer
 James Barty King James Group Group Chief Executive Officer
 Jarred Cinman VML South Africa Chief Executive Officer
 John Dixon  Publicis Groupe Africa Chief Executive Officer
 Karabo Denalane TBWA Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg Chief Executive Officer
 Lebogang Sethole The Brave Group Human Capital Executive
 Leo Manne Net#work BBDO Managing Director
 Louise Johnston Grey Africa Advertising Managing Director
 Luca Gallarelli TBWA South Africa Group Chief Executive Officer
 Mpume Ngobese Joe Public United Co-Managing Director
 Nombini Mehlomakulu Ebony + Ivory Director
 Sarah Dexter MullenLowe South Africa Chief Executive Officer
 Sharleen James King James Group Group Director

 

Wayne Naidoo who served as Chair in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 fiscals was re-elected to the position of Chair. The Executive Committee of the ACA now includes Wayne Naidoo, Thabang Skwambane, Karabo Songo, Monalisa Zwambila and ACA CEO, Mathe Okaba.

The Exco’s tenure runs in tandem with that of the Board of Directors, playing a key role in working closely with the Board of Directors in collectively directing the association’s affairs.

Wayne Naidoo opened the meeting by welcoming all attendees and followed with the 74th AGM Chairman’s Report for 2021. Noting that the past year has arguably been the most challenging period of our lives, gut feeling has allowed us to steer our way through these uncertain times. It is this intuition coupled with the remarkable collective leadership of the outgoing Board that undoubtedly made the organisation stronger and even more purposeful than ever before. He continued to say that in all of the years during which he has served on the ACA Board, he has never before seen the collective coming together of the leadership as has been the case in the past year and the resultant progress that was made across all portfolios and respective committees.

According to Naidoo, 2021 served up the ‘Brief of the Year’, and how faced with pressing issues and a mandate, that could have been conveniently ignored because of Covid, instead the ACA leadership stepped up and tackled it head on, creating magic, the highlights of which were:

  • The most transformed board in the history of the ACA in terms of gender and race
  • Transformation committee established to tackle key issues of diversity and empowerment
  • A new membership package introduced to cater for the broader industry
  • A brand refresh
  • MDDA funding: Securing of R3.4m in bursaries for Red & Yellow learners and a further R1m in post qualification funding for Women in Leadership
  • Inaugural Effie Awards South Africa launched to replace the Apex awards
  • A tighter and more collaborative industry working in synch to promote the value of offered by the ACA

“All of this would not have been possible without your injection of passion and the ownership that you applied so rigorously to your respective portfolios, along with your engaged contribution on the Board,” said Naidoo. He went on to thank the Exco and the Secretariat, and thanked the CEO for inspiring everyone to rise to the challenge and walk the talk with rigor.

A special mention was made to pay tribute to one of the ACA’s very own, Thandi Mhlongo, a colleague and friend who passed on suddenly on the 12th August 2020.

In closing the 74th AGM, Naidoo congratulated and thanked everyone again for the opportunity and honour to serve the industry.

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