Cannes Lions has today announced the 20
participants taking part in this year's See It Be It programme, an
increase of five participants on previous years.
Karen Ferry,
senior copywriter at Leo Burnett Sydney is the only participant from an
Australian agency selected for See It Be It.
Says Ferry: "We can
only be as good as the opportunities we receive. And I'm beyond honoured
to be chosen with this select group of 19 women from around the world,
as future leaders of tomorrow. I look forward to absorbing the amazing
program that Cannes have put together, and picking up leadership skills
and advice to share and action at Leo Burnett and through the AWARD
Committee."
Aussie expats Erica Stevens, senior art director at Translation New York
and Lauren Haberfield, at director at McCann Paris have also been
selected.
Now in its fifth year, the initiative aims to create a platform for
women who face diversity challenges in the industry and enable them to
become the drivers for change in their respective regions and throughout
the industry by providing access to high-profile leaders, executive
coaching and mentoring opportunities with senior figures from across the
industry.
Says Louise Benson, executive lead on See It Be It, Cannes Lions: "This
initiative was launched to address the issue of gender disparity in the
senior levels of the creative industry. While there has been some
progress, the dial is moving far too slowly and by supporting
exceptional female talent we believe we'll help shift the balance. Over
the years of running See It Be It we have been absolutely blown away by
the power of the community of women that have been involved with the
programme, so many of whom have gone on to become advocates for change
and role models for the next generation. This year, the quantity and
quality of applications has led us to add five additional places.
"The
programme brings them together to learn from current industry leaders
and one another. And this year we have a fantastic partner in Spotify to
help enhance the experience and expand it beyond the onsite experience
at Cannes Lions."
As special guests of Cannes Lions, the group
receives a curated programme of events including executive training,
creative masterclasses, an insider tour of a Cannes Lions jury room,
exclusive networking opportunities and mentoring from some of the most
successful leaders in the global branded communications industry.
Travel, accommodation and a Complete Festival pass are also included for
a career changing experience.
This year's See It Be It
ambassador, Chloe Gottlieb, chief creative officer, R/GA will lead the
group onsite and provide counsel and guidance for the 20 women.
Says
Gottlieb: "Each one of these talented women has overcome significant
barriers to arrive at this moment. Helping them stay the course to
realize their potential means our entire industry benefits from their
leadership. When they see us, they see what is possible. When we see
them, we see a brighter future."
2018 participants:
Sally Alzaza, Senior Art Director, J. Walter Thompson MEA , Lebanon
A
big dreamer, in love with detail, Sally is never content with the
status quo, but always looks to travel further, revelling in new
learnings that help her pay it forward and achieve her goals.
Rita Anyango, Creative Director, Project Manager, Crossroads Digital Multimedia, Uganda
Rita
is an animation writer, director, ICT4D advocate, and Co- Founder of
Women in Animation Uganda. In 2017, she initiated a collaboration with
SPIDER (DSV) to promote training for women in technical areas of
animation and raise awareness of the capabilities of deaf animators
Lama Bawadi, Senior Copywriter, Leo Burnett Beirut, Lebanon
Lama's
passion is the drive to work hard on campaigns that she truly believes
in, that will initiate change in our society, many of which hold the
causes of gender equality and women empowerment at their core.
Dominique Curtis, Senior Copywriter, R/GA Austin, USA
An
award-wining senior copywriter at R/GA Austin, Dominique has spent her
career writing for some of the world's leading brands and has spoken at
industry events including SXSW.
Deniz Dülgeroğlu, Copywriter, Rafineri Ad Agency, Turkey
A
creative soul who once trapped in an oral surgeons' body, Deniz now
writes films for television, online and develops digital projects. Her
fighting spirit drives her to becoming part of the change in Turkey and
make space for others coming up.
Karen Ferry, Senior Copywriter, Leo Burnett Sydney, Australia
As
national co-head of AWARD School, Karen has been instrumental in
changing the face of advertising and the makeup of the people entering
the industry. She is a regular panellist on Australia's national TV show
'Gruen' and has appeared on Australia's #1 podcast 'The Pineapple
Project.'
Jessica Gomes, Digital Copywriter, Lapis Raro, Brazil
Jessica
believes in the power of information and that having access to it
empowers people. As such she is one of the founders of Navaranda: a
communications, connections and knowledge platform for women, which
hosts host Ladies, Wine and Design BH and promotes Museu das Minas and
Saúde Sem Tabus.
Lauren Haberfield, Art Director, McCann Paris, France
As
an Australian art director living in Paris, Lauren loves a good
contradiction. With the unrelenting belief that women and middle aged
men can coexist in our industry, she is determined to turn the hype
around gender equality into action, so that the next generation of
kickass women can focus on something else.
Leah Juaymah Mababangloob, Senior Art Director, LEGO System A/S, Denmark
Leah
started out as a digital art director and has since worked in different
advertising agencies in the Philippines and Singapore before moving to
Denmark. She considers landing a job in LEGO a dream come true and fell
in love with the company's mantra "Only the best is good enough". She
thinks being creative is mostly being brave - and that being brave can
be learned and even passed on.
Maribel Maneiro, Creative Director from Agency Raya, Chile
As
a Venezuelan living in Chile, Maribel's goal as a Creative Director is
to change the stereotypes in branded communications and give brands a
purpose as a positive constructor in the society.
Melanie Matlock, Copywriter, J. Walter Thompson Atlanta, USA
Melanie
is a conceptually-driven copywriter with a passion for helping brands
see themselves differently. She has shared her experience by speaking at
events such as "AFC Live: How Did I Get Here?" and has also served as a
MAIP mentor in the hope of giving back what the industry has given her
thus far.
Harshada Menon, Associate Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai, India
Apart
from being a creative leader, Harshada is the mother to a
three-year-old girl. She believes that the industry needs more mothers
in leadership positions, to make ideas more relevant and inclusive, and
give younger women role models to look up to.
Prajakta More, Conceptual Creative, Geometry Global, Dubai, UAE
Prajakta
is a first generation working woman in her family, who left her career
in engineering to become a copywriter. She firmly believes that the best
work transcends advertising and creates something far more valuable for
people. She is also a founder of Blank Paper Project, a platform for
women artists who have pushed boundaries of current thinking through
their work.
Lydia Pang, Creative Director, Refinery29, USA
Lydia
is a self-described "Art History Geek and Feminist, Frankenstein
Creative." Her personal mission is to use visual communication as a tool
for good, highlighting a brand's responsibility to provoke thought,
shift perceptions and behaviour.
Meghan Patenaude, Art Supervisor, McCann Health New York, USA
Meghan
is a creative in healthcare advertising who strives to push the
industry forward through meaningful work that has a societal impact. She
has worked in various disease categories to produce work that makes us
look at a disease differently and her role as a stand-up comedian has
helped her to further educate people about health through humour to
inspire change and spread awareness
Alexandra Sobiecki, Associate Creative Director, Spotify, USA
Alexandra
focuses on disruptive thinking to generate ideas that get talked about.
Currently she is making her mark in the music industry at Spotify where
she and her team strive to unlock the potential of human creativity by
helping fans and the creative community. She has spoken at a 3%
Conference, D&AD Young Blood and University programmes.
Gayatri Sriram, Digital Creative Head - Delhi, FCBUlka, India
Gayatri
believes strongly in the power of mentorship and generous knowledge
sharing, to enable teams to produce the best work. As an ad professional
accustomed to solving problems through creativity, she's convinced that
the industry's diversity issues can be addressed through the same
creative approach.
Erica Stevens, Senior Art Director, Translation, USA
As
a creative, Erica helps mentor numerous young women and is passionate
about female representation and reaching industry wide equality. She
believes creativity is a true catalyst for change and the stories we
tell should make a positive social impact.
Alexandra Vaca, Associate Creative Director, Commonwealth//McCann, Ecuador
Formed
as a journalist and turned into a creative copywriter, Alexandra is
also a weekend photographer and feminist advocate and is passionate
about making Ecuadorian's advertising market a more inclusive and
diverse place.
Simina Zidaru, Senior Copywriter, MullenLowe, Romania
The
founder and member of the experimental theatre movement, Ingenious
Drama, Simina has brought to life over 5 editions of the drama festival
for teenagers. A regular guest on Apropo TV, the most important Romanian
Advertising TV show, she is a true believer in integrated campaigns and
that her duty is to make people smile or think about new ideas, even
just for a moment.