IMAA Expands Leadership Team For 2024

The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) today announced four new members to its Leadership Team for 2024, taking the team to seven.

Jenna Lambert, owner and managing director of Media33 (Victoria), Jessica Bray, head of media and product at Audience Precision (NSW), Mike Wilson, chairman of Hatched and Michael Petersen, founder and client strategist at Pivotus (QLD) have all joined the team.

They join existing IMAA leadership team members The Advertising Room CEO Melissa Roberts, Glide
Agency CEO Es Chandra, and AFFINITY chief brand officer Angela Smith.

In addition, both Roberts and Smith also join the IMAA’s Board of Directors, alongside Chair Jacquie
Alley (The Media Store chief operating officer), Stephen Fagan (Media Republic director), and Phil
McDonald (BCM group managing director).

“2023 was a ground-breaking year for the IMAA, as it launched several industry-first initiatives, including its IMAA Academy and Female Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship programme. The organisation’s extraordinary commitment to the independent media agency sector has seen membership grow to a record 160-plus agencies, along with 45 media owners and five media industry association partners. This year is set to be another game-changer for the association, and we are thrilled to have a stellar leadership team at the helm,” IMAA chair, Jacquie Alley, said.

“Whilst the IMAA Board of Directors focuses on governance and performance, providing operational support to our lean but mighty employed team, the addition of the Leadership Team is critical to activating the many initiatives we aim to deliver for our members this year”.

Jenna Lambert brings more than 25 years of media and communications experience to the leadership team, working for some of Australia’s most renowned media agencies, including OMD, Publicis, McCann and Aegis Dentsu. Currently, Lambert is the owner and managing director of Media33, an award-winning independent agency.

“I am thrilled to be part of the IMAA’s leadership team for 2024. As someone with a long history of working in Australia’s media industry, I’ve witnessed the incredible growth of the indie sector and the results that independent agencies are delivering. As a senior executive in this space, being part of the IMAA leadership team is an opportunity to directly support this growth, while giving back to an industry that has given me so much over the past 25 years,” said Lambert.

Jessica Bray heads up media at Audience Precision, a media strategy agency that is underpinned by proprietary technology and innovation. Bray is one of the foundation members of the agency and is now part of the senior leadership team. She is a voice for emerging media and marketing talent in the industry and was the youngest finalist in the Next of the Best Under 30 industry awards in 2023.

“Audience Precision has been a member of the IMAA since its inception, so I’ve had a front row seat to the association’s forward-thinking, initiative-led and results-driven approach to its members. I am delighted to now be part of the leadership team, contributing to the IMAA’s overall objectives and strategy, and to bring a youth perspective to the group. In my role, I’m hoping to advocate and inspire up-and-coming media and marketing people, who are looking to make their mark in the industry, and encourage them to leverage the IMAA’s education, training and mentoring opportunities to advance their careers,” said Bray.

Mike Wilson is a seasoned marketing and media executive, with more than three decades of industry experience. He is currently chairman of Hatched Media, and has a proven track record of launching, leading and transforming agencies and organisations across multiple markets and regions. He was previously chairman and CEO of Havas Media Group, and also co-founded and chaired Naked Communications in Australia.

“As someone who is passionate about innovation and collaboration in the marketing and media industry, joining the IMAA leadership team is a good fit. I am looking forward to bringing my industry and leadership experience to the team, and being part of a group that is driving tangible change for the independent media agency sector. The IMAA is truly leading the way in its commitment to innovation, education and diversity in the industry – I’m excited to hit the ground running this year,” Wilson said.

Michael Petersen is the founder and client strategist at Pivotus, a digitally-led media agency that works with clients across Australia. He is also the co-founder of two other digital media agencies, Unify and TCT, which are led by his business partners.

“This year, agencies can expect to see the rapid evolution of AI across every element of their workflows – I look forward to working closely with members to navigate this ever-evolving space, and to furthering the IMAA’s work in providing an AI strategy for independent media agencies,” said Petersen.

“My goal in working in the media industry has always been to make a meaningful, positive impact – and the IMAA has a similar ethos. After a few years on the sidelines, I am excited to play a more hands-on role in an organisation that is dedicated to innovation, independence and growth. Having grown a few agencies, I look forward to working closely with members to assist them to do more with less and gain efficiencies in their operating practices that help us all remain competitive while delivering service levels and results that prove that a well-run independent agency member of the IMAA is a trusted pair of hands to serve marketers regardless of the size or complexity of their media plans”.