Melanie Aslanidis, head of NGEN at the Media Federation of Australia (MFA), is a driving force behind one of the most influential programs, shaping more than 3,000 media professionals from all over the world.
Since its inception in 2008, NGEN has empowered some 15,000 professionals, or as much as 70 per cent of today’s media workforce.
Over the past year, she has delivered more than 50 workshops across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, including three intensive boot camps, providing early-career talent with critical training, connections, and confidence.
With all of this on her plate, it’s hard to imagine how she found time to even enter B&T’s Women In Media, but it is that kind of management that saw her take home the Project Management award on the night.
Catching up with B&T after her win, Aslanidis said that while it is a tough time to be entering the industry, the state of young talent is strong. “There’s a lot of support out there and a lot of opportunities to be mentored”.
Aslanidis also oversees NGEN’s jam-packed social calendar, including committee-led events across three cities. This includes managing the program’s largest annual activation, the spectacular NGEN Halloween parties. This mammoth task has Aslanidis tasked with hosting more than 600 attendees across three states on a single night and provides a excellent networking oppurtunity for emerging talent.
“Having mentor programs and opportunities for people to connect is really important. NGENers get so much from chatting with their peers and understanding what opportunities are out there,” she explained.
Managing all of this, while also supporting the careers of emerging talent, is no easy feat, and for the event to run smoothly demands complex coordination, budgeting and creative execution, all of which Aslanidis manages with poise and precision.
