Effie Athanassiou has credited the women who came before her for helping “open the door” to her career in marketing technology, after taking out a Martech award at the 2026 Women Leading Tech Awards.
As creative director at Plus Also Studios, the AI startup spun out of Australian agency Howatson+Company, Athanassiou sits at the intersection of creative craft and fast-moving martech systems, working to bridge what she describes as a historically “cold” and fragmented industry.
Speaking to B&T after her win, Athanassiou said the recognition carried deep personal meaning given her non-linear path into tech.
“It means a lot to me, because I really didn’t come from this world,” she said. “I’m really proud to be here and to have women who opened the door for me, and so then now I can do the same thing and open the door for them.”
She added that visibility remains key for the next generation of women entering the sector.
“People seeing other women in these kind of roles, they can look up to it, and they can see that they can do it as well,” she said.
When asked whether anything is still missing to encourage more women into the industry, Athanassiou suggested progress is being made — but emphasised the importance of continued support and role modelling.
“I feel like women are feeling like they can. I don’t think it’s as hard as it used to be,” she said. “We’ve got a really great example ahead of them.”
Mentorship has been a consistent theme throughout her career, with Athanassiou noting she has actively supported junior talent even outside formal leadership roles.
“I’ve been mentoring people my whole career as well,” she said. “Even when I was a midweight, I mentored juniors. Everyone helps each other, and it’s really great to see.”
Her work at Plus Also Studios centres on reshaping how creative output is produced for modern martech ecosystems. One client, she explained, had access to a wide suite of tools — from CDPs to CRM systems — but struggled to activate them through content at speed due to fragmented production workflows.
In response, her team developed a “Performance Innovation Loop”, designed to shift production away from volume-based execution toward more value-driven, system-connected creative.
The approach, she said, ensures creative work is directly tied into client infrastructure – allowing brands to produce more relevant, data-led content across digital channels without sacrificing craft.
Described as having a “rare duality” between her appetite for applied AI and her commitment to creative excellence, Athanassiou’s career has also been shaped by a desire to dismantle barriers in the industry — including through initiatives such as Cannes Lioness and ongoing mentorship efforts aimed at challenging entrenched “boys’ club” dynamics.
