The finalists for the Media Planner/Buyer Award at B&T’s 30 Under 30 extravaganza gathered in Sydney last week to hear insights, inspiration and personal career stories of OMD co-CEO Sian Whitnall and Baiada Poultry’s head of marketing Yash Gandhi.
The up-and-coming media bosses of the future, coming from agencies such as OMD, Hatched, and Initiative, were invited to the intimate invite-only lunch by B&T and ThinkTV, sponsors of the B&T 30 Under 30 Media Planner/Buyer Award.
Taking place at the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, the event was hosted by ThinkTV’s CEO Kim Portrate and moderated by B&T’s senior reporter Sofia Geraghty. Joining the discussion was Katie Finney from Seven, Nick Bower from Paramount ANZ and Richard Hunwick at Nine.
Under Chatham House rules, the group spoke candidly about their personal career stories, including the life events that shaped their careers, how they dealt with challenges and made decisions about whether to follow a set path or pick unexpected opportunities.
Whitnall first joined OMD as an interactive director in 2013, before rising through the ranks and taking on the co-CEO role alongside Laura Nice in 2021. Meanwhile, Gandhi started out in agency land, working at M&C Saatchi and swapping over to the client side. He now heads marketing for one of Australia’s largest poultry suppliers.
The media planner/buyers used the opportunity to put their questions to Whitnall and Gandhi, asking them about the issues they had dealt with and how they navigated the realities of sharing a role with someone else.
Diversity, inclusion, and passion for change and innovation were some of the key topics that arose during the one-hour discussion, with the speakers sharing honestly about the realities of balancing purpose and profit in 2024.
All of the attendees were invited to the lunch after being shortlisted in this year’s B&T 30 Under 30 Awards. You can find out who all of the winners were HERE.
