Social Change Maker Profile: Venessa Hunt, GroupM

ICYMI, B&T has partnered with UnLtd throughout recent months to showcase some of the heroes in our industry. We’ve been profiling one champion per week, and now it’s time for another!
Last week we got into the nitty gritty with Patrick Darcy from Cadreon Australia, and now it’s Venessa Hunt’s turn! Venessa, 33, is head of digital investment at GroupM, and is all set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in June. Wanna hear more? We bet you do.
First ever job:
Washing dishes at a café.
If I wasn’t doing my job, I’d be:
Running a wine bar.
How I got where I am today:
Hard work, and challenging the doubters.
Causes I care about:
Kids, domestic violence and animals – I like to advocate for those that can’t talk for themselves.
Here at B&T, a cause we care about is equality. In fact, we’re hosting an event in less than a month to promote diversity and inclusion in the Aussie advertising, marketing and media landscape.
B&T‘s Changing the Ratio will provide attendees with game-changing ideas, practical tools and case studies to take back to their organisations. So to see captivating and inspiring speakers like Lisa Wilkinson, Deng Thiak Adut and Cátia Malaquias, grab tickets to this event right here. Now, back to Venessa!
The change I’d like to see in the world and why it’s important:
I’d like to see ‘good’ become the new social ‘cool’ currency.
As a society we have very quickly gone down a very short-term and superficial route in recent years, judging our worth on likes, shares and comments. It’s like an episode of Black Mirror where the kids only see value from outside and not within.
The biggest change I want to see in the world is a celebration of those doing good and making a change in the world, not those living vapid lives and posting about it from their exclusive mansion.
How did you first get involved with UnLtd:
GroupM has been involved with UnLtd for quite a while through our annual Power of One day as well as payroll giving – so that people can easily contribute to causes they care about.
Personally, I have attended or taken part in every event I can from soccer and cricket at The Big Clash, or sailing at The Big Splash regatta. I never turn down an opportunity to get involved.
The charity projects I’m currently working on:
The biggest thing I am doing at the moment, and probably for a while, is coming up in June 2018. I am climbing a physical mountain to help kids at home tackle their internal ones. I will attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest freestanding mountain, to raise awareness for children who battle internal mountains far greater than we can imagine every day of their lives.
Renee Fittock will be joining me and through this incredible challenge we are raising funds for Mirabel, an UnLtd charity partner that assists children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use. Mirabel’s mission is to break the destructive cycle of addiction by supporting these young people who remain the most profoundly overlooked casualties of substance abuse in our society.
Why I want to give back:
I believe in balance. In the media and advertising industry we get amazing opportunities that those outside our industry can only imagine. We operate in a world of privilege and advantage and so when we have an opportunity to share some of those advantages and help make the world a better place for someone else, we should. Why wouldn’t we?
The best/most rewarding volunteering experience I’ve had:
During my time at Yahoo7 I did a lot of work with the Ronald McDonald House Charity which supports families of seriously ill children who are in hospital.
I volunteered on the ball committee and brought together an incredible charity event, but it was nothing in comparison to cooking at the Ronald McDonald House for 100 people who were away from home while their children were in hospital, and who hadn’t had a home cooked meal in weeks. It was a very grounding and humbling experience.
Trust me, no matter what kind of ‘hard day’ you think you’ve had at the office, doing something like that for families going through the toughest time in their lives really makes your day look like a walk in the park. It really made me think about what other people go through every day.
My greatest achievement:
I’m hoping it will be climbing Kilimanjaro and raising money and awareness for the kids that need it the most. You can donate to the cause here.
The person/company I’d like to challenge to get involved & why:
Everyone!!! Dig deep and support Renee and I to REALLY make a difference. I want to show everyone, that no matter what your upbringing or your situation, there are no limits to what you can achieve.
My advice for someone just starting their career is:
Listen to the doubters, but don’t take it in. Use it as fuel to drive you to what you know you’re capable of.
If I could have one super power, that would be:
Flying. It would get me to the top of that mountain quicker! I’m joking, but if I could have healing powers, I would love to be able to take someone’s pain away.
Please login with linkedin to comment
changing the ratio Deng Thiak Adut GroupM lisa wilkinson UNLTD venessa huntLatest News

ING Launches New Brand Direction, Do Your Thing, Via Ogilvy
ING Australia has taken on a new tagline, ‘Do your thing’, with the new brand direction articulating the bank’s approach to being there, alongside its customers, as they go about doing the things that matter most to them. ING’s head of brand Carly Yanco said: “We’ve just lived through a year where the everyday things […]

SMI Data: January Ad Spends Sink As COVID & The Delayed Oz Open Bites
Australia’s media agency market has reported softer advertising demand in January as the delayed Australian Open and the continued impact of COVID 19 briefly interrupted the market’s COVID recovery. Total media agency ad spend was back 7.3 per cent in January as the Metropolitan TV market – our largest media sector – reported a 5.3per […]

Slingshot Wins Masterpet And Endeavour Consumer Health Accounts
Media strategy specialist Slingshot has won the strategy, planning and buying account for Masterpet, and Endeavour Consumer Health. Masterpet owns pet care brands Black Hawk, VitaPet and Aristopet, while Endeavour Consumer Health includes brands like Red Seal, Pharmacy Choice and Faulding. Slingshot CIO and Partner Simon Corbett (pictured) said that winning the two businesses was […]

New Campaign Highlights That 70% Of Australians Say They Want To Die At Home
Leading South Australian ageing care provider ECH (Enabling Confidence at Home) is shining a light on the need for Australians to talk openly about death with their family members and loved ones to ensure any specific wishes or choices can be fulfilled. Australia faces a significant societal challenge as death continues to be a subject […]

Introducing The Zavy Social Scoreboard
You might have noticed a colourful scoreboard sitting on the B&T homepage this month. Well, allow us to formally introduce ourselves – and it. We’re Zavy. And we believe in the promise of social media: brand building by two-way engagement and rich communication. What does this have to do with a scoreboard? We all […]

Global Virtual Communications Consultancy fluid Expands Reach In Australia
Virtual consultancy fluid expands its reach into Australia with Brian Shrowder joining global collective of senior communications consultants

WE Communications Australia Announce New Leadership Roles
WE Communications announces new leadership roles & then communicate it superbly via this expertly penned press release.

Nimble Moves Away From The Bunny Suit In New Work Via Cyclone Creative Agency And Monster & Bear
Payday lenders are the modern equivalent of hocking a car stereo at Cash Converters.

Val Morgan Digital And TheFork Launch Thrillist Serves
Here's some foodie news for the gourmands out there. But that's not to suggest anyone can't sink their teeth into it.

JOY Appoints Phil Watson And Katie Chandler To Leadership Team
JOY appoints Phil Watson & Katie Chandler to leadership team, as headless interloper interrupts accompanying press pic.

Anathea Ruys Named CEO Of UM Australia
B&T has corrected this article and would like to confirm that André Rieu has NOT been named UM's new CEO.

Influencer Platform Social Soup Launches New Division, Soup Pro
Influencer platform Social Soup launches a new division called Soup Pro that's sadly not being led by Sharon Croutons.

BWM Dentsu Launches Charles Sturt Uni’s Zero-Tolerance Campaign Against Sexual Misconduct
New campaign tackles the very serious issue of sexual misconduct on uni campuses. Toga parties & pingas escape mention.

Women Leading Tech: IntelligenceBank’s Tessa Court On Why Building A Business Is The Ultimate Form Of Creativity
Here are wise words from IntelligenceBank's Tessa Court. You could say they're both intelligent and bankable.

Apparent Grows Media Division With Three New Hires
Full service agency Apparent has expanded its dedicated media division with the appointment of Phoebe Chan as head of media and advertising operations and Jaclyn Ely as client partner, media. Headed by former Naked Communications and Ikon executive John Halpin, Apparent’s media division has seen 88 per cent growth over the past 12 months across […]

Northern Territory Launches ‘Seek Different’ Campaign To Attract Interstate Travellers, Via KWP!
Crocs once again front & centre of new NT campaign, making it the ideal vacation for anyone wanting a hook for a hand.

GroupM New Zealand Launches AI-Powered Influencer Marketing Platform
GroupM NZ launches AI-powered influencer platform. But not before joyfully popping the box's accompanying bubblewrap.

“Embrace Your Niche Desire”: Facebook Celebrates Personalised Ads In New Work Via Droga5
Facebook unveils new work from Droga5. B&T has not sought comment on it from Josh Frydenberg.

Sunday TV Wrap: Numbers Down Across The Board In A Slow Sunday
TV numbers are down but are expected to climb as MAFS contestants get stuck into the vino and start their rooting.

Emma Montgomery Returns To Australia As CEO Of Leo Burnett Sydney
Emma Montgomery takes the reins at Leos Sydney. The Clydesdale providing excellent manure for the agency's rose bed.

30U30: Dentsu ANZ CEO Angela Tangas – “We’re In A Good Position For Growth In 2021”
There's always plenty to learn from an Angela Tangas interview. Admittedly, the Hadron Collider is not discussed here.

Ladbrokes Unveils Its Mark Wahlberg Work Via Thinkerbell
These Mark Wahlberg ads are a little lowbrow. Yet, still superior to Daddy's Home and Mark's entire music career.

WPP AUNZ Announces More Consolidation With The The Ogilvy Network
Jens continues to run the red pen and ruler over WPP's operations. With a splattering of sauerkraut from his sandwiches.

The Shannon Company Launches ‘Speak Up And Save LGBTIQ+ Lives’ Campaign To Help Prevent LGBTIQ+ Youth Suicide
Here's a top initiative done really well. In fact, it would win B&T's "sash of excellence" if we had one.

Novatti Empowers iGoDirect Launch Of True Rewards Visa Digital Gift Cards In Australia
B&T would love to receive a Visa Digital Gift Card. Or, just send the alcohol, as that's what we'd spend it on anyway.

Why Everyone Is Talking About Identity Graphs
Identity Graphs have emerged as a way to bring customer data together in a centralised place. But when it comes to marketing and discovering new audiences, this technology is about so much more than collating data, explains smrtr’s co-founder and CTO Boris Guennewig. Identity on the internet is a multi-faceted phenomenon. It might exist in […]

Finland’s Coldest Town Launches Summer Olympic Games Bid To Raise Awareness About Climate Change, Via Agencia Africa
What a great privilege to host a summer Olympics. Although Tokyo currently thinking "will this ongoing hell ever end!"

Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Releases New Summer Campaign, Via Carat
Bundaberg releases new summer campaign, somewhat ironically on the first day of autumn.

Riding The CTV Wave: How Advertisers Can Cash In On The Video Revolution
Here are top tips on cashing in on the video revolution. Or, you could simply go to the casino and put it all on black.

Creating Efficiencies in the Age of Consumer Privacy
In this opinion piece, Jess Miles, Country Manager ANZ of Integral Ad Science, reflects on the questions surrounding consumer data. The ability to collect consumer data online has revolutionised digital advertising by enabling customised targeting strategies and data collection. This reliance on data has been the cornerstone of many audience targeted strategies enabling marketers to […]