In honour of B&T‘s upcoming 30 Under 30 Party (sorry, Awards) we chatted to GroupM – one of our sponsors for this year’s event – about why the media agency signed on as a sponsor this year.
With the shortlist announced, B&T wanted to understand why sponsoring the awards is important to GroupM, why young people are important in adland and why events like 30 Under 30 are a vital piece for attracting and retaining talent.
GroupM has supported 30 Under 30 for several years, and has signed on for another year (thank you, legends!) Below, we chat with GroupM CEO Mark Lollback.
On why GroupM has come on as a sponsor for another year running, Lollback said: “We’ve supported the 30 under 30 for many years, because we believe that we’re responsible for shaping the next era of media, and to do that, we need to support the young talent that’s going to do it alongside us.”
And, GroupM doesn’t just talk the talk. It walks the walk, too.
Said Lollback: “There’s a lot that senior leaders can learn from the people coming up through the ranks.
“I learn a lot from the young talent in our business, particularly GroupM’s Young Leaders Committee NCo. It’s a board of 12 individuals from across our agencies, in every state sponsored by myself and our Chief Investment officer Nicola Lewis.
“They take on projects and initiatives to help shape our business, and I’m thrilled to see several of them as finalists in 30 Under 30 this year!
“We also offer one of the largest and most comprehensive grad programmes in the industry, offering a 9-month formal education programme as well as on the job learning in a full time, fully paid permanent role. This year we doubled the size of the programme and took on 25 grads who are now thriving within our agencies.
“We also know that there’s a role for us before young people even start their careers by engaging with universities more. That’s why we partner with the University of Sydney’s Marketing Society on their mentoring programme, to shine a light on some of the opportunities and career paths their students can consider.”
Speaking to why young people are important in adland, Lollback said it’s all about diversity of thought.
“What’s important in this industry, whether it’s in media agencies, creative agencies, client-side marketers, entrepreneurs, designers or tech specialists – is diversity of thought, experience and expertise.
“That can come from any age group, but it’s particularly important that we attract young people and tap into their enthusiasm, fresh perspective and capabilities to help them craft fulfilling careers that shape & redefine the future of this industry.”
And on why events like B&T’s 30 Under 30 and recognising the achievements of our young people is so important to the industry, Lollback said: “It gives recognition to the young people coming up in our industry for their achievements so far – and it’s something to aspire to.”
