Project managers may not chase the adland limelight, but without them, the spotlight wouldn’t switch on in the first place.
From complex events and integrated campaigns to brand partnerships and social initiatives, these behind-the-scenes operators are the ones who bring ideas to life. And while not all of them wear “project manager” on their business cards, their mission is the same: make it happen and make it count!
Whether they’re wrangling stakeholders, overseeing budgets, steering national campaigns, or keeping creative chaos in check, the 10 professionals on this list are some of the best in the business.
To narrow it down, the B&T editorial team consulted a mix of industry nominations, leadership recommendations and insider intel. Deciphering the top ten was a long-fought battle, but someone had to do it.
We are taking nominations for the upcoming Best of the Best lists. In the next fortnight, we’ll be looking at the Best of the Best Recruiters, and then the Best of the Best Casting Directors.
NOMINATE NOW FOR B&T’s BEST OF THE BEST!
10. Tamar Hovagimian, head of integration and partnerships, Paramount Australia
Tamar Hovagimian has built one of Australian media’s most successful partnership portfolios over her 19-year tenure at Network 10 and Paramount Australia. Currently, she is leading an all-female project management team, where she oversees premium commercial opportunities spanning television, streaming, events and consumer products. Her understated approach has delivered consistent results for Australia’s biggest brands, with her team exceeding revenue targets year after year.
Tamar’s project management expertise bridges creative and commercial worlds through trusted relationships with executive producers, resulting in innovative sponsorship solutions. She has conceptualised industry-first assets including Network 10’s ‘Program ID’, ‘Backstage ID’ and ‘Playing Now’ on BVOD. Her meticulous stakeholder management is exemplified through her 18-year relationship with MasterChef Australia’s patron sponsor, Coles.
9. Jessica McKenna, senior experiential producer, Pinterest
Jessica McKenna brings to Pinterest 13 years of experience as a seasoned event and experiential producer, where she has spent the majority of her time developing and fine-tuning her craft freelancing in London. McKenna has been with Pinterest for seven months, where she was tasked with bringing Pinterest to life at Cairns Crocodiles. Here at Cairns, she unleashed creativity with permanent flash tattoos at The Original Pinterest Tattoo Parlour, which was an absolute hit, with the Parlour being booked out for its entirety. As well, she and her team ignited travel inspiration with custom luggage tag creations at our Collage Studio, and delivered transformative style experiences through expert colour analysis at the wildly popular Colour Club.
Before joining Pinterest, McKenna was on tour around the UK and France, where she brought DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse to life, driving franchise awareness, consumer product sales, and TV viewing. Over 18 days, she and her team immersed kids in games, challenges and music experiences across nine locations.
8. Lily Lambert, EssenceMediacom Australia, partnerships associate director, Sport and Entertainment
Lily Lambert described as an “operational masterclass” has been with EssenceMediacom for the last three years, where she has navigated the intricate world of Australia’s top-tier sports and music partnerships. This includes the strategic plays in Cricket and NRL, to the electric atmosphere of AFL and the Out 2 Lunch Festival. She has also led KFC’s partnership with Cricket Australia across the past 2024-25 season, where she took charge of distributing over 300,000 Bucketheads across the season—a symbol now synonymous with Cricket.
7. Tania Jones, national head of client project management, News Corp Australia
At the heart of every seamless campaign delivery at News Corp Australia is Tania Jones , a powerhouse of precision, calm under pressure, and a true master of orchestration. As national head of client project management, Tania leads a team of 20 plus campaign specialists, driving the execution of some of the country’s most complex, high-value integrated partnerships.
Her remit spans revenue retention, stakeholder cohesion, process excellence and client renewal and her leadership has helped redefine project management as a commercial growth lever, not just an operational function. Tania’s ability to wrangle cross-functional stakeholders, foresee roadblocks before they arise, and align campaign delivery with strategic business goals makes her an irreplaceable force in the business.
With a career spanning major roles at Foxtel as the national director advertising and partnerships, Network Ten, CNN and now News Australia, Tania brings unmatched industry insight, a sharp commercial lens, and a relentless focus on outcomes. Her implementation of streamlined workflows, mentoring frameworks and culture building initiatives has not only transformed the internal project management function, but empowered her team to consistently exceed expectations for the benefit of clients.
In short: she makes the complex look easy, the chaotic feel calm, and the impossible seem inevitable.
6. Mary Anne Truong, national operations director, Clemenger BBDO
Mary Anne Truong is the national operations director at Clemenger BBDO, where previously she held the same title with one half of the merger CHEP Network for more than three and a half years. She has a decade of experience spanning from digital production and client services, gained from working with notable brands such as Nintendo, Public Transport Victoria, Air New Zealand, Telstra, Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism and Travel Insurance Direct.
Truong’s career in the media began in 2010 when she was employed at Bliss Media as a junior account manager. During her seven-year tenure at Bliss Media, she quickly climbed up the ranks to studio manager, a true testament to her hard-working attitude and the pride she takes in her roles. This was the start of a highly successful career for Truong, who has since been awarded at D&AD, Cannes Lions, One Show, AWARD, The New York Festivals and London International Awards.
5. Jade Harley, Director Of Impact, UnLtd
Jade Harley has been the director of impact, UnLtd for the past three years, where she has been described as having “an incredible ability to manage” more than 80 partners and stakeholders, whilst delivering all the social purpose organisation’s impact projects and campaigns. She’s been praised for being the driving force for uniting the industry to get behind the Raise the Age campaign that is driving a fundamental shift in attitudes. Since the launch of the campaign, the awareness for Raise the Age has increased by 45 per cent, and the understanding of the issue has doubled since the campaign launch.
She is also leading UnLtd’s first cross-industry collaboration campaign against youth homelessness, a partnership between the property industry, the media industry and the youth homelessness sector, to bring awareness to a hidden crisis. In addition to these advocacy campaigns, she’s helped project manage and lead multiple other campaigns for several other charity partners, such as ACMF, Mirabel, Heart On My Sleeve, and many others.
4. Samantha Wessel, Head of Project Delivery, Australian Radio Network
Sammy Wessel, head of project delivery, has brought a rare combination of strategic thinking, project rigour, and influence to ARN for the better part of two decades. Her impact on ARN has been described as “pivotal” due to her ability to lead structured, scalable project delivery.
Over the past year, she has led three interconnected transformation programs that redefined ARN’s operations, cost base, and long-term capability. This involved a comprehensive review of workforce structures and roles across ad ops, sales admin, finance, IT, infrastructure, and development to try and achieve an optimistic goal of reducing operational expenditure of three years. The result is a forecasted $20 million NPV over five years. The other two programs included a workflow redesign across 25 teams and a Salesforce transformation to enable more innovative workflows and reliable data.
3. Jennifer Thomas, director of marketing and memberships, IAB
Jennifer Thomas is the director of marketing and memberships at IAB Australia. Holding this role for nearly two years she leverages over a decade of experience in sponsorships and strategic sales within the TV and digital media sectors. Throughout her career, Jenn has collated extensive commercial and marketing experience working across a range of media owners in the Australian Market, such as ninemsn, Fairfax Media and Yahoo7.
With a wealth of experience in the media industry and a strong passion for digital advertising, Thomas brings both expertise and enthusiasm to her role at the IAB. Her commitment to the industry and its community positions her as a key driver in advancing the organisation’s mission. Through her unique blend of knowledge and dedication, she is well placed to help shape the future of digital advertising in Australia.
2. Melanie Aslanidis, MFA, head of NGEN
Melanie Aslanidis, head of NGEN at the Media Federation of Australia (MFA), is a driving force behind one of the most influential programs shaping the next generation of media professionals.
Over the past year, she has delivered more than 50 workshops across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, including three intensive bootcamps, providing early-career talent with critical training, connections, and confidence.
In an industry where nearly half of all professionals have under five years of experience, programs like NGEN are more vital than ever, and Aslanidis ensures every session delivers real-world value and inspiration. It’s no surprise she was recognised as a 2025 B&T Women in Media Award finalist in the Project Manager category.
At the heart of her work is a deep passion for strengthening the media industry through community-building and upskilling. Under her leadership, NGEN has become far more than a learning program; it’s a launchpad for future leaders.
From expanding the NGEN Award, which empowers participants to create real campaigns for charity clients, to forging partnerships like Cairns Hatchlings to support emerging creatives in regional Australia, Aslanidis ensures that talent is nurtured and celebrated.
Mel’s impact is felt in every corner of the program, from the structure of its training content to the inclusive tone of its community events. She understands that preparing young professionals for the future isn’t just about skill development; it’s about fostering belonging, resilience, and vision.
With a steady hand and a sharp eye for opportunity, she’s helping to future-proof the industry by ensuring its newest members are empowered from day one.
1. Bec Coulson, head of operations, IMAA
Bec Coulson has played a central role in delivering some of the IMAA’s most impactful and ambitious initiatives over the past year. From launching the first-ever Pitch-Chella, a major East Coast program involving 22 agency teams, to taking the Female Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program national, her work has consistently elevated the industry’s professional development landscape.
She also led the creation of the IMAA’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, a significant progression from the Reflect RAP, cementing the IMAA’s commitment to cultural engagement and meaningful change.
Her day-to-day responsibilities are as impressive as her marquee projects. Coulson oversees all internal and external communications, manages the IMAA’s social media and content strategy, liaises with members and media partners, and runs the annual Salary Survey, now considered the go-to remuneration benchmark for the independent agency sector.
She also led the rollout of a new CRM system that has transformed operational workflows by reducing manual work, centralising data, and streamlining communications, all without fanfare, but with lasting impact.
Across every initiative, Coulson brings a calm, methodical approach that inspires trust and delivers results. Her ability to manage complexity, rally stakeholders, and bring big ideas to life with precision and purpose is rare.
Whether it’s building internal systems or national programs, her work always strikes the balance between strategic vision and executional excellence, and the outcomes speak volumes.
And that’s why she’s our Best of the Best Project Manager!
