Yahoo has announced the 30 emerging leaders chosen to participate in the 2025 Yahoo Academy program. This year’s delegates have been selected from an entry pool of over 180 media and marketing professionals from across Australia and Singapore.
The 2025 cohort brings together delegates from companies such as Kinesso, OMD, Initiative, UM and Starcom. Over 8 and 9 April in Sydney, the delegates will engage in an immersive learning experience designed to equip the group with the skills needed to thrive in the digital landscape.
Marking its 14th year, Yahoo Academy has upwards of 400 alumni.
The delegates will be mentored by industry experts with workshops including Colenso BBDO’s head of strategy Rob Campbell, who will lead sessions across both days aimed at creating marketing fit for the real world; Supermassive’s co-founder Simone Gupta, who will share her tips on thinking like an earned media guru to gain real cut-through in the modern media landscape; Lucio AI’s founder Lucio Ribeiro, who will provide the latest updates on practical AI tools that can be applied to help at work; and The Nest Consultancy’s founder Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham, B&T’s own and leading pitch expert who will offer his insights on delivering presentations that will cut through.
The two-day program will culminate in a Pitch-Off, where participants split into teams to tackle a real business issue for the Australian charity Musicians Making a Difference (MMAD). The winning team will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Cairns Crocodiles conference in May, including flights, accommodation and event tickets.
“Every year, Yahoo Academy brings together some of the brightest up-and-coming talent in media and marketing and 2025 is no exception. It’s fantastic to see the calibre of professionals joining this year’s program. We’re proud to be leading an initiative that not only equips the next generation with the tools to thrive, but also empowers them with the skills and confidence to lead. Congratulations to the class of 2025,” John McNerney, managing director of Yahoo AUSEA said.
“Yahoo Academy is an incredible platform for developing the future leaders of our industry. At Heart & Science, we’re passionate about investing in talent and giving our people opportunities to grow, learn and build meaningful connections. It’s fantastic to see our nominee included in the 2025 program, and we can’t wait to see the fresh perspective he’ll bring back to the team,” Liz Wigmore, managing director at Hearts & Science Australia added.
To qualify for a Yahoo Academy, participants must be employed in a digital role within a media agency or marketing team, have 1-7 years of experience in digital media. Endorsement by a senior manager was also a criterion that needed to be met to secure a spot in the final cohort.
The Yahoo Academy Class of 2025 is as follows:
Abigail Legg, Account Manager, Starcom
Adam Prandalos, Activations Manager, Kinesso
Alex Mencinsky, Senior Account Manager, OMD
Ally Zahra, Activations Manager, Kinesso/Initiative
Avika Bhardwaj, Associate Business Director, Slingshot
Brian Yak, Senior Account Manager, CPXi Asia
Darshan Pawani, Performance Manager, Starcom
Emirza Prabu, Digital Manager, Starcom
Harry Davies, Performance Manager, Wavemaker
Hira Ramakrishnan, Senior Activations Manager, Kinesso
Jessica Phillips, Client Director, Wavemaker
Julie Maguire, Senior Digital Manager, Zenith
Maddie Kenna, Digital Media Specialist, BWS (Endeavour Group)
Maddie Toso, Senior Client Manager, Athyna
Matthew Varrica, Digital Manager, PHD
Meaghan Lowth, Performance Manager, OMD
Meg Anderson, Investment Manager, The Speed Agency
Natalie Blazevski, Associate Activation Manager, Half Dome
Pawena Kaniah, Strategist, iProspect
Ray Hidayat, Programmatic Executive, UM
Rowan Slade, Associate Client Director, Spark Foundry
Sanjana Varma, Planning and Trading Manager, Atomic 212
Shai Stern, Native & Social Campaign Executive, News Corp Australia
Sophie Wood, Senior Account Manager, OMD
Spencer Moore, Digital Manager, PHD
Taylor Bencic, Partnerships Manager, UM
Thanik Asawasirisilp, Associate Activations Director, Kinesso
Thomas Makowiak, Media Implementation Manager, Hearts & Science
Tom Padfield, Integrated Comms Senior Manager, INNOCEAN
Vrinda Patney, Investment Manager, OMD
