New IAA president Adam Donnelley pledges to connect Australia’s industry to the world
Adam Donnelley is the new president of the International Advertising Association’s Australian chapter, Mumbrella can reveal.
Donnelley, who is also head of strategy at The Works, was unveiled in the new role at a breakfast hosted by the IAA and Mumbrella this morning.
Donnelley: Connecting with what’s happening around the world
Donnelley, who joined the IAA Australia board in 2015, will replace long-serving president Heather Leembruggen who will remain as chairman.
Leembruggen has been part of the IAA for decades, including as IAA world treasurer and vice president for IAA World Congresses.
Donnelley has worked in the advertising industry for agencies including Singleton Ogilvy & Mather, STW Group, MRM Worldwide and more recently as managing partner at DDB Group.
In his new role with the association, Donnelley will lead the local board, which currently includes Kim McKay, director at Klick Communications, Donna Magauran, Adobe’s public sector marketing lead, Nicole Milward, managing partner at Joy, Sheba Nandkeolyar, CEO of Multiconnexions, Dan Richardson, head of data and targeting at Yahoo7, and Dr Martin Williams, advertising, marketing and corporate communications lecturer at the University of Technology.
Donnelley told Mumbrella his main goal would be building the profile of the IAA in Australia.
“It’s fair to say it’s not as well known as it is overseas and to reconnect with the chapters around the world, and make sure we are offering our members a global view on marketing events,” he said.
“We will be focused heavily on the education and thought leadership. We’re very passionate about education and we have done a number of educational events like Big Idea, offering the next generation of marketing talent.”
Donnelley added: “Thought leadership is core to what we do with a focus on those issues which we think are globally relevant to marketers today.
“Our next event will focus on AI and the disruptive native of artificial intelligence and marketers and their roles, it is friend or foe and how does that disrupt the creative process?”
He said: “I have come to appreciate having a global perspective in the industry is incredibly important, and the IAA’s charter, which is focused on being a truly global organisation resonated with me, because moving back to Australia I felt at times we tended to be somewhat parochial in our view of what was happening within the marketing space, and I saw the IAA as a means to reconnect with what’s happening around the world.”
