ACA announces incoming Board of Directors for 2021/2022 fiscal

The new Board of Directors of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) for the 2021/2022 fiscal was announced at the association’s 74^th Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday 30^th June 2021. The incoming Board is as follows:

Wayne Naidoo: Chair	Duke Advertising	Chief Executive Officer - Advertisement -
Karabo Songo: Exco	The Brave Group	Group Chief Executive Officer
Mathe Okaba: Exco	Association for Communication & Advertising	Chief Executive Officer
Monalisa Zwambila: Exco	The Riverbed	Chief Executive Officer
Thabang Skwambane: Exco	FCB Africa	Group Managing Director
Adeshia Singh (Cape Town Rep)	Singh & Sons	Managing Director
Aileen Sauerman	Duke Advertising	Managing Director
Alison Deeb	Metropolitan Republic	Group Chief Executive Officer
Andrew Brand	Ninety9cents	Chief Executive Officer
Ayanda Mbanga	Ayanda Mbanga Communications	Chief Executive Officer
Colett Naidu	Wunderman Thompson SA	Managing Director Integration
Enver Groenewald	Ogilvy South Africa	Chief Executive Officer
Gareth Leck	Joe Public United	Group Chief Executive Officer
Graham Vivian	Nahana Communications Group	Chief Operating Officer
James Barty	King James Group	Group Chief Executive Officer
Jarred Cinman	VML South Africa	Chief Executive Officer
John Dixon	Publicis Groupe Africa	Chief Executive Officer
Karabo Denalane	TBWA Hunt Lascaris Johannesburg	Chief Executive Officer
Lebogang Sethole	The Brave Group	Human Capital Executive
Leo Manne	Net#work BBDO	Managing Director
Louise Johnston	Grey Africa Advertising	Managing Director
Luca Gallarelli	TBWA South Africa	Group Chief Executive Officer
Mpume Ngobese	Joe Public United	Co-Managing Director
Nombini Mehlomakulu	Ebony + Ivory	Director
Sarah Dexter	MullenLowe South Africa	Chief Executive Officer
Sharleen James	King James Group	Group Director

Wayne Naidoo who served as Chair in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 fiscals was re-elected to the position of Chair. The Executive Committee of the ACA now includes Wayne Naidoo, Thabang Skwambane, Karabo Songo, Monalisa Zwambila and ACA CEO, Mathe Okaba.

The Exco’s tenure runs in tandem with that of the Board of Directors, playing a key role in working closely with the Board of Directors in collectively directing the association’s affairs.

Wayne Naidoo opened the meeting by welcoming all attendees and followed with the 74^th AGM Chairman’s Report for 2021. Noting that the past year has arguably been the most challenging period of our lives, gut feeling has allowed us to steer our way through these uncertain times. It is this intuition coupled with the remarkable collective leadership of the outgoing Board that undoubtedly made the organisation stronger and even more purposeful than ever before. He continued to say that in all of the years during which he has served on the ACA Board, he has never before seen the collective coming together of the leadership as has been the case in the past year and the resultant progress that was made across all portfolios and respective committees.

According to Naidoo, 2021 served up the ‘Brief of the Year’, and how faced with pressing issues and a mandate, that could have been conveniently ignored because of Covid, instead the ACA leadership stepped up and tackled it head on, creating magic, the highlights of which were:

• The most transformed board in the history of the ACA in terms of gender and race
• Transformation committee established to tackle key issues of diversity and empowerment
• A new membership package introduced to cater for the broader industry  
• A brand refresh
• MDDA funding: Securing of R3.4m in bursaries for Red & Yellow learners and a further R1m in post qualification funding for Women in Leadership
• Inaugural Effie Awards South Africa launched to replace the Apex awards
• A tighter and more collaborative industry working in synch to promote the value of offered by the ACA

“All of this would not have been possible without your injection of passion and the ownership that you applied so rigorously to your respective portfolios, along with your engaged contribution on the Board,” said Naidoo. He went on to thank the Exco and the Secretariat, and thanked the CEO for inspiring everyone to rise to the challenge and walk the talk with rigor.

A special mention was made to pay tribute to one of the ACA’s very own, Thandi Mhlongo, a colleague and friend who passed on suddenly on the 12^th August 2020.

In closing the 74^th AGM, Naidoo congratulated and thanked everyone again for the opportunity and honour to serve the industry.