Bronwen Auret, Head of The IAB SA Transformation Council and Head of Digital Operations at Metropolitan Republic says, “SA has a deficit of skilled digital employees. As a matter of urgency, we need to nurture and develop the growing talent pool that we do have. Ultimately, our job is to make this industry as sexy and appealing as possible.”
This intention has assumed the form of the dedicated Council for the promotion of transformation of the digital media and marketing industry as a whole. Josephine Buys, CEO of IAB SA says, “When I joined the IAB in 2014, there were seven active councils, each of which addressed a pressing need in Digital. An obvious gap in this line up was that of diversity and transformation. I am thrilled to have pioneered the launch of this Council after many years of personally committing to providing hope and opportunity to all South Africans, especially our youth. I’m also delighted that Bronwen Auret accepted the challenge of heading up this critical council at such an important time for our industry. The level of leadership that has already participated and committed support to the invaluable work of this Council is already testament to its value. While we have a long road ahead of us to fill the talent gap in digital, I am confident that this is the start of a meaningful and active initiative for IAB SA.”
The Transformation Council’s key objectives will be rolled out over the course of three years. The council will start with the basics, such as reviewing and approving policy and devising the strategy, guidelines and scorecards for transformation for IAB members, including other IAB SA councils. This documentation will take into account substantive national and international regulatory developments as well as best practice in the field transformation management.
One exciting part of the council’s responsibilities will be the creation of learning platforms in conjunction with the IAB SA Education Council, aimed at driving transformation though education and access to knowledge.
Transformation doesn’t occur in a vacuum, it requires the participation and support of the whole industry. For this reason, the council will be launching a number of initiatives during the course of the year, which will thrive with the cooperation and support of willing companies.
Bronwen adds, “As we kick off transformation within the IAB, the first thing I would like to ask industry members is to be mindful of their personal impact on transformation. So I’d like to set a challenge for industry leaders: mentor someone this year and actively think about interns/young employees and how to grow their careers.”
The IAB invites all industry members to share their transformation success stories/case studies with Bronwen, which they would love to share on the IABSA website.
Bronwen concludes, “We are looking to make big strides in the area of transformation. I welcome any recommendations, suggestions or proposed partnerships.”
About IAB South Africa
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) South Africa is an independent, voluntary, non-profit association focused on growing and sustaining a vibrant and profitable digital industry in South Africa. The IAB South Africa represents the digital industry across all sectors including the media, the marketing community, government and the public, and also acts as the channel through which international bodies can enter the South African digital market. The IAB South Africa currently represents over 200 members including online publishers, creative, media and digital agencies, brands and educators between them accounting for more than 36 million local unique browsers and almost 1 billion page impressions. The IAB South Africa strives to provide members with a platform through which they can engage, interact and address digital issues of common interest, thereby stimulating learning and commerce within the South African digital space. To find out more about the IAB South Africa, visit its website (www.iabsa.net), like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/iab.southafrica and follow @iab_sa on Twitter.
Editor’s notes: moc.cilbupeRnatiloporteM@teruaB.
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Major Partner: Diamond Partner
IAB Digital Summit in association with BBC.com
Category Partners: Platinum Partners:
Gumtree, News24, SABC Digital, Telkom, Unilever
VIP Partners
Effective Measure, Public Ideas, Standard Bank
Additional Partners and Official Suppliers
360 Degrees, AlwaysOn, The Clay Collab, Endcode, Hello Yes, iDidTht.com, Metropolitan Republic, Native VML, Net Media Planet
Official Media Partners
Bizcommunity, eNCA, Memeburn, Ornico
Bookmarks Partner
Opera Mediaworks
