The AdNews Emerging Leaders program celebrates champions across the advertising, media and marketing industry. The awards will be presented at a spectacular evening cocktail function in Melbourne.
The awards are open to all ages and professionals working in the advertising, media and marketing industry. Submissions can be self-nominated or entered by a third party. Each nominee must have a minimum of five years in the sector, not currently be working in a C-Suite, managing director or general manager role.
The event will announce 20 Emerging Leaders from a shortlist of finalists, with a Grand Prix handed to one professional for their outstanding industry achievement.
Entries close: Midnight, Friday 22 May 2026
Take a look at some previous Emerging Leaders who have gone on to cement their leadership skills in media, marketing and advertising.
Previous Winners
Summer Treseder
Summer Treseder is one of the fastest-rising strategists in Australian media. Fast tracked through several promotions to become the youngest member of Initiative’s strategy team, she planned media annually for the world’s biggest brand Amazon. Since joining Wavemaker this year, Summer has already been promoted to strategy director and commenced mentoring junior strategists at WPP within two months of starting. She’s proven that leadership extends beyond titles through her role as an NGEN Bootcamp mentor and judge for two consecutive years, as well as creating and presenting Young Lions and NGEN workshops. Summer has taken out multiple awards including APAC Future is Female, Campaign Asia’s ‘Young Achiever of the Year’, Young Spikes and become the first person to win Young Lions twice. Guided by her mum’s legendary mantra, “Be a peli-can, not a peli-cant”, Summer has delivered standout client results including helping Initiative win IAG ($50M billings), leading the strategy and planning for Goodman Fielder’s first sustainability campaign and helping to drive the launch of the industry-leading ‘Forgotten Upfronts’.
Charlotte Berry
At 21, Charlotte Berry became the youngest Cannes Young Lions winner in history. Her advertising career began in a graduate role at UM, where she became a senior strategist within three years and worked across Coca-Cola, Lion, Amex and Nestle while winning pitches for the Federal Government and Tourism Australia. After leaving media to become a CHEP creative for non-traditional ideas, Charlotte was then poached to transform Innocean from a two-client auto-shop into an integrated agency. As senior creative, Charlotte has written an ARIA-winning song, changed how female pro-surfers are discovered, launched a distillery on an island and opened an Australian Museum exhibition. A founding member of Fck-the-Cupcakes, she created “Be-the-Change” to engage men in gender equality and is proactive in mentoring the next generation of creatives.
Mandie van der Merwe
Over the last 17 years, Mandie has worked as an art director at agencies in Australia, South Africa and the Middle East. Having now risen to the role of Saatchi & Saatchi chief creative officer, Mandie has always been committed to training and mentoring young talent in the industry. She is chair of Award, has served as a lecturer in South Africa and judged and mentored Cannes Young Lions. Her creative leadership for Tourism Australia, Commonwealth Bank, BIG W and BWS demonstrates the scope and depth of her work, and she has collected more than 200 awards at shows including Cannes and D&AD.
Mitchell Long
Mitchell first joined media and marketing communications agency PHD as an intern in 2011, moving on to secure positions as account executive, investment planning manager and Sydney head of strategy. Mitchell is now national head of strategy at PHD, a major driving force behind the agency’s strategic output. Over the years, he’s worked with brands such as Google, Virgin Australia, Unilever and VW to create a data-led communications strategy and channel innovation that is tech forward and results driven.