The MA Accelerator

Now there’s an exciting new pathway for future marketing leaders.

MARKETING ASSOCIATION is introducing a new programme designed to support emerging marketing leaders to hone their skills before making their big step into a head role in the marketing, advertising and media industries. The idea came from a programme that has been offered overseas fora while now, but rather than import something, the MA board and CMOS felt they needed to have a dedicated Kiwi programme. Until now, there has been a gap in development opportunities for senior marketers, and the MA Accelerator aims to fill this.

In creating the MA Accelerator, MA formed an advisory panel of 10 CMOS, who helped design the programme that’s set to assist future leaders to redefine what their potential can be. It covers contemporary leadership, strategy and marketing issues in a New Zealand marketing setting, plus over a three-month period, participants will also receive mentoring from current CMOS and industry leaders, and be able to attend exclusive online workshops in between the core workshops. These include a feature presentation by Rinoti Amin of Malware Bytes, Silicon Valley on ‘What marketers need to know about digital in 2022 and beyond’.

“We’re highly supportive of the MA Accelerator programme,” says Shane Evans, CMO at ASB, and 2021’s New Zealand Marketer of the Year. “I believe this a fantastic programme that will help any aspiring senior marketer accelerate their development, and get all the tools and skills they need to take the next step.”

Key topics of the workshops will include: • A CEO panel on what the next ideal CMO looks like

• Dealing with boards and ‘C suite’ with Peter Stubbs, a preeminent expert in working with boards

• Being a future leader in New Zealand, a discussion on biculturalism and commercialisation taken from an iwi perspective

• What marketers don’t get about ROI, about the greatest mistakes marketers make in presenting budgets, fronted by a panel of CFOS

• From business strategy to marketing strategy — understanding the essentials and what I wished I knew when I was a marketer, delivered by a prominent CEO who was a CMO.

• The final in-person session is with Dr Peter Wilton of Haas Business School, UC Berkeley who is a world-renowned thought leader.

The final session will be with industry legend Rita Clifton, who has been dubbed “the doyenne of branding” by the UK’S Campaignmagazine, “the queen of branding” by the UK’S Marketingweek and a “brand guru” by the UK’S Financialtimes. Rita is the chair of The Forum for the Future, Deputy Chair of the John Lewis Partnership and former UK Chair of Interbrand.

The CMO panel has spent a considerable amount of time defining what sessions would be useful and have provided immense insight into what should be covered. GM Data & Marketing at ANZ Astrud Burgess says,

“The programme looks really good — I’d want to do it myself!”

Head of Marketing & Communications at KPMG Fiona Woolley says, “The MA Accelerator [is] a well-researched and carefully crafted programme, with learnings that will benefit participants, their employers and their industries at large.”

Head of Brand at Trustpower Carolyn Schofield says, “I’m envious of the marketers who will have the opportunity to take part in this programme. The MA’S doing a fantastic job creating development opportunities for marketers of all levels. This course will provide an amazing opportunity for a group of our most talented marketers to take their skills to the next level.”

“The new MA Accelerator programme has been developed with input from industry,” says Hone Paul, Director of Marketing Kaiurungi, Ratonga Whakatairanga, at the University of Otago. “It identifies the contemporary issues facing New Zealand’s marketing leaders and is a critical next step for aspiring marketing leaders.”

To enter the programme, marketers must first be nominated by someone who believes them to be among the brightest marketing talent in New Zealand. Every nominee will then receive an invitation to apply. They must ensure they can attend all Boot Camp sessions (three, two-day workshops) and meet the following criteria:

• Have at least eight years of direct marketing/advertising/media experience

• Be employed full-time with no chance of resignation during the programme (August to November 2022)

• Currently be in a leadership role

• Be highly ambitious to a further their career in marketing leadership and aspiring to Board roles.

• The company agrees to release the participant for all workshops.

For more on the programme that starts in August, visit marketing.org.nz/accelerator.