Written by Gail Schimmel, CEO of Advertising Regulatory Board (South Africa)
As part of our Inside the Jury Room series, we spoke with Gail Schimmel, CEO of Advertising Regulatory Board (South Africa)to hear their perspective as a judge for this year’s M&M Global Awards Leadership categories.
This year, Festival of Media has partnered with The Media Leader to bring the Leadership Award categories to the M&M Global Awards, recognising the individuals and teams demonstrating exceptional leadership, innovation and impact across the media industry.
In the interview, Gail shares what they think biggest opportunities for media leaders over the next 12 months are, how leaders can harness AI to drive smarter and more impactful outcomes, and the organisations and initiatives setting new benchmarks across the industry.
We also discuss what excites Gail most about this year’s awards and the leaders being recognised, as well as their advice for the next generation of media leaders looking to make their mark.
Today, 14 September, is the official final deadline for entries. However, due to high demand, there is still time to request an extension for your entry.
Don’t miss the opportunity to have your work recognised alongside the industry’s leading talent and organisations.
Request an extension today: fomawards@festivalofmedia.com
What do you see as the biggest opportunity for media leaders over the next 12 months?
With the use of AI solidifying over the next 12 months, the challenge and opportunity for media leaders is to put ethics and authenticity at the forefront of every media decision. Use AI to make the job more efficient; use humans to make the job more magical.
How do you see media leaders navigating AI to drive smarter, more impactful outcomes?
The danger of AI is that it is creating a norm of “average” – and the role of the media leader is to ensure that this does not happen. Consumers will more and more be looking for originality and authenticity – so the smart media leader will use AI for efficiency, but will keep authenticity at the forefront of all their decisions.
What advice would you give to the next generation of media leaders looking to make their mark on the industry?
There are two natural reactions to change and innovation – completely embrace or completely reject. As innovation gets more complicated, one needs to find the middle ground of sceptically embracing: embrace new technologies and innovations but at every point measure it against your own core values.
