WACL Talent Award 2022 winners announced
WACL announces 17th annual class of WACL Talent Award winners.
WACL (Women in Advertising Communications Leadership) in partnership with NABS, the support organisation for the advertising and media industry, have announced the winners of this year’s 17th annual WACL Talent Awards.
28 women in total were chosen from 148 applicants to receive bursaries of up to £3,000 each to fund a training course of their choice.
Entrants spanned a mix of ages, backgrounds and locations – with 24% of applicants based outside London.
Over three quarters of this year’s winners (68%) have chosen to focus their training on leadership development, while nearly a fifth of winners (18%) want to grow their coaching or psychotherapy skills.
We saw a strong theme emerge among this year’s applicants. As businesses have returned to the office and settle down into hybrid environments, many entrants highlighted the once in a generation opportunity to reshape the workplace – and the crucial role for female leadership to help design it with equality front of mind…I can’t wait to see the impact this year’s cohort will have.
Nicki Hare, chair of the WACL Talent Awards committee, and chief development officer at Omnicom Media Group, UK
Wendy Braverman and Patricia Mann Awards
WACL is also awarding The Wendy Braverman Award, first launched last year. A leading light in the advertising industry across more than three decades, Wendy was a champion of talent, dedicated supporter of NABS and long term WACL member. Introduced in 2021, the award is given to one of the Talent Award winners who truly reflects Wendy’s entrepreneurial flair. The judges awarded Katie Langdon, Founder & Creative Director at Skin and Blister Healthcare Communications, recognised for being “selfless and driven to help drive healthcare advertising for the good of society.
One exceptional winner is also awarded the annual Patricia Mann Award, for championing change and challenging the status quo to support other women and make a positive impact on the marketing and advertising industry. Kelliesha White, Brand & Cultural Impact Manager at Depop, is this year’s winner with judges commenting she was “simply brilliant”.
What future leadership means to our winners
Future leadership means giving those who will succeed us the inspiration, wisdom and knowledge to be greater and dream bigger.
Kelliesha White, Brand & Cultural Impact Manager at Depop
It’s about how I develop as a leader, and how many other leaders I develop along the way.
Katie Langdon, Founder & Creative Director at Skin and Blister Healthcare Communications
All winners will receive a membership to the Futures networking group – created and run by alumni of the Awards – in addition to a year’s membership to the Chartered Management Institute, and access to a digital workshop hosted by career development company Amazing If.
Launched by Tess Alps in 2005, the WACL Talent Awards are designed to encourage talented and inspirational women to stop, reflect on and prioritise areas of their development in order to accelerate their careers and achieve their full potential. In the last 16 years, more than 225 women have received bursaries totalling over £414,000.