The Advertising Media Association of South Africa (AMASA) confirmed the appointment of committee member Memoria Masilela as vice-chairperson, serving alongside Wayne Bishop as chairperson.
Bishop said, ‘We are absolutely thrilled to announce Masilela as this year’s new vice-chair. She has brought energy and passion to both the organisation and the industry and it is just rewarding for someone so dedicated to the progression of others. I think I can speak for the entire committee in congratulating her and wishing her every success in her new role. Her commitment to education and transformation in this industry is also truly commendable.’
Initially joining the committee in 2016, Masilela heads the Gordon Patterson AMASA Learnership Programme (GP-ALP). ‘Our joined purpose is to bring the next generation of excellence into existence. We cannot afford to keep complaining about a lack of new talent when we have an immediate opportunity to address that issue. AMASA is the solution to drive skills and development of the media and advertising industry,’ said Masilela.
‘My plan as the vice-chair is to ensure that AMASA becomes the brand that does not wait for the future to happen, but one that boldly brings the future to the present, to ensure the success of our industry. I want to continue to inspire the industry to prioritise on mentoring and grooming young minds. I believe that those of us with experience have a responsibility to impart knowledge to young minds, because we can no longer complain about a lack of talent when we have not made an effort to groom new talent.’
‘The main reason why AMASA exists is to address the very issue of talent in the industry. Through our Education and GP-ALP portfolio we are able to provide the industry with new people, who are trained and groomed by industry experts. I believe that we need to unlearn what we think we know about transformation. Every generation has its own cause and what is remarkable about our generation is that we are finally addressing the core of our current cause: diversity. As we engage more and more on the issue of inclusion, we begin to allay existing ‘fears of the unknown.’ We are not in the most influential industry by a coincidence, we are chosen for a task to challenge the status quo of our country and it all starts with making selfless and fearless choices – and I believe that as AMASA we are up to that task,’ concluded Masilela.
AMASA www.amasa.org.za
