Creative director and co-founder of Mums In Ads Julia Spencer selected to represent Australia in the Cannes Lions 2024 See It Be It cohort

Freelance creative director and co-founder of Mums In Ads (MIA) Julia Spencer has been selected to represent Australia in Cannes Lions’ 2024 See It Be It talent acceleration programme for women.

MIA is a network of Mums In Ads and Mums In Ads enthusiasts that aims to tackle the underrepresentation of mothers in the advertising industry, particularly in creative departments, and to drive discussion around the reasons behind the underrepresentation – and ultimately create change.

Spencer, who has spent 14 years in the industry, swinging back and forth from PR to advertising, has worked at agencies including J. Walter Thompson, DDB Group Australia and Alt/Shift/.

19 creatives, from 14 markets have been selected to take part in this unique learning and development programme at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, taking place from 17-21 June 2024. The cohort will attend an exclusive four-day programme that includes mentorship opportunities, private masterclasses with industry leaders, as well as backstage access and session invitations tailored to each participant’s career goals.

The programme will celebrate its 10th anniversary of aiming to achieve equal gender representation among creative directors and leaders across the global industry. Since its inception, See It Be It has brought together over 120 women and non-binary people, from 33 markets. This year’s cohort will include participants from Kazakhstan, Kenya and Thailand for the first time.

This year’s alumni tutor, Daniela Varela, creative director, TBWA\Chiat\Day, selected from last year’s cohort, will support the 2024 participants to elevate their experience at the Festival and work closely with programme ambassador, Madonna Badger, to further the impact See It Be It has on the industry well beyond the Festival week.

Says Varela: “Joining the journey of this year’s cohort is an incredible joy and a huge responsibility. They represent the programme’s 10 year legacy: a global collective of talent, inspiration and leadership that fosters and enables the change we still need to nurture in our industry. I can’t wait to see what these new 19 stellar minds will unleash.”

The 2024 cohort are named as follows:
Arwa Al Jundi, Associate Creative Director, United Arab Emirates
Carina Toma, Digital Creative Director, McCann Worldgroup Romania, Romania
Diana Moldagulova, Art Director, GForce CCAR, Kazakhstan
Estefanía López, Strategy Lead, Sancho BBDO, Colombia
Jessica Stahl, Cartoonist & Freelance Creative Director, The Netherlands
Johana Martínez, Creative Director, Majority, Colombia
Joy Richu, Illustrator, Joy Richu, Kenya
Julia Spencer, Freelance Creative Director, Australia
Kopal Naithani, Founder & Director, Superfly Films, India
María Carrillo López, Senior Art Director, DAVID Madrid, Spain
Mayara Ribeiro, Associate Creative Director, Galeria.ag, Brazil
Meritxell Ruiz, Creative Director, VML, Spain
Michelle Marais, Senior Conceptual Copywriter, Dentsu Creative, South Africa
Nicky Lorenzo, SVP, Executive Creative Director, 305 Worldwide, USA
Pulp (Nonthaporn) Ketmanee, Creative Director, The Leo Burnett Group, Thailand
Palak Kapadia, Copywriter, Amazon Brand Innovation Lab, India
Pooja Manek, Founding Member and Creative, Talented Agency, India
Stephanie Rumierk Briceño, Associate Creative Director, TBWA\Colombia, Colombia
Winona Wee, Senior Creative, Wieden+Kennedy London, Singapore

Says Badger: “Witnessing the collective courage, optimism and purpose of the 2024 Cannes See It Be It cohort fills me with immense pride and excitement. These exceptional creative women are reshaping the future of our industry and redefining what is possible. Their shared resolve to pursue excellence, break barriers and drive positive change is awe-inspiring and I absolutely love seeing each of them step into their power. It is an honour to connect with such a vibrant network of talent paving the way for others to flourish in our industry and beyond.”

Says Frank Starling, chief DEI officer, LIONS: “See It Be It brings together the best and brightest leaders from around the world and we are proud to continue our mission to challenge the creative sector’s gender imbalance and empower women and non-binary creatives to excel in their careers. Our impressive alumni are Lion-winners, changemakers, disruptors and challengers in their disciplines, paving the way forward for future participants to flourish and challenge the status quo. Congratulations to all those selected, and we look forward to welcoming you at the Festival this June.”

See It Be It is open to all women, trans-identifying and non-binary people. For any enquiries, please get in touch at seeitbeit@canneslions.com. Further information on this year’s Festival can be found at canneslions.com.