#Newsmaker: Lizanne Peters appointed as business unit director at Joe Public Cape Town

Joe Public United, an integrated communications agency, launched its Cape Town agency in 2020 as the newest addition to the family. It has enabled the group to expand its capabilities and extend its unique offering to markets outside of Johannesburg.

Lizanne Peters, newly appointed business unit director at Joe Public Cape Town

Congrats on your appointment. How do you feel about it?

I’m thrilled to be a part of the Joe Public team. The agency has such a larger than life reputation, and I feel privileged to be welcomed into an agency with such standing.

How and when did this come about?

With the Cape Town office opening in 2020, they were seeking someone to occupy a role in account management. I was contacted about the BUD position and jumped at the opportunity to be interviewed, although it was daunting.

What excites you most about taking on the role as business unit director?

Firstly to be a Joe. The agency has achieved amazing growth performance over its existence especially over the past few years. I’m keen to be part of the team where there is a clear drive to pursue creative excellence that delivers results from both the agency and client perspective.

Your career spans over 16 years. What are your biggest highlights?

My career has afforded me the opportunity to work on some great South African brands with some of the ad industry’s most respected minds. It was a great achievement to assist on the launch of Savanna Dark cider while I was at Distell and then also to work on Loeries-award creative for brands like National Geographic Kids and Mediclinic.

What do you love most about your career, the industry and what you do?

The constant challenges and the fact that no two days are the same. Best of all I get to engage with really brave, smart and creative thinkers who inspire me to stretch and apply my mind to different alternatives. I love that being content with the status quo isn’t an option. Being restless pushes you to discover solutions and grow in so many ways – both personally and professionally.

What is your biggest motivation in life?

I consider myself to be a life-long learner and wanting to engage with others learning from them both formally and not is what keeps me going. I try not to be complacent.

Covid-19 has certainly changed our lives forever. As business unit director, what approach will you take going forward at Joe Public United?

I think this ties into my motivation – to resist complacency. If anything, the pandemic has taught me that you shouldn’t rest on your laurels even if you think you’re at the height of your game. There are always factors you can’t control, so you should position yourself in a state of readiness. Being proactive and constantly learning from the past to improve your future and that of others. Also, it’s great to celebrate the wins but when doing so, it’s important for me to do it with a sense of humility and to pay it forward to those around you.