#Newsmaker: And the new CEO of the IAB SA is... Paula Hulley

“After almost four years, Josephine Buys has stepped down as the IAB SA CEO. Josephine made massive strides within all aspects of the business, working closely with the Transformation and Education Council championing diversity in digital, along with the other councils to further cement IAB’s positioning as a significant role player within the industry. We wish her all the luck in her future endeavours and are confident that she will remain a friend of the IAB,” said the IAB in its April newsletter.

#DigitalSummit2018: Championing diversity in digital

Jessica Tennant  5 Mar 2018

Currently the head of innovation and digital for Ogilvy Cape Town, Hulley’s appointment as the new CEO of the IAB SA is effective from 1 July. She has served as vice chair for the last two years, and was head of the Agency Council.

Chris Borain, chairperson of IAB SA says, “Josephine’s contagious spirit and drive has left an inimitable mark on the digital industry in South Africa. During her tenure as CEO, the IAB SA came into its own as an industry body, The Bookmark Awards grew significantly and the Education and Transformation Councils merged into one formidable, visionary entity.”

The IAB SA has also welcomed Alistair Mokoena, CEO of Ogilvy SA as the new vice chair. Kantha Govender, former publishing manager at Media24 has been appointed as GM to support Hulley in her role, focusing on driving the transformation and education agenda alongside her. Replacing Hulley as head of Agency Council is Brad Page, partner and strategist at Neo@Ogilvy.

Commenting on these appointments, Borain says, “Paula and Alistair bring the perfect mix of management and technical capabilities to drive the IAB to even greater prominence in the digital industry, while Kantha has the expertise and passion required to dedicate herself to the role”

I asked her how she feels about her new role, what she's most looking forward to and why she still loves what she does 20 years in...

How do you feel about being appointed CEO at the IAB SA?

I feel honoured and humbled to join and to lead the incredible effort already in play by the IAB SA leadership team and councils to date. I am grateful for the legacy and support of our teams and leaders at Ogilvy, and previously at Gloo.

I am excited about a collaborative future that empowers us to thrive in the digital economy.

What will the role entail?

Setting the strategic vision for the IAB in South Africa that both leverage the efforts from our global offices and nurtures the amazing work already in action by our local councils, as well operationalising, delivering on and demonstrating the achieved results of the key objectives set in our strategy in partnership with our core leadership team, councils, members and partners.

Comment on your previous experience and how it has equipped you well for this new challenge.

In my experience, collaborating with diverse teams from different backgrounds, industries and agencies with a variety of skill sets and specialities has always been the route to the best outcome. That and a core set of processes to work with. These principles of collaboration, honesty, creativity and a supportive and action-oriented attitude have been at the core of my career journey over the past 20 years in the brand, marketing, publishing and advertising industries, with the last 12 as part of the Gloo and Ogilvy family, driving digital and innovation in everything we do.

What do you love most about working in these areas and your career in general?

I love that I am always learning and meeting new and incredibly talented people who create amazing and effective brand experiences for their audiences.

I love to connect information and people together, hopefully, to inspire an outcome bigger than the sum of its parts. In my time at the IAB, as vice chair and head of the agency council, this has also been a helpful process for me, and has been an inspiration to work with competitor agencies for a common outcome to better the digital industry.

What are you most looking forward to?

I am looking forward to continuing to work with the very talented IAB leadership team and council members, as well as inviting new individuals from different backgrounds and areas of expertise to join our teams and achieve further tangible and measurable results in our councils. I am also excited to leverage both the IAB local and global properties including the IAB Tech Lab, IAB Global Network, the IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence, IAB Digital Video Center of Excellence and the IAB Data Center of Excellence, to build our membership and partner to grow the digital industry and thrive in a digital economy.

What’s at the top of your to-do list?

Top of my to-do list is first and foremost to listen to our key stakeholders and our members – their ideas, key challenges and requirements to make a difference in their business, within the core IAB mandate. Building brands digitally, creating awareness of a trustworthy digital supply chain including best industry standards, our transformation and education mandate, as well as recognition of the best in digital, will be key platforms for me.

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to for work?

IAB.com
BusinessofFashion (innovation, retail leadership, business mergers and more)
Ray Donovan Season 4 (yes, I’m behind)
Wired UK
Heavy Chef
Fast Company
Kelly Wearstler
Harvard Business Review
The Grace Tales
Hypebeast
Goop
Ideas Cartel
Wallpaper*
IABSA.net
Effective Measure
Gucci app
iDidThtEditorial.com
National Geographic
Bizcommunity
Puma Everyday

And so many more for many different reasons. Currently reading Ted Talks: The Official Ted Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson (not what I thought I knew about public speaking), as well as Bram Fischer: Afrikaner Revolutionary (who is my great uncle) by Stephen Clingman.

Tell us something about yourself not generally known?

I am a chips and cheese vegetarian.

More about Paula Hulley:

Her 20-year career commencing in brand marketing at Speedo, then Touchline Media, joining digital agency Gloo in its first year of inception and going on to become MD of the Cape Town office, and then MD of the integrated business, Gloo@Ogilvy, post the merger with Ogilvy in 2015.

Hulley has worked across brands such as Puma, BWE CAT, Investec, Samsung, Audi, KFC, Vodacom, FNB, Virgin Active, BAT, Woolworths, Allan Gray and Associated Magazines, and is a member of the Digital Board at Ogilvy.

She holds a BA degree from Stellenbosch University with a psychology honours degree from Unisa, post-degree in Copywriting at Red & Yellow and Finance FNFM at UCT GSB.