Following an extensive and competitive three-stage selection process, The Marketing Academy Australia has unveiled the 30 marketing executives selected for the 2026 Scholarship Program. Representing client-side brands, media owners, agencies and start-ups, these individuals have earned a place in one of the industry’s most respected development programs.
Building on more than a decade of impact in Australia, the Scholarship has developed a reputation for shaping future business leaders. With more than 340 alumni across the region, many describe the experience as career-defining. The fully-funded program is designed to harness the collective wisdom of C-suite leaders and prepare Scholars for broader leadership roles across business.
This year’s Scholars will benefit from a curriculum that includes one-to-one mentoring with some of the industry’s most influential leaders. The mentor community includes Jo Boundy, CMO, CBA; Anubha Sahasrabuddhe, CMO, Lion; Brent Smart, CMO, Telstra; Margie Reid, CEO, Thinkerbell; Martin Brown, Director, eBusiness, Strategy & Marketing, Nestlé Australia; Jenni Dill, CMO, The Arnott’s Group; Susan Coghill, CMO, Tourism Australia; Cam Luby, CMO, Lyka; Michelle Hutton, Global Chief Client & Growth Officer, Burson; Georgia Hack, Chief Digital & Marketing officer, L’ORÉAL ANZ and Annabel Fribence, CMO, McDonalds Australia.
Alongside mentoring, Scholars will work with Executive Coaches, attend three immersive residential ‘Bootcamps’ featuring inspiring speakers, and participate in lectures and masterclasses led by globally recognised experts. Each Scholar will also receive places for their teams and colleagues to enrol in The Marketing Academy Virtual Campus, an online development syllabus designed to extend learning beyond the Scholarship.
Sherilyn Shackell, Founder and Global CEO of The Marketing Academy, said: “Every year we meet extraordinary marketers through the Scholarship, but what makes the program special is what happens when they come together. The combination of generous mentors, a powerful peer group and the space to think differently about leadership creates something genuinely transformative. I’m incredibly excited to welcome our 2026 Australian Scholars and to watch the impact they’ll go on to make across our industry.”
Leandro Perez, CMO ANZ at Salesforce and alumnus of The Marketing Academy Scholarship and Fellowship, said: “The Marketing Academy Scholarship has a way of accelerating people who are already pushing the industry forward. It surrounds emerging leaders with mentors who’ve built global brands and forces you to think bigger about the role marketing plays in business and society. I’m excited to see what this year’s Australian Scholars go on to build, and proud that Salesforce can back a program that keeps raising the bar for marketing leadership across the region.”
The Marketing Academy Australia 2026 Scholarship Program is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors, including Salesforce, Google, CBA, NRMA Insurance, Thinkerbell, Optus and Coles.
Here’s the list of The Marketing Academy Australia Scholarship Class of 2026:
- Alex Cogan-Briata, Commercial Growth Manager, NBL Group
- Alex Collins, Head of Marketing APAC, WEX
- Alvaro Bretel Tagliabue, Executive Head Brand Thinker, Thinkerbell
- Bec Alexander, Channel Marketing Lead, IAG
- Belinda Sanderson, Head of Marketing – Dark Spirits, RTD & Prestige, Pernod Ricard
- Chloe Jones, Head of Marketing, Princess Cruises
- Chris Stratton, Senior Digital Product Manager, Reflections Holidays
- Danielle Galipienzo, Group Business Director & Head of Impact, Initiative
- David Hustwit, Associate Director – Brand, Optus
- Denny Handlin, Executive Creative Director, VaynerX
- Desmond Campbell, CEO, Welcome to Country
- Dylan Parker, Marketing & Communications Manager, Newcastle Airport
- Elaine Loke, Client Partner, VML
- Emma Dodd, Senior Brand Marketing Manager, Google
- Gab McKenzie, General Manager, Brand and Marketing, MYOB
- Gemma Healey, Director – Communications & Public Affairs, Johnson & Johnson
- Isabel Thomson-Officer, Managing Director, Manifest Group
- Jonathan Munschi, Senior Director Client Service, The Trade Desk
- Maria Paula Gudiño, Digital Marketing and Data Lead, Unilever
- Melissa Cicero, Chapter Lead (Executive Manager), Home Buying Marketing, Commonwealth Bank Australia
- Natasha Cormier, National Head of Client Marketing, News Australia
- Nathan Olivieri, Co-Founder and CEO, RightPaw
- Rebecca Psaltis, Head of Marketing, Domain
- Renee Barton, Senior Marketing Manager, Coles
- Renee Cathcart, Senior Director, Workday
- Rob Frost, Chief Strategy Officer, OMD
- Stuart Wragg, Managing Director, HERD MSL
- Suzy Smiley, Managing Director, Apparent
- Tommy Pollock, Head of Data, Technology and AI, Razorfish
- Vincent Cotte, Senior Director Marketing, Salesforce
Full details of the Scholars, Alumni, Mentors, Coaches and Selection Panel can be found at www.themarketingacademy.org
