The Media Federation of Australia (MFA) last week held its annual general meeting in Sydney, marking its 2025 achievements and revealed its plans for the upcoming year, alongside major shifts to the industry body's board.

Anthea Ruys, CEO of UM Australia; Fiona Johnston, CEO of Dentsu, and Sarah Keith, Managing Director of Involved Media; have been appointed to the board for the first time. Keith will be taking over from Chris O’Keeffe, Managing Partner of Match & Wood, who completed his two election terms.

Meanwhile, five directors were reappointed for an additional two-year term, including Peter Horgan, CEO of Omnicom Media Group; Virginia Hyland, CEO of Havas Media Group; Michael Rebelo, CEO of Publicis Groupe; Aimee Buchanan, CEO of GroupM ANZ; and Imogen Hewitt, Chief Media Officer of Publicis Groupe.

The MFA's reflected on key 2024 achievements, including the rollout of initiatives such as Ad Net Zero and MFA People First – A Playbook for Leaders on Psychosocial Safety. The organisation has also made efforts to champion mental health & wellbeing, climate action, audience innovation, education, future leaders, and leadership development.

In 2025, the MFA plans to return its signature events, launch the Psychosocial Safety Industry Code of Conduct, and lead the education and adoption of Ad Net Zero principles. Meanwhile, the Seven Network will sponsor the MFA Awards for the 16th consecutive year.

MFA CEO, Sophie Madden, said: “This year marked the most collaborative period in my 12 years with the MFA. From driving climate action to pioneering psychosocial safety, our proactive stance is creating long-term impact. As we look to 2025, our focus will be on embedding these initiatives and working alongside our members to sustain meaningful change. Together, we are shaping an industry we can all take pride in – embodying our industry purpose of We Are The Changers.”

Established in 1997, the MFA is a non-profit organisation representing over 90% of all media billings placed by media agencies in Australia.