The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has marked the Victorian launch of its Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme for 2024/2025, kicking of the initiative with a speed networking event held at the oOh!media offices in Melbourne yesterday.

The event provided mentees with the opportunity to interview each of this year's mentors in a 'speed dating' environment, before selecting their top five preferred mentors. The final pairings in Melbourne are set to be announced in the coming weeks.

The programme offers IMAA members the chance to be paired with some of the industry’s top leaders for mentoring and professional development. The inaugural programme, launched in August last year, was described as 'life-changing' by participants, providing them with newfound leadership skills and confidence.

The programme is exclusively available to IMAA members and partners nationwide and is designed for individuals who currently hold manager/director positions, with a minimum of five years’ experience in any media agency discipline.

IMAA Chair, Jacquie Alley, said: "It’s fantastic to see our Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme extend to Melbourne and to attract some of Australia’s best media and marketing industry leaders who are generously volunteering their time to help mentor our industry’s up and coming female talent. The programme has already been so well received again this year and we are looking forward to seeing how the mentors and mentees work together to develop our female talent."

Mentor Marcia Allan said: "The Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme is such a clever and much-needed initiative in our industry to grow and nurture our female talent. I’m so pleased to be selected as a mentor in Melbourne this year and I’m looking forward to connecting with my mentee to share my experience and learnings from my career and to watch her grow and flourish."