The International Advertising Association (IAA) Australia has appointed five new board members, including Aden Hepburn, Alison Tilling, Lorien Briggs, Nick Thomas, and Trudi Busch.

IAA Australia's Heather Leembruggen and Sheba Nandkeolyar welcomed the new board, highlighting its diversity and representation across the industry.

"It’s our aim to ensure the IAA Australia Board of Directors is fully representative of our industry and reflects the best and brightest in our industry. This new board is highly accomplished and will take IAA Australia to new heights. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are among IAA’s 8 key values and I am particularly pleased to note cultural and gender diversity is abundant in our board, while also maintaining the highest standards of leadership," said Nandkeolyar.

"Thought leadership is critical to the viability and influence of our industry. As marcomms professionals, we all want to do great work and IAA Australia is a vital organisation dedicated to helping our members achieve this. With our new board members, I am confident IAA Australia is well placed to deliver real value to our members with unparalleled access to global best practices in terms of education, creativity and next generation talent like the IAA Big Idea competition for undergraduate students," said Leembruggen.

IAA Australia is also looking to establish a leadership position for Australia in the area of 'internationality' in marcomms, a key pillar of IAA Global’s 8 pillars, which include creativity, advocacy, learning, collaboration, sustainability, DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion), innovation, and internationality.

"With the globalisation of our industry, IAA’s pillar of ‘internationality’ in marcomms is a key area that I see shaping the future and I am keen to tap on IAA’s newly formed board to carve out a leadership position for Australia in this area," Nandkeolyar said.

IAA Australia is dedicated to helping its members achieve great work and deliver real value with access to global best practices in terms of education, creativity, and next-generation talent. This commitment is reflected in the recent launch of the IAA Big Idea National Competition for 2024, with Volvo Car Australia announced as the client partner.

Founded in 1938 and headquartered in New York, IAA has members in over 40 countries and serves as a platform for industry issues. The recent appointments to the IAA Australia board demonstrate the organisation's commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to championing responsible marketing.