McCann Joburg's Modjadji Mashatola on AME WE Champion jury

The New York Festivals AME Awards has introduced AME WE Champion (Women in Effectiveness)—a global platform dedicated to recognising, celebrating, and amplifying the impact of women in advertising and marketing effectiveness. Among the distinguished jurors is Modjadji Mashatola, head of strategy at McCann Joburg.

14 Mar 2025

Modjadji Mashatola is on the jury. Image sourced from Linkedin

"WE" stands for Women in Effectiveness, a collective of pioneering female leaders committed to driving gender-positive, high-impact campaigns that break barriers and push boundaries.

Led by top female creative and strategic minds from around the world, AME WE Champion aims to recognise outstanding pro-women creative and highlight gender-positive advertising and women-led marketing efforts that create measurable impact.

As part of this initiative, AME is introducing a prestigious new award, the AME WE Champion Award, which will be presented to the top-scoring campaign that empowers women and challenges stereotypes. The WE Champion panel of industry innovators will thoughtfully evaluate the 2025 AME shortlisted entries that demonstrate gender equality, women’s empowerment, or positive representation, ultimately selecting the campaign that best exemplifies the power of effective advertising to drive meaningful change.

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The inaugural group of AME WE Champions includes women leaders from six continents, representing agencies and brands that shape the global marketing landscape.

AME WE Champion Board & Jury

Abigail Baehr – chief strategy officer, VML, US
Amanda Brohman – community strategist, Nord DDB, Sweden
Nicky Bullard – chief creative officer, fmr MullenLowe Group, United Kingdom
Jasmine Dadlani – chief strategy officer, McKinney, US
Nieves Durán – chief strategy officer, VML, Spain
Dina El-Dessouky – head of strategy & insights, Publicis Communications, KSA
Lina Fateen – managing director, Momentum, Egypt
Modjadji Mashatola – head of strategy, McCann Joburg, South Africa
Menaka Menon – president & managing partner - Growth & Strategy, DDB Mudra Group, India
Nadine Müller-Eckel – chief strategy officer & partner, Anomaly, Germany
Paola Ortega – head of strategy, Quality Meats Creative, US
Carolina Pinheiro – CEO, Inbrax, Chile
Isadora Prado – strategy director, BETC Havas, Brazil
Malavika Rao – group vice president, Brand Strategy, Razorfish, US
Heather Segal – chief strategy officer & partner, Zulu Alpha Kilo, Canada
Alison Tilling – chief strategy officer AUNZ, VML Australia
Huiwen Tow – head of strategy APAC, Virtue, Singapore

“This initiative is about more than just recognition, it’s about creating a movement that ensures women’s voices and leadership are at the forefront of advertising effectiveness,” said Gayle Seminara Mandel, VP, executive director at New York Festivals AME Awards. “I am thrilled about the participation of this extraordinary group of global women leaders, together we are setting a new standard for championing creativity, inclusivity, and measurable impact.”

The AME WE Champion initiative aligns with the AME Awards' longstanding commitment to celebrating innovative, effective advertising that delivers results.

For more information about the AME WE Champion initiative, visit here