Experience with multiple global brands including AOL, Yahoo, Zinio, Disney Publishing WW and LivingSocial, Alexandra’s finger is on the pulse of IAB’s global initiatives, benchmark and trends.

I AM THE ARCHITECT OF MY WORLD: how mobile and streaming is set to change the way brands can remain relevant in the digital world

Today, 32% of all news is consumed by peer-to-peer connectivity and, with live streaming becoming even more innovative, that number is only going to increase. Add to this the growth of mobile in Africa and the Internet of Things – where all your devices are connected – consumers are not limited by physical location, hardware or time but, rather, can tap into an infinite source of information at a click of a button. What this means is that while brands can now connect with more people, more often, a simple TVC no longer works. To stay relevant, brands need to be selective and there is no better way than by connecting with artists & influencers, who are set to become 21st Century-style media conglomerates, empowered by mobile convenience. Welcome to a world where content is what mobilises an audience.

South African editor with 24 years’ experience as in-field journalist, live radio and television production as well as various executive roles.
I am a moderator with the Aspen Global Leadership Network; a board member of the World Editors Forum, a board member with Gender Links and chair of the judging panel of CNN/Multichoice African journalist of the year awards. With political and financial journalism experience, I have good analytical skills and deep contacts, experiences and networks across our continent and globally.

Fiona Buchner is a Marketing Strategist with over 20 years’ experience in marketing, the vast majority of which has been in the digital space having started her career in digital, being the Brand Executive for www.jobs.co.za and moving onto work on Liberty Life’s Ecommerce venture, becoming Managing Director of Peppers ad Rogers Group South Africa, working for Osiris as Head of Retention Marketing for 15 of their international online brands and heading up South African Tourism eMarketing division before leaving the corporate environment to run her our consulting company. In her consulting capacity, she has worked on numerous brands – online and traditional, both from an agency side, a customer side and as a strategic business facilitator.

John is a trend specialist, business strategist, public speaker, businessman and entrepreneur, working with clients across industries and around the world with over 20 years’ experience.

Media and marketing pioneer Josephine Buys has embraced digital across industries and platforms in sales, marketing, brand development and e-commerce. Her strategic intuition and infectious energy have helped organisations effect real and lasting change in the digital space. At the IAB SA she builds awareness of the organisation’s core purpose, instilling confidence in and ultimately increasing revenue for the South African digital industry by promoting standards and accelerating the growth of digital media. She also works to address the shortage of digital professionals in the workforce through education and transformation.

Leonel is responsible for educating programmatic partners and publishers in EMEA to improve the quality of their display and video advertising as Director of Media Partnerships. Prior to joining Celtra, Leonel headed up all non-UK EMEA expansion of mobile DSP at StrikeAd and worked as an analyst and consultant in Spain and Portugal.
Originally born in South Africa, Leonel has lived and worked in Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, and the UK.

Melissa Attree @melattree is the Creative Director at Ogilvy PR in Cape Town. She has worked in the communications industry as a marketer and social media professional for 20 years and is fascinated with the bright, shiny thing called the internet.
During her career Mel has worked on brands like ABSA, Adidas, Big Blue, 5FM, Gumtree, MasterCard, Nando’s, Nedbank, Revlon, SAA, South African Breweries, Toyota, Unilever, Vodacom, Volkswagen and Woolworths.

Named one of the ‘100 Most Influential Africans’, he has been to over 50 countries across Africa and the world and worked on over 100 brands across nation, city, corporate, consumer, political and institutional brands that shape the African brand and reputation.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Avatar Investment Holdings and Avatar360 Group

Zibusiso Mkhwanazi co-founded Johannesburg and Cape Town-based integrated agency AVATAR in 2012.

After just four years in the industry, AVATAR has been voted the Medium Advertising Agency of the Year for 2017 by Financial Mail and was also runner-up for the Most Digitally Integrated Ad Agency in South Africa award by MarkLives in 2017.

Zibusiso was voted among the top four most admired advertising agency bosses in South Africa by the marketing industry in 2017. His holding company’s investments in the marketing industry include shares in M&C Saatchi Abel, Creative Spark, M&C Saatchi Connect, M&C Saatchi Africa and Dalmatian Advertising.

One of his major achievements was being selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders. It is a position that places him in an elite group that includes the founders of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Zibusiso has attended leadership programmes at two Ivy League universities, namely Harvard and Yale.

He is the founder of David’s League, a mentorship programme in Tsakane that balances issues of spirituality and business and has had over 500 small businesses come through its doors