STEP INTO THE EMBA CLASSROOM
Our Executive MBA participants don’t come from a specific mold. They are a unique group of professionals from over 60 countries and a wide variety of fields brought together by a passion to develop as leaders. Bringing diverse experiences to the table, they challenge each other to unlock industry-changing potential and engage with business challenges in a whole new way.
STEP INTO THE EMBA CLASSROOM
Our Executive MBA participants don’t come from a specific mold. They are a unique group of professionals from over 60 countries and a wide variety of fields brought together by a passion to develop as leaders. Bringing diverse experiences to the table, they challenge each other to unlock industry-changing potential and engage with business challenges in a whole new way.
THIS IS WHAT BERLINERS LOOK LIKE
THIS IS WHAT BERLINERS LOOK LIKE
Industries
Position
Industries
Position
Countries
Gender & Experience
Countries
Gender & Experience
MEET OUR PARTICIPANTS & ALUMNI
A Growing Community of Creative Leaders
At the Berlin School, we’re committed to celebrating business creativity by sharing knowledge and connecting creative business leaders around the globe. We have hosted participants from over 60 countries and from a wide range of professions, brought together by their drive to take transformational steps in their careers, businesses and industries. We enable these steps through our range of programs, our curriculum taught by academic and industry experts, and our online campus – which also serves as a content platform – the Home of Creative Business Leadership.
Our participants, with their diverse experiences, skills, and backgrounds, make up the heart of our growing global community. To us, community means creating a safe and immersive environment in which to learn, take risks, connect with others, and experiment. It is the living laboratory in which Creative Business Leadership can thrive and succeed.
MEET OUR PARTICIPANTS & ALUMNI
A Growing Community of Creative Leaders
At the Berlin School, we’re committed to celebrating business creativity by sharing knowledge and connecting creative business leaders around the globe. We have hosted participants from over 60 countries and from a wide range of professions, brought together by their drive to take transformational steps in their careers, businesses and industries. We enable these steps through our range of programs, our curriculum taught by academic and industry experts, and our online campus – which also serves as a content platform – the Home of Creative Business Leadership.
Our participants, with their diverse experiences, skills, and backgrounds, make up the heart of our growing global community. To us, community means creating a safe and immersive environment in which to learn, take risks, connect with others, and experiment. It is the living laboratory in which Creative Business Leadership can thrive and succeed.
KAROLIEN KOOLHOF
Founder
KAROLIEN KOOLHOF
Founder
Quiet Quality
Karolien Koolhof coaches gifted introverts to take the next step in their lives and careers. She started her career in journalism, where she learned a lot about various ways of communicating. It was a tough world to hold on to herself as a gifted introvert, so she eventually decided to make a career switch towards coaching. She’s also the author of a book on introvert leadership, which stresses the importance of neurodiversity in the workplace.
ANDRÉ KASSU
CCO
ANDRÉ KASSU
CCO
Partner
André is Partner and CCO at the new launched office of Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Brazil. Alongside his longtime Almap BBDO fellow Marcos Medeiros and another Partner, he is heading operations and new businesses.
When he came to the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, he was working as a Creative Director at Almap BBDO and thus had been the third Berlin School participant from Almap BBDO, Cannes Lions Agency of the Year 2010 and 2011 (with Berlin School alumni on the team). After 16 years of being a copywriter, André became Creative Director of Almap BBDO in 2011.
His trove of awards include the Press Grand Prix at the 2010 Cannes Festival for a Billboard magazine campaign, which was one of the most awarded campaigns of the year according to Creativity. That same year, he was the most awarded copywriter at the Cannes Festival and can boast altogether 13 Cannes Lions, including 5 Gold, 3 Golds at Clios, a Grand Prix at the El Ojo de Iberoamerica, a Grand Prix at the London Festival plus 2 Yellow Pencil at the D&AD and 5 pencils at One Show.
As a recently appointed Creative Director, André is coming to the Berlin School to prepare like other leaders in his agency for the rapidly changing advertising scene in Brazil. “I believe that you can be a leader without losing creativity,” he said. “I believe that leading a team is totally different from oppressing a team. That is what makes Marcello Serpa and Luiz Sanches (Berlin School graduate) examples for me. I need to learn a lot to be like them.”
MIKKO TORVINEN
Marketing Director
MIKKO TORVINEN
Marketing Director
As a Senior Advisor at Avaus Innovations Oy, Mikko helps his clients in moving from campaign-centric marketing to data-driven ongoing programs – continuously keeping his focus on sales results.
Preceding this, he was a Creative Director at TBWAHelsinki and has been one of the key members of a team that has transformed the company from a traditional Advertising Agency to a Marketing Innovation Agency. The team has focused on making TBWAHelsinki an all-round organization that has been able to grow and is one of the largest and rewarded players in the Finnish advertising scene. In addition to developing and leading the creative competence at TBWAHelsinki, Mikko was in charge of some of the most prominent accounts of the company, also focusing specifically on retail and e-commerce business in general. He has been able to build a model of conceptual planning that combines philosophy of customer loyalty program, communications directed for personnel and media advertising in retail business.
Mikko holds several Grad Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronce positions and has been shortlisted many times at, for example, One Show, Epica, Clio, Cannes, Eurobest, Golden Drum, Golden Hammer, Cresta and New York Festival. In year 2010 Graphis Advertising Annual honored his teams work for Instrumentarium with ‘Best of the Year’ platinium nomination. Mikko’s work has been listed in the Lürzer’s Archive and Shots and many other publications.
In addition to his work at TBWAHelsinki, Mikko is one of the owners of Record Store Ax Chain, which has seven stores in Finland’s largest cities and also is one of the most popular online shops in the Finnish music business. He is also the CEO of Torvinen & Co, a marketing consulting company. Before moving on to advertising, Mikko Torvinen had a brief but successful career as a rock star in his rock band Mikko Torvisen Viihdeorkesteri, and even had two singles on the official Top 20 list of Finland. Music continues being an important part of Mikko Torvinen’s life. He is currently working on his second solo album.
Mikko came to the Berlin School to learn how best to be a creative leader. “I believe that the education given in Berlin combined with my experience give me further opportunities to develop my thinking so that I can find such practices of leadership, of which could help even in making fundamental improvements in the way advertising industry works,” he said. “Clashes between artist identities and industry structures interest me from the leadership point of view.”
GIDEON AMICHAY
CEO
GIDEON AMICHAY
CEO
Founder
Gideon is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of “NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, YES”, a creative boutique in New York. He was formerly Chief Creative Officer & Joint Managing Partner of Shalmor Avnon Amichay / Y&R, Israel (1994-2011), where he led the agency to become a market leader in creativity and innovation (7 times Agency of the year), and one of the 3 biggest agencies in the country. In 2011, Shalmor Avnon Amichay was sold to WPP’s Y&R network.
Gideon ranked among The 100 Most Influential People in Israel by Haaretz / The Marker, 2007, 2008. He published his first book in 2011– No, No, No, No, No, No, No, Yes, about innovation and creativity.
Gideon’s achievements include international awards, such as 19 Lions at Cannes festival (2008-2012); 2nd Media Agency of the Year, Cannes Lions 2009 and 2nd PR Agency of the Year, Cannes Lions 2011. He served as the President of the Direct Jury at the 2012 Cannes Lions. Other awards include: 9 Clio awards for Innovation and Content & Contact; the United Nations Special Award (UN); the London International Awards Grand LIA; the New York Festival Grand Prix and many more.
Gideon received a BA (Honors) in Graphic Design and Visual Communication from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in 1990.
RIMANTAS STANEVICIUS
Creative Director
RIMANTAS STANEVICIUS
Creative Director
Milk
Having a background in psychology and communication science Rimantas started his advertising career in Leo Burnett, where he learned not only the basic skills, but also assimilated certain values reflected in Leo’s philosophy of Humankind. It helped him to grow, but not to become cynical of the industry. Throughout the years he has worked above, bellow and trough the line on all sorts of accounts. From chewing gum to banks. According to Rimantas this is one of the biggest perks of being a creative in a small agency in a small market. Since 2007 he has been working as a copywriter and a creative director at an independent agency Milk, where he is perfecting the classical method of trial and error. Hopefully not all of it is error.
MANUEL AMORIN
Executive Creative Director
MANUEL AMORIN
Executive Creative Director
Manuel Amorin was born in Chemnitz, Germany, and has lived in Berlin, Paris, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires before moving to his current city, Montevideo. He earned his Masters in Advertising in 1999, in the ORT University.
He has achieved an extensive list of recognitions, including 7 Cannes Lions finalists, 12 Effie awards in Uruguay, 1 Effie award in Argentina, 4 Ojo de Iberoamérica, 3 FIAP, 1 Wave Festival, and many Gran Prix and golds at the local festivals, the Campana de Oro and Desachate. He earned a spot on the direction board of the Uruguaian Circle of Advertising two times, and has been a member of the Jury at the Ojo de Iberoamérica, FIAP, Campana de Oro and IAB Festivals. He is currently a professor at the ORT University, teaching Creativity in Advertising.
ANDRÉS MARURI
Vice President
ANDRÉS MARURI
Vice President
In 2011, Andrés co-founded Maruri Digital, a digital advertising agency partnering with Maruri Grey. He currently serves as its Executive Vice-President. Leading a team of more than 30 people, his work spans 24 countries for clients such as SABMiller and 3M. In the short time since its founding, Maruri Digital has experienced rapid growth and now accounts for over 20 percent of Maruri Grey’s revenue and profit.
Before co-founding Maruri Digital in 2011, Andrés held various positions with Maruri Grey, including Trade Marketing Director and Senior Account Executive. Andrés obtained a BSc in Management from Purdue University in the US and an MBA from IDE Business School in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Andrés came to the Berlin School of Creative Leadership to enhance his ability to lead in a creative business environment. Exchanging and developing views on how to best integrate traditional and digital ways of advertising is among his main priorities. In his own words, “the Berlin EMBA program provides the opportunity to share experiences with the most creative people from various fields and cultures.”
YUKIO NAKAYAMA
ECD
YUKIO NAKAYAMA
ECD
Dentsu Inc.
Previous to this, Yukio was the Executive Creative Director at the Creative Solutions Department, Global Solutions Center, Dentsu Inc.
Before returning to Denstu and his present role there, Yukio also worked at Dentsu Inc. as Senior Creative Director. During his tenure at Dentsu, Yukio worked for 12 years as a planner specializing in the creation of TV and radio commercials. In 2004 Nakayama was Creative Director within the Dentsu group in charge of establishing a corporate university. In 2005 he was transferred to Frontage, jointly owned be Sony and Dentsu, into the position as Executive Creative Director.
Nakayama received several awards such as Best TVC Campaign at the New York Festival in 2002. He has served on several prestigious international juries including the Cresta Awards, AdFest (Thailand) in 2003, Clio Awards in 2000 and the International Advertising Festival in Cannes in 1997, among others.
BESTER ZAMBUKO
Group CEO
BESTER ZAMBUKO
Group CEO
Adrenalin Advertising & Design Consultants
It only took two years after his graduation from Art School for Bester to decide to follow his creative vision and start his own agency. Now, 16 years later, his agency is one of the biggest in Zimbabwe and has accumulated numerous local awards for creative excellence. Apart from his day-to-day involvement with Adrenalin, he is also the founding Chairman of all three subsidiaries of the Group – Hexagon Sports Management, Mindspace Communications, and Openedge Media Inc.
Bester graduated from the Harare Polytechnic Art School in 1996 with a National Diploma in Design for print and joined Concepts Advertising that same year as a Graphic Designer. In 1998, he realized his vision and founded Adrenalin Advertising.
After completing the first module of a South African MBA, Bester felt he needed to look for something more flexible and relevant to his needs, which was not so focused on conventional industries and with very little understanding of creative environments. As a result, he joined the Berlin School’s Cannes Creative Leadership Programme. The structure and content of which “further confirmed that I was in the right place as it covered all the critical areas that I felt needed development in my career. I expect to further acquire the skills to be able to transform my own organization into the future by being able to adapt to the changes that happen in the environment and by making the right decisions for a sustainable business.”
It only took two years after his graduation from Art School for Bester to decide to follow his creative vision and start his own agency. Now, 16 years later, his agency is one of the biggest in Zimbabwe and has accumulated numerous local awards for creative excellence. Apart from his day-to-day involvement with Adrenalin, he is also the founding Chairman of all three subsidiaries of the Group – Hexagon Sports Management, Mindspace Communications, and Openedge Media Inc.
Bester graduated from the Harare Polytechnic Art School in 1996 with a National Diploma in Design for print and joined Concepts Advertising that same year as a Graphic Designer. In 1998, he realized his vision and founded Adrenalin Advertising.
After completing the first module of a South African MBA, Bester felt he needed to look for something more flexible and relevant to his needs, which was not so focused on conventional industries and with very little understanding of creative environments. As a result, he joined the Berlin School’s Cannes Creative Leadership Programme. The structure and content of which “further confirmed that I was in the right place as it covered all the critical areas that I felt needed development in my career. I expect to further acquire the skills to be able to transform my own organization into the future by being able to adapt to the changes that happen in the environment and by making the right decisions for a sustainable business.”
AXEL QUACK
Strategy Director
AXEL QUACK
Strategy Director
frog
Axel works as the Strategy Director at frog design. He was previously Head of Service Design at Allianz Group, Associate Strategic Director at frog design, Vice President of Innovation and Head of the Innovation Lab at Pixelpark (Publicis Groupe).
His thesis Prototyping Innovation: Integrate and Accelerate Change won the “Michael Conrad Outstanding Thesis Award” in 2012. In a nutshell, his thesis describes a human-centered, interdisciplinary process that seeks to create desirable and sustainable changes in behavior and form – of individuals, systems and organizations – often for socially progressive ends. Theses deliverables could be achieved by exploiting multi-stage, iterative process applied to big, complex issues – often, but not limited to, social issues. Its practitioners examine problems holistically rather than reductively to understand relationships as well as components to better frame the challenge. They then prototype small-scale systems – composed of objects, services, interactions and experiences – that support people and organizations in achievement of a desired change. Successful prototypes are then scaled. Design, as used by Axel, is about applying contextual skills in non-traditional territories, which often results in non-traditional design outputs; i.e. the creation of new roles, new organizations, new systems and new policies.
“Professional success used to depend on experience, knowledge, and skill. Since recent decades we live in an increasingly uncertain and volatile world where, even the past has become unpredictable. In this new normal, experience and knowledge are less relevant, while the abilities to learn and adapt, to be resilient and to connect with others are ever more crucial. The Berlin School of Creative Leadership helped to live through (it still does) times of strangeness”.
Success is not linear but sometimes life does not go according to plan. But somehow we are convinced that forcing square pegs into round holes is how we succeed.
Axel always followed his instinct and intuition to the fullest through some unique and explorative experiences in order to get some hands-on empirical learning, which include living on the streets of Amsterdam, running a punk mail order, co-founding a Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory), and Coworking Space that challenges the future of work. But against all odds, Axel managed to obtain a German Engineering Degree, a Master of Arts and a MBA; all of which channeled into real world contribution where he often invited as Guest Lecturer at architecture, design, engineering and business schools internationally.
RODRIGO GONZALEZ
COO
RODRIGO GONZALEZ
COO
Gonfam Investments Partners
Rodrigo is COO at Gonfam Participações, a holding company focused on private equity investment in sectors related to the creative economy and social impact.
For nine years, Rodrigo was CEO at Lua Propaganda, an agency with more than fifty employees and ranked among the 50 biggest agencies in Brazil. While running Lua Propaganda, he brought new businesses and won two Lions in Cannes, as well as awards from ADC and others.
Though he had already achieved success in his agency, Gonzalez came to the Berlin School of Creative Leadership to gain hard business skills that he needed to continue to grow his company soundly and strategically. “I’d been doing that by heart, and somehow it had been working. But, I really think that exchanging ideas and learning the best practices from some really great minds, people that are making the future, helped me on the task of leading an independent agency to the top of the industry.”
Starting out as a copywriter, Rodrigo Gonzalez has worked in several facets of the advertising industry. He received his undergraduate degree in Social Communications in Brazil and took classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the New York University.
TARA MCKENTY
Creative Director
TARA MCKENTY
Creative Director
Tara’s kindergarten teacher told her mother that Tara would grow up to be the Prime Minister of New Zealand, or the devil itself.
After casting a career in politics aside, and realising red wasn’t her colour, Tara found herself in the
halls of WhybinTBWA Auckland working in advertising. It was here that she and her creative
partner gained international attention by floating shares in their creative future, successfully funding themselves to Cannes.
During her time at TBWA, Tara was named in Campaign Magazine’s Top 50 emerging talent portfolio, submitted several entries into the iconic ABSOLUT portfolio, one of which was the creation of a limited edition ABSOLUT bottle design.
In 2012, Tara swam the ditch to join Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney. On the contrary to her kindergarten teacher’s premonition, it was at Saatchi’s that a common thread started to emerge in her work, Tara’s strong desire to do good and make a positive difference.
From creating children’s books that test the eyesight of children, to an MS Society ‘numbing soap’ that brings home the effects of the condition (TED ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’), to creating real-time marketing platforms that reunite lost dogs with their owners, Tara continues to disrupt the status quo.
Tara has won over ninety International advertising awards, been a named judge at D&AD, and AWARD, founded titsandads.com (a women’s collective website that celebrates women in advertising) and has supported other emerging creatives through the D&AD New Bloods programme.
RAJIV DINGRA
Founder and CEO
RAJIV DINGRA
Founder and CEO
WATConsult HQ
Rahiv started his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 20 with his first startup jobs4freshers.com afther which he found his true calling as a digital agency entrepreneur and founded WATConsult.
His role at WATConsult is working with current and prospective clients to best understand how their brands can converse with consumers digitally. WATConsult is also the only Indian digital agency to be shortlisted at Cannes Lions 2018, Metals at London International awards, Lisbon international awards, Spikes Asia and adfest. WATConsult was also the only Indian agency to win a Grand prix at Prague International Advertising Festival. WATConsult is currently a 400 people agency with offices across three cities in India.
KAZUNORI MIURA
Creative Director
KAZUNORI MIURA
Creative Director
Founder
As Creative Director and part of the Corporate Strategy Divison of Dentsu in Japan, Kaz works as both a creative director and a trainer. Throughout his tenure at Dentsu, he has taken an initiative role in designing campaigns for various global and national clients such as Toyota, Daihatsu, Dunlop, Microsoft, Olympus, Coca-Cola, and Fuji Xerox. He also developed a training program called New School to develop a pool of creative directors for the next generation. After examining many training programs operating worldwide in this industry, he found that no training program was being offered to build versatile qualities as the new era’s creative leaders, starting from personality and vision.
His desire to help build a future generation of creatives is part of the reason Kaz joined the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. “I want to learn how to train creativity by experiencing the Berlin School’s program. Since last year, I have led a project aiming at cultivating the next generation of creative directorsin our company. I want to bring back those training skills that I observe and learn to further develop internal training within our company.”
Kaz has been with Dentsu since 1988, working as a copywriter and Creative Director. In 2004, he was invited to Leo Burnett Worldwide, Chicago, for a management exchange program. Taking an advantage of studying and working in various cultures, he has developed a number of internal/external creative training programs. Also he has sat on juries for the Clio Awards, Asia Pacific Advertising Festival and the China International Advertising Festival. Kaz has a degree in Psychology from the University of Tokyo and a Masters in Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
INKEN ROHWEDER
Creative Director
INKEN ROHWEDER
Creative Director
Inken Rohweder is well versed in the process of merging creativity and business applications. She leads a network of professionals providing a variety of creative services. Her efforts have resulted in more than one hundred national and international awards. She also works as an art and creative director for agencies on a freelance basis.
Inken divides her time between Zurich, Switzerland and Hamburg, Germany with her husband and two children while also finding time to travel to more exotic destinations. To this extent, she supports a local hospital in Cambodia through her Switzerland based charity operation. Inken is passionate about new collaborations that promote social and environmental sustainability.
ANTONIO MARCHESE
CMO
ANTONIO MARCHESE
CMO
Antonio is a Marketing professional with strong academic background and 19 years of experience in Marketing and Communication in large multinational companies, such as McDonalds and Heineken. Passionate about advertising, he has a solid knowledge of Branding and Communication tools and expertise in agency management to develop and deploy integrated and innovative campaigns.
Strategic and result oriented, with strong experience in category / portfolio management, Antonio has the ability to develop business plans that based on a clear purpose combine strategies for building brand value in the long term with tactical actions to increase sales in the short term.
LUCY NOVITA
Creative Director
LUCY NOVITA
Creative Director
After switching her dream from being a singer to becoming a creative adwoman, Lucy has been enjoying her career in the advertising industry and handling a variety of brands in the electronics, telecommunications and banking categories. She believes that solid team work, a positive working environment, and appreciative clients are the key to create a great campaign. Through the years, her hard work, good mentors and passion for excellence have led her and her team to many national and global prestigious advertising stages. She has served as jury in several award shows and became the first women to represent Indonesia as juror at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
NICOLETA DELIU
Account Executive
NICOLETA DELIU
Account Executive
Banca Comerciala Romana
Nicoleta is an enthusiastic communication professional with experience both in an agency and on the client side. She has been working for almost nine years in the largest bank in Romania, including during the financial crisis period. Her work is focused on changing the presence the company has on the market – transforming it from just a financial services provider to a well-perceived member of the community. She also holds a Charted Institute for Public Relations Diploma awarded by the CIPR Institute in London.
She was the first President of the Romanian IAA Young Leaders Chapter, where she built a sustainable organization that helps the development of young people working in marketing and communication in Romania.
She is also part of the Aspen Young Leaders Network, a program which has as main objective to promote and advance progressive leadership within Romanian and European society and to create a regional network of young future leaders based on shared values and common interests.
BADIH FATTOUH
CEO, Founder
BADIH FATTOUH
CEO, Founder
Middle East Broadcasting Centre
Badih Fattouh is the CEO/Founder of Creative Venture.
Prior to this, Badih Fattouh was Group Director of Content at the Middle East Broadcasting Centre, UAE (since September 2004). His responsibilities involved managing and supervising the group content (mainly drama) investment across Arab countries as well as managing MBC1 content acquisition and commissioning functions.
Preceding this appointment, Fattouh was Deputy General Manager at 03 Productions, a subsidiary of MBC Group (January 2002 – August 2004) and prior to this the Acquisition Manager at MBC1 (March 1999 – July 2003). He has also held high level positions at Trans World Television (April 1997 – January 1999), Sabbah International Video Corporation (March 1995 – March 1997) and Future Television (September 1992 – February 1995).
ELIZA ROGALSKI
Founder Partner
ELIZA ROGALSKI
Founder Partner
Rogalski Damaschin Public Relations
Rogalski is Founding Partner at Rogalski Damaschin Public Relations in Bucharest, Romania.
Previously she worked for the Tempo Creative Group, Farmexim, SAP Romainia, Ziarul Financiar and Banii Nostri in Bucharest. Rogalski won the International Association for Public Relations Golden World Award for Excellence and the Silver Award for Excellence, Romanian PR Award, for the PR Campaign ‘With love, for you’ for Danone. She won also the SABRE European Award and the Golden Award for Excellence for the PR campaign ‘Biosecured’ for Agricola Bacau; the Golden Award for Excellence for the Campaign ‘Hamburg in 1879 – The Launch of Holsten Beer’ for Tuborg Romania and the Silver Award for Excellence for the campaign ‘Operation Last Chance’ For the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Rogalski has a BA Degree from the Bucharest University, Philology Faculty. She lives and works in Bucharest, Romania
JOEL JOSEPH RYAN
Group Manager
JOEL JOSEPH RYAN
Group Manager
A native of the Caribbean, Ryan has been involved in cross-border strategic entertainment development, global infusion of new art forms and rapid creative adaption of new trends at the Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
His interaction with individuals and organizations locally and internationally, has afforded him the opportunity to better understand and apply the dynamics of the tourism and the hospitality industry. The exposure of working in several managerial roles has given him the capacity to be adaptable in an ever changing environment.
As Group Manager at Sandals Resorts International, he’s able to conceptualize, design and lead change management programs through institutionalizing new age thinking, developing human capital, strengthening mentorship programs and streamlining global best practices.
He has recently received his certification in Autism from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.
LAETITIA JEAN-FRANCO
CEO
LAETITIA JEAN-FRANCO
CEO
Founder
Laetitia is CEO/Senior Creative Retoucher/Creative Director at Jedi Productions in Paris, where she leads a team of senior creative retouchers in still image for Print, Video (stop motion) and Cinema (matte paint).
Laetitia started her career as DA at Publicis 11 years ago; and today her expertise extends over 10 years in high-end creative retouching for the advertising industry and art photography. During her career, she has worked both in London and Paris, with most major brands.
JORGE LOPEZ GHISOLI
Founder Partner
JORGE LOPEZ GHISOLI
Founder Partner
Founder
Jorge is the founder of ENTRETANTO, an experimental company to develop own and part-owned products or sevices that will shape a new business model based on relationships between brands and the creative industries. ENTRETANTO is already developing 2 brands. ZUPPA, an “affordable premium” fast food restaurant focused on soups, launched in september 2013. And CONSENTIDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil, recently launched with a limited edition online pre-sell of freshly squeezed unfiltered Olive Oil. Rated with an outstanding 7,8/8 and featured in the main gourmet sites and blogs, Consentido reached its objectives three weeks after its launching date. Future projects involve Mobile Apps, Education and Health.
In January 2007 Jorge also co-founded LOLA (an affiliate of Lowe & Partners Worldwide), a 70 person Madrid-based agency running campaigns for global clients such as Unilever Ice Creams, OralCare, Deodorants along with local clients like Schweppes group, Heineken group, or Tele5.
In 2009 Jorge became a member of the Lowe WorldWide Creative Council and he has also held the positions of Global Creative Director of Unilever OralCare Brands (Signal, Pepsodent, Zhong Hua, AIM, Mentadent, P/S, Close Up) and Global Creative Director of Cornetto Ice Cream.
Jorge moved from Argentina to Spain in 1997 and joined some of the most award-winning agencies at that time: Slogan, Contrapunto, Valmorisco and BDDP.
After developing his skills as an Art Director in those agencies, Jorge was ready to lead an agency. And that is when he co-founded the Madrid office SCPF. Three years later he joined Cathedral as a partner and Executive Creative Director. He then moved to Euro RSCG as Executive Creative Director and Bassat Ogilvy also as Executive Creative Director.
On coming to the Berlin School, Jorge said it is about survival. “In a high demanding profession like this, with a lot of rotation and a big generational selection, you’re either a leader or a leaver. You are among the ones who set the pace in the industry or the industry simply ejects you.”
Learn more about our Executive MBA.
SERGIO MUGNAINI
Executive Creative Director
SERGIO MUGNAINI
Executive Creative Director
DPZ&T
Sergio Mugnaini is Executive Creative Director at DPZ&T in Brazil.
Prior to this, Sergio was Creative Director for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco.
He has previously worked as a Creative Director for Almap BBDO in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Preceding this, Sergio worked for DDB Brazil, J Walter Thomson, Ogilvy and Futura Advertising. Mugnaini won many awards in the past couple of years at the EL Sol Festival in Spain, Sao Paulo Creative Club, FIAP, Buenos Aires, D&AD, England, New York Festival, One Show Interactive,USA, London Festival, El Ojo OberoAmerica, Argentina, Havaianas Festival de Gramado, Brazil, MMonline/MSN, Sao Paulo, Brazil. He also won the silver, gold and bronze client for Greenpeace, Volkswagen, Gol Airlines and Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Twix and Audi. Sergio Mugnaini has a BA and MA in Advertising from the Methodist University of Sao Paulo and took Continued Education Courses in Advertising and Typography at the School of Visual Arts in NY. Mugnaini works and lives in Sao Paulo.
YAROSLAV ORLOV
Creative Director
YAROSLAV ORLOV
Creative Director
As Creative Director at Instinct BBDO Moscow, Yaroslav concentrates his efforts on strategy, which includes creative brief development and creative message finalization. With expertise in copywriting, film and other media production as well as campaign development, Yaroslav helps lead the agency’s ever expanding team of creatives.
Yaroslav has 15 years of experience in advertising, including work with BBDO Moscow, Saatchi and Saatchi Bates Moscow, and Avrora FCB. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Management/Marketing from RANEPA.
Yaroslav comes to the Berlin School of Creative Leadership at this point in his career to further his role as a leader and learn what makes up truly great creative leaders.
“The history of advertising shows a lot of agencies named and built around its leaders. But I believe the healthiest of them managed to benefit from people who took the agency name as their personal name and lived and worked to make it respected.
So, my motive for the program is to widen my view on how to turn personal motivation into the driving factor for the team for the longest time possible.”
LUCIA TARBAJOVSKA
Marketing Manager
LUCIA TARBAJOVSKA
Marketing Manager
Kofolo CeskoSlovensko
Lucia is the Marketing Manager for Kofolo CeskoSlovensko.
Prior to this, Lucia co-founded BIKETIME, a network of retailers specializing in bicycles and accessories, which provides various services to the shops in the network and is an exclusive importer of BULLS bike brand for the Czech and Slovak republics. Lucia began her professional career at Globtel GSM Slovakia as a PR Executive, and went on to work in Public Affairs at Cesmad Slovakia. She has worked in the UAE for Samsung Gulf Electronics, Bang & Olufsen Middle East and Montblanc, as well as Vodafone and T-Mobile in the Czech Republic. In 2009, she founded Lucia Tarbajovska, where she worked on marketing and communication projects. Among her clients are NGO Dobry Andel, Tesco Mobile, Vaculik Advertising etc.
Lucia holds an Associate Degree of Applied Science in Business Administration and a BS Degree in Marketing from the National American University, Skylone College in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
TINA KRAUSE
Creative Director
TINA KRAUSE
Creative Director
C3 Creative Code & Content
As Head of Concept Design at C3 Creative Code & Content, a merger of Burda Creative Group and Kircher Burkhardt, Krause is the story-teller for brands, helping advertisers find new ways to expose their brands in Burda magazines and publications. She is also responsible for developing and planning cross-media campaigns and new advertisement tools as well as doing trend research for new advertisement & media innovations. With Burda being one of the biggest publisher of magazines in Germany, Krauses’ goal is to help bring advertisers back to print media, using creative tools that are forward-thinking and utilize the customer’s connection to the brand and new technology to create impact.
Tina previously worked in marketing and promotions for various companies, including Avantgarde Shanghai and BMW in Munich. She received her Bachelors in Business Administration at European University.
Tina is the winner of the Lürzer’s Archive Scholarship and is excited to expose herself to a new group of inspirational creatives and mind-bending ideas. “I am always hungry for new impulses, I am always in search for a higher level of creative excellence and I never stand still.”
SARAH SPITZ
Independent Executive Producer and Consultant
SARAH SPITZ
Independent Executive Producer and Consultant
United States
Sarah is an Executive Producer and Consultant. She believes that the ability to connect people through storytelling drives effective communication. Sarah holds a degree in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Theater, and it is through this lens that she approaches each project, looking to establish a meaningful link between brand and consumer.
Her work has received numerous awards and nominations, including placement in the permanent archives of the Museum of Modern Art. She has been a mentor to many young producers, several of whom have gone on to produce award-winning work of their own. Sarah lives in Boston with her husband and is the mother of three tenacious girls who are her most complicated and rewarding production.
HELENA FURIATI SROULEVICH
Producer
HELENA FURIATI SROULEVICH
Producer
Producer
Helena is passionate about young leadership, global and social issues, cultural entertainment, sustainability, volleyball and cooking. She is multi-lingual and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, English and has knowledge of French and Dutch. She has extensive professional experience in Project and Team Management and Coaching, and has dealt with the public and private sectors in different countries including the Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, India, Spain and USA). She strives to get involved, be engaged and develop projects which can make a positive impact and contribute to the global sustainable development.
LAUREN WOOLF
Founder Owner
LAUREN WOOLF
Founder Owner
Mrs Woolf
With a deep interest in creative services marketing as a niche area of expertise, Lauren is Founder & Owner of MRS WOOLF – a boutique marketing consultancy to the creative industry, from artist to agency.
Lauren Woolf started her career in communications at the Spur group in Cape Town before grabbing the opportunity of working on the VW brand at Ogilvy & Mather’s RST&M. After 5 years on the VW as well as Cape Talk, WWF and NSRI accounts, and a subsequent appointment to the board of the company, Lauren moved to Switzerland. There, she worked for BAT as Brand Manager on Lucky Strike before starting her own marketing services company called Antipod, offering brand consultation to clients such as Bulgari, Syngenta and Diagio. After deciding to move back to SA and selling Antipod, Lauren re-joined Ogilvy & Mather in Johannesburg as Business Director, heading up SuperSport, DSTV and MNET, as well as Sprite, Fanta and Audi of South Africa. In 2006, Lauren was appointed as Director of Account Management, leading South Africa’s largest agency account team and was appointed to the Company Board of Directors at the same time. In 2009, Lauren took on a new role for Ogilvy, managing high level company projects and assignments, and became Group Marketing Director for O&M SA, joining the company’s Executive Board. In 2014, Lauren was appointed Chief Marketing & Talent Officer for O&M SA.
Lauren believes that joining the programme at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership holds so many possibilities and opportunities; “I believe that the EMBA can play a great part in my personal and professional development by presenting opportunities to re-evaluate, re-energise and help add value to the family of industries that I am part of.” She completed her MBA and graduated from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership in 2016.
LAE-HYUNG (RAY) KANG
Professional
LAE-HYUNG (RAY) KANG
Professional
Global Marketing Center – LG Electronics
In his current role as a global exhibition and experience design professional at the global marketing center of LG Electronics, Ray is dedicated to create customer value in every spatial presence of LG brand and products.
Ray has a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Korea University, and he also studied as an exchange student at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Following his Art and Business semester course at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, he completed an MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy at the Goldsmiths College at the University of London.
Ray worked at SK and BLACKSPACE GmbH managing space projects of global top brands such as KIA, Hyundai Genesis, SK telecom, and Asia’s biggest shopping mall – New Coex.Ray he started his career as an art director for Cheil Worldwide in Seoul, and later as a Curator for the Artsonje Center before joining SK Planet in November 2011.
Ray believes the EMBA at the Berlin School would adjust and enrich his understanding of creative leadership, and equip him with the necessary tools to achieve his goals. “After a successful journey at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, I will be more confident in the creative scene. This confidence will play a significant role in my industry. I also have the aspiration of creating something “new”, something that never existed in Korea. Through connecting global and local, merging arts and businesses, I wish to build “the creative hub” of the Korean creative scene. I am sure that the Berlin School will be my final puzzle piece in this big picture.”
PIERO POLI
Co-founder
PIERO POLI
Co-founder
Stealth
Piero Poli is a serial entrepreneur having co-founded two companies since 2016. The first was Alonso//Poli a company that delivered digital transformation programs to major global clients in big pharma, aviation and consumer brands. His most recent venture is Stealth, a software company that he co-founded in April 2020.
Prior to these ventures, he was General Manager at Havas Group, where he lead the Havas digital team in the Middle East. Before becoming General Manager, Poli was VP of Strategy and New Business at Havas Digital. Other previous positions include VP Business Development and Strategy at Linqia, Director of Digital Marketing – EMEA at Warner Music International and Managing Director at Le Cool. He received his Bachelors in Communications, Economics, Management and Marketing at Monash University, as well as participated in the Executive Development Program at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Poli came to the Berlin School of Creative Leadership to further differentiate his team and his company in a competitive creative and digital environment. “Creative leadership is hard, but crucial. In a world of commoditization, look-alike products and me-too thinking, how can leaders in the creative industries orchestrate and bring seemingly disparate and ever-changing pieces together for a symphony and not just more noise?”
PEBBLE GOH
VP Creative Director
PEBBLE GOH
VP Creative Director
BBDO New York
Pebble Goh is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural, and multi-disciplinary creative with 15 years of agency experience. As VP Creative Director at BBDO New York, she has worked on a variety of clients including AT&T, Johnson’s Baby, Gillette and more. Pebble received an Effie for Johnson’s Baby and the 1st global brand relaunch in 100 years.
Pebble’s underlying motto is to “create and sell ideas that change behaviours”. Throughout her career, she has transferred within the BBDO network globally 3 times and worked on numerous international pitches for BBDO around the world, from BBDO Malaysia to BBDO Singapore, and finally, the global office – BBDO New York. Pebble says this diverse global experience has given her unprecedented insights on the different needs of different markets.
Pebble has received accolades in Cannes, D&AD, The One Show, Clio, AWARD, AdFest, SPIKES and represented Malaysia and Singapore as a young creative in major regional award shows.
She graduated with a B.A in Graphic Design at Curtin University of Technology where she also made the Dean’s List.
Starting her Executive MBA journey, Pebble says that she is very excited to be meeting creative leaders around the world. “Be it participants or the educators at Berlin School, it will broaden my horizons and keep me motivated to continue pursuing my career.”
ANTONIO BONIFACIO
Executive Creative Director
ANTONIO BONIFACIO
Executive Creative Director
J Walter Thompson
With a BA in Advertising gained at the University of Brasilia, Antonio started his international career in Boston, just after graduated from The Creative Circus. He hold positions from Art Director to Global Creative Director working in 4 different countries: USA, Brazil, Vietnam and Singapore; and some amazing agencies. He has considered himself lucky for being able to work for brands like: VW, Porsche, GSK, Google, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Harley-Davidson, Unilever, Absolut Vodka and many others, creating multi-channel campaigns from Global to Local Markets. His work has generated solid business results, and a high creative standard winning more than 100 industry awards around the globe.
First creative hired by the ECD to be his partner and assist in establishing the new team and operations for GSK Creative Unit at Grey Singapore after moving the Panadol Global Account from NYC to Singapore.
Antonio is a conceptual thinker with a real passion for the craft, always bringing fresh ideas to the table and inspiring those around him to produce their best possible work. He has held positions from Art Director to Global Creative Director working in USA, Brazil, Vietnam and Singapore for many world-renowned brands such as VW, Porsche, GSK, Google, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Harley Davidson, Unilever, and Absolute Vodka to name just a few.
Antonio believes in the power of people and that ideas, together with constant innovation and technology have the ability to move brands, influence people’s behaviors and create a better, more sustainable world for everyone.
COLLETTE WASIELEWSKI
Creative Partner PlayState
COLLETTE WASIELEWSKI
Creative Partner PlayState
Creative Partner PlayState
Collette is an experienced and awarded Creative Director working in the South African design and advertising industry. In her career, she has been lucky enough to work with some of the top minds and brands such as Virgin Mobile, Coca-Cola, Converse, Toyota, Vodacom, Guarantee Trust Bank Nigeria, South African Tourism and Brand South Africa, amongst others in her industry – winning some metal along the way. She has also had the privilege of serving on local and international awards juries. Her true passion, however, lies in creative education and mentorship, with a particular interest in growing the skills and talents of women in creativity. She is also excited about the development in her amazing country and wakes up every day feeling privileged to be part of all the potential that is Africa right now.
At her core, she firmly believes that creativity will save the world, and just maybe advertising as well?
MOHAMMAD KAMAL
Partner
MOHAMMAD KAMAL
Partner
MEMAC Ogilvy Advize
Jordan
Class 10
Mohammad is Managing Partner at MEMAC Ogilvy Advize in Amman, Jordan and was a cofounder of the company in 2003. He is responsible for everything from communication plans, human resources and budgeting to technology and marketing.
MEMAC Ogilvy Advize is Jordan’s biggest brand agency and has been labeled the most creative agency in the country.
Mohammad found his calling when he started as an Account Executive with BBDO, after working for four years in the online world. However, he also quickly realized that he not only wanted to be in advertising, but he wanted to start his own company. Five months after starting with BBDO, he left to form Advize with the goal of changing the creative landscape of Jordan.
Mohammad studied Communications at Brigham Young University in the US, where he was proud to be considered an “eccentric rebel.”
Mohammad came to the Berlin School to learn the fundamentals behind a creative vision. “Creatively, I’ve always been told I have a hunch,” he said. “I can show you the results but ask me for the process or strategy behind it and I struggle. I want to find out the answer to ‘how?’”
PAULO LAGUARDIA
Founder & Director
PAULO LAGUARDIA
Founder & Director
Born in Guatemala and also a Brazilian citizen, Paulo is a passionate and innovation-driven professional.
He holds a degree in environmental engineering and a postgraduate degree in business administration, and has significant experience in working with operational management, project management, strategy, innovation, sustainability and business development. Most recently, Paulo has put his skills in these fields into practice by founding his own company.
Alpha Tenamit – his consultancy and advisory firm – launched last year. Through this, Paulo aims to help raise the competitiveness of organizations of all kinds, so that they can positively impact the world by exploring the existing opportunities in the intersection between innovation, sustainability and business.
LUCIANA RODRIGUES DE OLIVEIRA
Internal Communications Manager
LUCIANA RODRIGUES DE OLIVEIRA
Internal Communications Manager
Luciana Rodrigues De Oliveira is a Public Relations Professional with a passion for story-telling and over 16 years of experience in communications strategic planning, change management, events organization, digital and offline campaign development, and employer branding.
She is currently Internal Communications Manager at Tereos Sugar & Energy, the second largest sugar producer in the world with more than 8,500 employees in Brazil and seven industrial units. In her role at Tereos, she is committed to injecting creative leadership and purpose into a large, longstanding and conservative industry, rooted in tradition and culture. Her mandates include leading change management processes, redesigning communication channels and developing internal and institutional campaigns to introduce new dialogue and experience formats.
Before joining Tereos, Luciana held several senior Communications roles at Johnson & Johnson. Luciana holds a B.A. in Social Communications from Faculdade Cásper Libero and a Postgraduate degree in Business Administration from FAAP – Fundação Álvares Penteado.
Luciana’s Berlin School experience began on the Cannes Creative Leaders Programme which she describes as an amazing opportunity to join a new community and to learn with “brilliant teachers and professionals.” Having unlocked her yearning to study creativity, innovation, and leadership, Luciana hopes to bring her unique Public Relations and industry perspectives to the class, but also “the curiosity, the passion and the willingness to learn” from her fellow participants.
GAVIN HOH
Creative Director
GAVIN HOH
Creative Director
McCann Erickson Malaysia
Since 2005, Gavin has held the position of Creative Group Head at McCann Erickson in Malaysia, where he has worked chiefly with DiGi, Cadbury Adams, Prudential, Sime Darby and Nestle. Within this role, he and his team have received various PMAA awards in recognition of their work for DiGi.
Prior to this appointment, between 2001 and 2005, Gavin worked as Senior Copywriter, also at McCann Erickson Malaysia, and preceding this, as Senior Copywriter for FCB Malaysia (2000-2001).
When asked about his experience on the Executive MBA program so far Gavin replied: “This is not an MBA for industry hacks. Designed for professionals in creative fields, it imparts knowledge and a practical sense of its application in a business where logic and emotion snuggle up in bed. It is a huge difference, considering that the enemy of intellectualism is most often not ignorance, but pseudo-intellectualism. The Astro- 4A’s Malaysia Scholarship in partnership with Berlin School of Creative Leadership kicks down the door not just for the next generation of industry leaders, but more importantly, for the leaders of the next generation of creative industries. I know which type I’d rather be.”
VATO KAVTARADZE
CEO, Founder
VATO KAVTARADZE
CEO, Founder
Windfor’s Advertising
Vato Kavtaradze is Founder and CEO of one of the leading innovative advertising agencies in Georgia, Windfor’s Advertising.
Prior to establishing Windfor, Kavtaradze was Creative Director at Kedi TV/McCann Erickson and Advertising Director and Copywriter at AA Mimino/Studio Audience in Tbilisi. Kavtaradze began his career as a journalist and has worked on projects funded by the World Bank and other NGOs.
NOAH ROBINSON
CEO & Founder Freelance
NOAH ROBINSON
CEO & Founder Freelance
United States
Noah is a veteran of digital business and is currently based in New York.
Keyword Hero is fast-growing B2B SaaS that enables enterprise customers to access a treasure chest of data and insights which search engine keywords lead to engagement, conversions, and revenue. Keyword Hero is funded by Social Capital and Techstars Ventures and additional prominent angels.
Previously Noah served in a variety of roles in digital marketing, content, product, and business development at Fox Entertainment (News Corp) , Mediacom, freenet digital & Gauselmann Group.
His former company, glispa, was named by Inc. Magazine as the #11th-fastest growing private company in USA between 2005-to-2007 and was also named the #1 fastest growing within the marketing sector. Market Tech Holdings bought glispa in 2015.
RALF ZILLIGEN
Creative Connector
RALF ZILLIGEN
Creative Connector
Self-employed
Ralf Zilligen is a self-employed Creative Connector.
Prior to this role, Ralf Zilligen was Managing Director Kreation at McCAnn/MRM in Düsseldorf, Germany. Before that, he was Chairman at Arthur Schlovsky – a brand of MediaedgeRalf Zilligen has also worked as Chief Creative Officer BBDO Düsseldorf and as copywriter for several agencies including Jung von Matt and Springer & Jacoby, after which he was employed as Creative Director at Leagas Delaney and Wieden+Kennedy in London and Amsterdam. Returning back to Germany in 2002, Zilligen was appointed Managing Director at Stöhr/DDB.
Zilligen has received awards from Cannes, Clio, ADC Germany, Europe and NY, Eurobest, D&AD, Epica and Comprix.
AGNAR LEMACKS
Founder
AGNAR LEMACKS
Founder
Managing Director
Agnar co-founded Jónsson & Le’macks in 2003 and since then the company has grown to be one of the leading advertising agencies in Iceland, working with clients such as Audi, Skoda, Carlsberg, MasterCard, Nike and several local brands.
He started out in the advertising industry as a Graphic Designer at Gott Folk McCann-Erickson before branching off into music and co-founding a techno night club and later becoming Director of Communications at the Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, before co-founding J&L in 2003. In 2012, the company participated in the creation of the mobile game developer Plain Vanilla. Two years later, J&L created a Venture fund with other investors, contributing both capital investments and product and marketing development expertise.
Agnar hopes the Berlin School will equip him with the right tools to get through the digital age. “Most of what I have learned about leadership and management is through the trials and errors of running a company. But I believe that what develops you the most as a leader are the difficult times. Right now all communications agencies are going through an identity crisis and trying to figure out what they are going to be in the new world.”
After graduating from the Commercial College of Iceland, Agnar studied Business Administration at the Reykjavik University and completed various short courses in Communication, Branding and Marketing.
CARLOS ANDRÉS RODRIGUES MONROY
Chief Creative Officer
CARLOS ANDRÉS RODRIGUES MONROY
Chief Creative Officer
Carlos Andrés Rodrigues is a Creative Director with a passion for brands, music and food. Carlos is currently Chief Creative Officer at MullenLowe SSP3, part of the Mullen Lowe Group, where he has worked throughout his whole career, both in the Bogotá Office as well as the London office.
MullenLowe SSP3 has firmly established itself as the most creative agency of the MLG network in Latin America, and second overall globally, winning Agency of the Year at Festival El Dorado in 2017, 5th best Agency in Latin America at CREMA Ranking in 2018, and the most awarded Colombian agency historically.
Carlos is also winner of more than 240 awards including the first Latin American Titanium Lion at Cannes, the only Latin American Innovation Grand Prix at Cannes as well, the only Latin American Black Pencil at D&AD, and the Designism Award at the ADC of New York. Co-creator of the only Colombian campaign present in the Cannes Lions’ Game Changers book, and has been jury at Cannes Lions, Clio Awards and the D&AD among others.
Carlos holds a degree in Social Communications from Universidad Javeriana.
In joining the Executive MBA, Carlos looks forward to sitting in the same creative classroom known over the years to role models such as David Droga, Luiz Sanches, Marcello Serpa and Chacho Puebla. Having built a strong career around the power of “guts and passion”, Carlos hopes the EMBA will help him to strengthen some of the “more technical, rational and methodological” aspects of creative business.
ANTONY KARIUKI
Co-founder
ANTONY KARIUKI
Co-founder
Alternative Circle
Antony is a creative designer at heart and serial entrepreneur with a passion for product design. His main focus is on people (team), product and customers. Antony is passionate about creating and designing experiences that make a positive impact on users’ everyday lives.
He has extensive knowledge in creative strategy, vision, communication and management with an emphasis on storytelling, branding and user experience for global brands. He also mentors young designers and aspiring entrepreneurs.
XENIA FEDOROVA
President & CEO
XENIA FEDOROVA
President & CEO
RT France
As Head of Russia, CIS and Baltic states broadcast for RT, Xenia is working on the launch of new broadcast projects and is in charge of several departments responsible for content production, promotion and distribution, cross-media platforms, as well as launching and managing several news websites for RT.
Previously Xenia was in charge of media projects at RT and was responsible for distribution of Spanish language RT in Latin America as well as news content distribution for media professionals via online video portal Freevideo.RT.com. She reports directly to the Editor-in-Chief and leads a team of 130 professional editors, technical staff and managers. RT is a group of 24/7 news channels broadcasting in English, Arabic and Spanish to global audience. RT has studios based in Moscow and Washington DC and bureaus in London, Paris, New York and Berlin. It is the most-viewed news channel on YouTube with over 700,000 million views and is available to more than 400 million viewers around the world.
Xenia has worked her way up through several departments at RT, starting out as a producer on the international desk, then becoming an executive producer, and she now leads a team of 130 people in her current role as Director of Russia, CIS and Baltic states broadcast. Her work has taken her to several international hotspots and she has interviewed leaders, like former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and European Commission President Jose Manuel Borroso.
BAI SAMA GWENNING BEST
Manager
BAI SAMA GWENNING BEST
Manager
Liberian Observer Corporation
A few years after graduating from college and working in public relations, church ministry, sales, and teaching performing arts in the US, Bai returned to Liberia to help his father Kenneth Y. Best restart his independent newspaper, the Daily Observer, founded by him and his wife in 1981. In his role, Bai supervises all pre-press departments: editorial, advertising and layout teams, as well as the web team. Bai now aims to continue the professional and institutional legacy of the Daily Observer, and this is what brings him to the Berlin School.
“This EMBA is a big deal for me because in Liberia not many businesses have been able to survive beyond the lifespan of their founders. The EMBA modules covering corporate planning and governance, as well as decision making and change management are of great interest to me because of this very issue. As the Observer grows, such knowledge will enable me to better understand the company under my control.”
Before becoming a Marketing Manager at the Daily Observer, he lived and worked in the US as a Co-director of a Youth Ministry, a PR Assistant, as well as Artistic Director and Dance Instructor.
Bai is currently a Steering Committee Member at the Arts & Culture Council of Liberia and a Founding Member and Secretary of the Arterial Network Liberia. Bai has a BA in Communication Studies from Westmont College in California.
MARIE REIG FLORENSA
Freelancer
MARIE REIG FLORENSA
Freelancer
Spain
Marie is a transversalist working at the crossroads of Culture, Communication & Media Production. She loves to explore, discover and connect the dots to design, manage or evaluate projects and creative challenges. To build a better world with every job assignment is her personal commitment. Curiosity is her fuel and self-discipline and constancy her secret weapons. Marie’s studies forge her analytical and critical background, professional experience, a hands-on vision and approach. She has also learned that failure is the best teacher of success and believes that giving her best and enjoying the journey will drive her towards a successful destination.
MEET THE CLASS
APPLY FOR OUR GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM
There is no official application deadline. Applications to our Executive MBA in Creative Leadership are accepted on a rolling basis. However, participants are encouraged to apply early if they want to take advantage of any tuition fund opportunities available on each cycle.
STEP INTO THE EMBA CLASSROOM
Our Executive MBA participants don’t come from a specific mold. They are a unique group of professionals from over 60 countries and a wide variety of fields brought together by a passion to develop as leaders. Bringing diverse experiences to the table, they challenge each other to unlock industry-changing potential and engage with business challenges in a whole new way.
