IAA Presents the 2017 Inspire Awards, Roger Pereira Honored

The International Advertising Association (IAA) announces the winners of the 2017 Inspire Awards, a group of distinguished awards that celebrate experienced champions, young professionals and distinguished veterans for their vision, achievement and committed service to the IAA and the marketing communications industry. 

IAA World President and Chairman, Felix Tataru, congratulates the winners of this year's IAA Inspire Awards and says: "In what is now a truly global landscape the International Advertising Association, with its global footprint of over 3000 members, who are practitioners in all sectors of the marketing communications business, we are proud to recognize their accomplishments, commitment and services contributed to our industry."  

"The IAA Inspire Awards have been initiated to pay tribute to our members for their many achievements and contributions of Leadership, Vision, Commitment and Service to advance the IAA globally as well as to make a difference in the worldwide arena of marketing communications. They have contributed their professional expertise and inspired the marketing communications community locally, regionally and globally."

IAA Champion Award 

The IAA Inspire Champion Award honors notable leaders for their lifetime achievements, vision, committed services to IAA, as well as their contributions to advancing the IAA and communications in the global marketing communications industry. This year’s five recipients: 

• Maria Bauernfried, Marketing Director, Kelly GmbH – Austria                         
• Akira Kagani, Executive Advisor, Drill Inc – Japan            
• Brendan Ripp, Executive Vice President, National Geographic, FOX Networks Group – USA
• Anthony Savarimuthu, Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu LHS – Malaysia
• Murtaza Tajbhoy, Chief Strategy Officer, Leo Burnett Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka

IAA Young Leader Award

The IAA Inspire Young Leader Award recognizes young professional members for their significant service as leaders in the IAA Young Professionals arena and for their dynamic contributions in the marketing communications industry. This year’s five recipients: 

• Iulia Niculae, Marketing Manager, Romanian Football Federation – Romania
• Claudiu Petria, Co-Founder, Girofar-Surviving Deadlines – Romania
• Hasnaa Rkhami, Global Online Marketing Manager,The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. – USA
• Victoria Ryan, Account Director, The Week (Dennis Publishing) – United Kingdom
• Ljubica Vukčević, Insight Analyst, Direct Media - Serbia

Honorary Life Membership Award 

This year’s IAA Honorary Life Membership Award pays tribute to four venerable members from the international IAA chapters in India, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, and celebrates their long and distinguished service to the IAA and tenured work as communication leaders. 

Recipients of the 2017 Honorary Life Membership Award:

• Edoardo Brioschi, Professor, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy
• Talal Dhulaymi, Chairman, tph DDB Middle East, Saudi Arabia
• Lawrence Levy, President, LJL Associates, USA
• Roger Pereira, Founder, Roger Pereira Communications PVT, India

IAA Chapter Excellence Award 

The IAA Chapter Excellence Award is presented to the IAA Chapter judged to have made the best overall contribution to achieving the aims and objectives of the IAA over the previous two years.

Recipient of the 2014-2016 IAA Chapter Excellence Award:

• Romania Chapter          (Chapter President: Maria Predoiu)                                                      

IAA Young Professionals Chapter Excellence Award  

The IAA Young Professionals Chapter Excellence Award recognizes the IAA YP Chapter judged to have made the most outstanding achievements in programs and activities to advance the aims and objectives of the IAA over the previous two years.  

Recipient of the 2014-2016 IAA Young Professionals Chapter Excellence Award:

• Romania YP Chapter     (YP Chapter Presidents: Ioana Sigarteu & Iulia Nicolae)                     

Recipients for each group were selected by separate judging panels chaired by Heather Leembruggen, IAA VP & Chairman IAA Inspire Awards.  Nominations are reviewed and considered in light of various criteria including career experience, significant contributions, IAA involvement, and advancing IAA locally and globally, among other specific categorical criteria.

In commenting on the nominations and the winners of the IAA Inspire Awards, she said, "We were delighted with the calibre of the nominees and the spread of countries represented in the entries we received. It demonstrated that the global network we embrace is truly international in its scope and service to the industry, and also, importantly, that the IAA family  is comprised of many high achievers and leaders in the marketing communications community. I congratulate all this year's winners for their contributions and for bringing to life the IAA vision: "inspiring excellence in communications worldwide."

The winners will be celebrated during the IAA’s 2017 Global Conference, taking place in Bucharest on October 2425 2017. The two-day event will bring 600+ delegates from the international community, and twenty plus thoughtleaders on stage, under the theme ‘Creativity Can Change The World’. With the aim of democratizing creativity, the event will explore the current trends and future of creativity in the fields of advertising/communications, technology and education – themes close to the IAA’s mission. Notable speakers to take to the stage include Steve Wozniak – co-founder of Apple Inc., senior executives from Disney, Google, The Economist, the BBC, adam&eve DDB, Miami Ad School, Central St. Martins, Publicis and many more.