Generation Media’s associate director, Michaella Williams, has won the prestigious Patricia Mann Award in the Class of 2019/20 Future Leaders Awards programme, an initiative run by the Women in Advertising and Communications, London organisation.
The Patricia Mann award recognises WACL Future Leader award winners who continue to embody the spirit of Patricia today “pioneers who lit up the room”. Women who are championing and challenging change and the status quo by going out of their way to support other women and who are making a positive impact on the marketing and advertising industry.
Having entered the advertising industry straight out of school, Williams has worked at Generation Media for the last six years.
A statement from the firm read: ‘She’s incredibly determined, with a passion for diversity and equality within the media landscape that comes partly from the “three glass ceilings” she faces being a black, gay female. Her driven attitude is part of her DNA: a former Army Cadet, she plays semi-professional football in her spare time, and trained as a boxer for a charity bout in 2018, which she entered in honour of her amateur boxer uncle, who’d passed away from cancer that same year.’
Williams will be using the funding that comes with the award to undertake a coaching skills course. As she says, “Coaching is all about guiding people to make the right decisions whilst giving them the space to bring their own thoughts, opinions and personality to the table. People are at the core of everything we do at Generation and this training will help me ensure the acceleration of development within our team, empowering colleagues to come up with the right solutions for our clients, the business, and themselves independently.”
She added: “Good leadership creates good leaders, and while I’ve been fortunate to find an equal opportunity employer that embraces and encourages diversity, the fight for equality continues within our industry as a whole. Having come from an under-represented background within the media industry, I know first-hand how important and helpful it is to have a positive mentor who is relatable you, so it’s my intention to use the platform that comes with winning this award as a significant step on the way to being that role model for others. And with my passion for the importance of accepting individuality in the workplace, I hope to be able to support all minority groups entering the industry.”
