Ciara Markey
Ciara Markey from Mediaworks, part of Core, and Eimear Fitzmaurice, JWT Folk have won the inaugural IAPI Female Futures bursary.
They each receive a €5,000 bursary for 6 sessions between June and December 2020 with Dr Jill Walker, the renowned executive psychologist and transformative executive coach.
The IAPI Female Futures Fund Coaching Bursary initiative is designed to help achieve improved gender balance in leadership roles in the advertising, media and communications industry.
Markey and Fitzmaurice each receive a €5,000 bursary for six sessions between June and December 2020 with Dr Jill Walker, the renowned executive psychologist and transformative executive coach.
“There are several reasons why our two winners are such stand-outs. They are passionate about the industry, display a keen emotional intelligence and have the self-awareness to identify just how the prize could power their career forward, helping them become leaders of the future both within their agencies and the industry in general. These are two talents to watch out for in the coming years,” says Charley Stoney, CEO of IAPI.
According to Gráinne Wafer, Global Brand Director for Guinness at Diageo which sponsored the bursary: “The judging panel was very impressed with the quality of all the nominations received. In particular, the 6 shortlisted nominees who presented to us this week via video call. Throughout the process we heard from high potential women who are looking for the tools, provocations and support to achieve their ambition for themselves and the industry – this bursary will help with that, but there is also an industry wide opportunity for all leaders to coach, mentor and unlock this great talent for the future.”
In addition to Ciara Markey and Eimear Fitzmaurice, the shortlisted nominees were Claire O’Brien, Digital Performance Director, Omnicom Media Group, Eimear O’Sullivan, Head of Design, The Public House, Jane Gray, Head of Business Development, Verve and Maebh Connellan Group Strategy Director, Dentsu Aegis.
Commenting on her win, Eimear Fitzmaurice, Strategic Planning Director, JWT Folk said: “I am so thrilled and excited for this amazing opportunity. Going through the Female Future Fund process was a great opportunity to pause and reflect on where I am in my career and ask what it is that I need to progress, something that in truth, I believe us females could do more of. I am so delighted to now have guidance and support from Jill Walker to help me navigate what’s next!”
Ciara Markey adds: “This opportunity will be invaluable to my career and future progression. Once I saw IAPI was launching this bursary earlier this year, I was immediately intrigued by it and energised that a future female fund was now available in our industry. I am hugely grateful to Paul Moran for nominating me for this great opportunity and to IAPI and the judging panel for selecting me for this wonderful bursary. I am an advocate of coaching, and I know first-hand the how powerful great coaching can be. I am really excited to start this coaching with Jill Walker. I want to use this time to better understand what drives me and to create a path that will help me reach my full potential and become the future leader I want to be.”
The IAPI Female Futures Fund Coaching Bursary judging panel included Dr Jill Walker, Executive Coach; Charley Stoney, CEO, IAPI; Charlotte Barker, IAPI Board member and Chair of Diversity & Inclusion Council; Gráinne Wafer, Global Brand Director for Guinness at Diageo and Mark Doyle, CMO, AIB.
Eimear Fitzmaurice (below)
