Headline: Ghana Takes Centre Stage: 2026 Pitcher Academy Faculty & Jury Appointments Announced

The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) is proud to announce a significant milestone for our creative industry and in our continued partnership with the Pitchers Festival of Creativity. As part of our ongoing commitment to nurturing and showcasing talent who set excellence benchmarks for the Region, several of our distinguished members have been appointed to leadership and faculty roles for the 2026 Pitcher Festival.

Leadership at the Young Pitchers Academy

We are thrilled to confirm that Venus Tawiah will continue her impactful tenure as Dean of the Young Pitchers Academy. Under her leadership, the academy has evolved into a more robust, marketing-discipline-inclusive learning platform designed to better reflect the realities and opportunities within Africa’s fast-growing creative and communications industries. Her vision has helped reposition the programme as a more accessible and regionally relevant alternative for emerging African talent seeking world-class industry exposure and development opportunities.

Formerly known as the Young Professionals Academy, the reimagined Young Pitchers Academy now serves as a dynamic hub for young professionals across advertising, brand management, digital communications, media, PR, strategy, copywriting, art direction, and marketing communications. Through a combination of online learning, mentorship, regional bootcamps, and industry-led sessions facilitated by leading African and global marketing and creative professionals, the academy delivers high-impact learning that integrates seamlessly into participants’ professional lives while expanding their global perspective.

A key evolution under her tenure has been the separation of the Young Pitchers Competition into its own dedicated competitive platform, while the academy itself now functions as a stronger preparatory and talent development pipeline for participants aspiring to compete at the continental level. This structure has significantly broadened participation across the region and strengthened access to mentorship, industry networks, and career acceleration opportunities for Africa’s next generation of creative thinkers, strategists, storytellers, designers, and brand innovators.

Empowering the Next Generation: The 2026 Faculty

This year, the AAG was well-represented by a new wave of speakers who led sessions and joined panels across the festival’s academic tracks. We congratulate the following professionals on their appointment to the faculty.

• Rita Nana Adowa Arthur – Session Leader
• Afua Asiedu – Session Leader
• Sharon Odarley Mills – Session Leader
• Emeka Obia – Session Leader
• Whitney Thompson – Session Leader

They bring a wealth of experience in brand strategy, digital innovation, and creative storytelling, providing invaluable insights to students and young professionals across the continent.

Headline: Digital Pioneers: Celebrating Participation in the Young Lions Digital Competition

AGG’s partnership with the Pitcher Festival of Creativity continues to create pathways for emerging talent within Ghana’s advertising industry to participate in the prestigious Young Lions Competition through the regional qualifying platform hosted in Nigeria.

The Young Lions competitions remain one of the industry’s ultimate tests of creativity, strategy, and agility. This year’s Digital Competition challenged teams to respond to high-impact digital briefs within just 24 hours, placing innovation, insight, and digital excellence at the centre of modern advertising practice.

While Ghana did not record direct entries this year, the region was proudly represented by the team from Echo House Nigeria, who advanced to the finals. We are also proud to celebrate Whitney Thompson of Ogilvy, who served as a juror for the final stage of the competition, contributing valuable expertise to the judging process.

Special congratulations go to the team from Marvin Records Nigeria, who emerged as the overall winners of the Nigeria qualifying competition, securing the incredible opportunity to represent the region at the Global Young Lions Digital Competition in Cannes this June. Their achievement reflects the growing strategic depth, innovation, and creative excellence flourishing across West Africa.

A Voice in the Room: The Pitcher Awards Jury

In addition to our academic representation on the Young Pitcher Academy, we are pleased to announce strong representation from Ghana as Jurors to serve on the 2026 Pitcher Awards.

Having a seat at the table during the judging process ensures that the unique perspective and cultural nuances of West African creativity are represented when selecting the year’s most impactful work.

Congratulations to:

Anand Badami – 2026 Culture Jury President

Kenneth Hammond-Aryee (PHD) – 2026 Care Jury Member

Colette Amaeshi – 2026 Channel Jury Member

Safo Mallet – 2026 Care Jury Member

Whitney Thompson – 2026 Good & Effectiveness Jury Member

Benjamin Anyan – 2026 Craft Jury Member

Lord Adansi – 2026 Craft Jury Member

A Note from the Association

“These appointments are not just personal wins; they are a collective victory for the AAG and the entire Ghanaian marketing landscape. By having our industry members leading as Deans, Faculty and jury members, we are actively shaping the future of African creativity.”

What’s Next?

As we look forward to the festival in May, we encourage all member agencies to engage with the academy’s programme and to entre into the Pitcher Awards. This is a unique opportunity to celebrate our industry regionally.

Follow our social media pages for live updates on the Pitcher Festival of Creativity