Mathe Okaba, Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA), stepped down in December after five years of leading the organisation.
Now the industry body’s Board has appointed Gillian Rightford as interim executive director on a fixed-term contract.
“We thank Mathe for her dedicated service to the ACA and the industry. Her contributions have been valued, and we wish her success in her future pursuits,” said Sharleen James, deputy chairperson of the ACA.
“We are confident that Gillian Rightford’s expertise will be an invaluable asset to the organisation, ensuring continued excellence in serving our members and partners and bringing our vision to ‘promote a communications profession that is trusted, inclusive and measurable’ to life.”
Rightford brings a wealth of expertise in marketing, strategy, advertising, and leadership to the role. Prior to entering the creative world, she consulted on marketing strategy and later became a shareholder and group managing director of two globally aligned agencies, Hercules DMB&B, and Lowe Bull.
Rightford founded Adtherapy, a communication and management consultancy that caters to diverse clients globally, including marketers and advertising/communication agencies. Adtherapy is dedicated to enhancing output quality for improved ROI through refined strategic thinking, creativity, streamlined processes, organisational structure, and team alignment.
