a few of our mentors

lollipop has recruited close to one hundred senior mentors from CEO’s, founders, coaches to media specialists. All have a minimum five years experience and are waiting in the wings to be paired with a lollipop mentee. 

We are honoured to have such a talented and willing bunch of mentors on our books. 

Count down to our pilot in September begins….

Ali Proctor-Walsh
Production Director

I’m an Executive Producer / Production Director with 15 years of cross agency experience. My work spans motion graphics, film and print but I specialise in bringing innovative, immersive experiences to life using cutting edge and immersive technologies…

I have worked at agencies large and small and my career has spanned many aspects of production management, experiential and interactive giving me a unique insight into the integration of creative technology driven elements into more traditional agency environments. My career has includes stints at Facebook, Jack Morton, Framestore, Imagination, Nexus Studios, Hellicar & Lewis, Field.io and R/GA working with a wide range of brands across multiple sectors including Jaguar Land Rover, Google, Samsung, Shell, Ted Baker, IBM, Apple, Cartoon Network and many more. I’m passionate about creating lasting and meaningful relationships with every client I work with and creating an empowering and progressive environment for every team member I manage.

Ally Owen
Activist / Founder ​

Ally Owen founded Brixton Finishing School due to the need to create a diverse and equitable talent blueprint for our industry. By the end of 2020 230 talents from multicultural, socially mobile, neurodiverse (& majority female) backgrounds…

passed through this award-winning accelerator that finds, trains and places ‘under-represented’ talent in roles. Recognising the impact that COVID-19 will have on young people’s futures, Ally also launched the game-changing AD-Cademy program which will give over 2500 students a year across the UK a fairer chance to succeed. Allys’ accolades include Campaign 2021 Female Frontiers Championing Change Honouree/Campaign ‘Trailblazer’ 2020/ BIMA 2020 Champion for Change/ AD Age 2020 ‘Woman to watch in Europe’

Lauren Ogundeko
CDO & Co-Founder

Lauren is a digital specialist with many years experience across various channels and verticals.

A computer scientist by academic background, her experience covers deep leadership and practitioner expertise across all digital…

in particular SEO, Biddable, Performance Content, Organic Social, Affiliates, Display, Martech & Web Analytics.

Lauren has helped small and large brands and businesses leverage digital media marketing from strategy-to-acquisition-to-measurement-and-retention and under her leadership, programmes have experienced growth upwards of more than 400% YoY return on investment.

Dino Myers-Lamptey
Founder

Dino is the Founder of The Barber Shop, a strategy-led creative company that aims to solve the biggest business problems through data, distribution and disruptive ideas…

a purpose and which strive to enrich culture through the pleasure that they bring. Their clients include Karma Drinks, Triumph, TikTok and Parkinson’s UK. Dino is Co-Chair of The Alliance of Independent Agencies, CAN (Conscious Advertising Network) and is also a board member of the UK Effies, Marketing Society and a NED for the Brixton Finishing School and a member of the Global Snap Creative Council. In 2020 Dino was recognised as a Top 10 Media Planner by Campaign. Dino is also a founding member of MEFA (Media For All), and has recently founded Diverse Speakers.

Linkedin
Twitter

Johanne Penny
CEO and Founder

Johanne Penney is a senior executive leader who has proactively championed the equality, diversity and inclusiveness agenda throughout 20 years of working for a range of professional bodies. In 2020 she founded ‘Amp Up Your Voice’ an anti-racism consultancy, to focus solely on delivering high energy, unique training and education for the workforce…

Johanne mentors up to and including C-suite, Board level for organisations who authentically want to change the narrative and ensure equity for Black and Ethnically Diverse individuals. She is also a freelance culture writer for ‘Millennial Femme’ a social media platform dedicated to the empowerment of Black women. Her strongest ethos is #womensupportingwomen.

Jo Valentina -Sinclair
Business & Mindset Coach

Jo is a Life, Business/Mindset Coach & the founder of Create Your Own Story, a coaching service for smart, conscious women, empowering them with the confidence and the exact steps to start or grow their own coaching/consulting business online….

She worked for the BBC for 10 years in Editorial Strategy, but after falling out of love with her job, 6 years ago she left the corporate world to follow her purpose and retrained as a Lifecoach & NLP Practitioner.
Jo now writes for Thrive Global and has delivered corporate trainings for Google, Red Bull, The Wow Foundation & The Songwriting Academy

Andrew Goldsmith
Commercial Consultant

I have worked in media sales for over 20 years and have been incredibly lucky to have represented iconic brands such as NME, Capital, Heart and the Guardian. In that time I have learned how different media platforms work together, including digital, audio, print, out-of-home and events…

I now work for an audio-first company, helping to devise and launch podcasts and help podcast creators realise their full potential. I am passionate about the future of the media industry, to make it as inclusive and diverse as it needs to be in order to truly reflect the society that it aims to represent. I am proud to be a NABS Fast Forward mentor, a member of the NABS 100 Club and mentor for Media Trust’s Hidden Talent programme.

Eleanor-Laurie
Founder and Coach

Mum of 2, founder of digital talent agency, Roome. Certified Coach and Reiki Master, part time hill walker/ kayaker , passion for helping people live their best lives, passion for self-care and self-belief…

A belief that this world is wonderful and for each individual to make their own.

Sam Finlay
Executive Coach

Following a 25 year commercial career within print and digital media, which culminated in holding the chief revenue officer position at TI Media, I now work as an Executive coach, NED, consultant and mentor…

By combining everything I learnt from my commercial leadership career I now work with senior leaders and their teams to help them be the best they can and achieve the goals they set for themselves.

Linkedin

Amy Gaertner
Marketing Planning lead at O2

Amy is an award-winning senior marketer with 15 years of experience and a mission to help people and brands grow, in that order…

A leader of high-performing teams, Amy has worked with some of the best brands around the globe, delivering strategic and creative integrated campaigns.

Julia-Arenson
Head of Creative Operations at Specsavers

Julia joined Specsavers in September 2019 as Head of Creative Operations where she’s working with the senior leadership team to build a future-proofed in house agency. Prior to Specs, she was Head of Creative Production at VCCP Blue where she helped treble the agency in size and build integrated creative and production departments…

She’s worked on brands such as Kimberly Clark, Compare the Market, Molson Coors, Macmillan, Kellogg’s and HSBC. Julia has also held positions at JWT, Leo Burnett, a bakery, a law firm, a health clinic, a paper route, and various lemonade stands. She works in Guernsey, was born in Russia, grew up in Canada and lives in North London with her husband Alex and two kids.

 

Kelly Jacobson Collins
Privacy Compliance & Data Protection Director

With more than 20 years of experience in advertising, media and technology at the biggest agencies and senior roles at Microsoft and the Guardian, Kelly has used her ability to simplify privacy to write for titles including New Digital Age…

and ExchangeWire and spoken at Programmatic Punch, ATS and for Quantcast.

Kelly is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals and holds a CIPP/E.

Vicky Foster Commercial Digital Leader - Strategist

Senior commercial digital leader, strategist & culture champion
Over 20 years digital experience ranging from working in an ad network, publisher, agency and approached directly to work on transformation projects…

I have built strong foundations across business strategy, leadership and team culture which are all central to my interest and expertise.

Marco Bertozzi
Ex Spotify VP EMEA , President Publicis Media

Marco Bertozzi has worked in the media industry for 20 years, he was an early founder of Publicis Groupe’s Digital operations in 2000, the founder of their Programmatic Trading desk AOD in 2010 and most recently ran all sales for Spotify across EMEA.

He is now running his own consultancy Bertozzi49.

Madeline McQueen
Founder and Executive coach

Madeline McQueen is a Forbes featured, outstanding Executive Coach, Trainer, Speaker and Host who empowers and encourages her clients to explore and reach their full potential.
She has over 15 years of experience in sales, customer service and business growth, building leading sales teams, securing contracts at the million-pound level and at one point selling the highest number of laptops in the UK for a leading IT company.

Madeline knows the importance of sales, systems, processes and operations in building business success…

This, coupled with her innate ability to read and understand people has made her an ideal choice for training and coaching Corporate Leaders and Business Professionals, over the last 17 years.

Madeline is a TEDx Speaker and has reached thousands with her vivacious, humorous and down to earth honesty. She is a sought-after Conference Host, particularly within the tech industry where she has shared the stage with industry heavyweights such as Steve Wozniak, Garry Kasparov, John Romero to name a few.

Madeline is a published author of ‘Close That Sale | 7 Steps to Close the Sale and Make More Money’, ‘The Magic of Motivation’, and is a contributory author of ‘Letters To a Young Generation 2’. She, also, sat on the board of charity Hestia helping to launch the UK Say’s No More campaign and is currently a non-Executive board member of Do It Now Now Limited a Community Interest Company (CIC) committed to educate, equip and support Black entrepreneurs, charities and CIC’s to thrive.

Madeline’s clients include MC Saatchi, Ogilvy, Prezzi, O2 Telefonica, Sopra Steria, Twilio, Adobe, Salesforce, WeAreDevelopers, GoCardless, Havas, Police Scotland, NHS, Asos, Virgin Management, Investec to name a few.

Amelia Torode
Co-Founder the Fawnbreak Collective

Fascinated by brands, technology, culture and ideas, Amelia Torode is one of the UK’s best known strategic planners. Campaign magazine described her as a “trailblazer in the advertising industry, a brilliant strategic thinker and leader.”

She’s worked at agencies in the US and UK including Naked, OgilvyInteractive, VCCP and her most recent agency job was Chief Strategy Officer at TBWA\London. She launched strategy consultancy…

The Fawnbrake Collective, in 2017 and has worked around the world for brands such as Google, Carlsberg and many others.

Amelia has a mixed race background with Indian-German ancestry, and a mother who was one of the key drivers of the Black Power movement in the UK in the 1960s. She’s now married to a French husband so her children have even more diversity in their lives.

Duncan Dick
Founder, Editorial Director

The former editor of Mixmag magazine, Duncan has been active in the media as a journalist, editor and creative for nearly two decades, visiting clubs and festivals in 50 countries, hosting and creating panels, exhibitions and events, partnering with brands…

on culture-shaping projects, and generally building up a cumulative sleep deficit of truly epic proportions.

During his stewardship of the magazine he was committed to an agenda of inclusivity, positivity and empowerment and, as a natural extension of this mission, diversifying the coverage and contributing voices in its pages.

It’s a mission that he continues to this day with content agency, Devil’s Ivy Creative and by working with organisations like Lollipop. He hopes to advise mentees on life as a freelancer, navigating the codes and arcana of the media and publishing industry, identifying and nurturing the core skills that allow creative diversity and freedom, maintaining independence and integrity (as a key to success, rather than an obstacle), and, of course, developing and excelling as a writer. 

 

Globe

Lisa Gully
Head of Planning

Lisa has 20 years’ experience in advertising and a little insight into the barriers facing bright women deserving of great opportunities who don’t ‘fit the mould’. Short, female, working class, she’s not the classic ad strategist…

Now Head of Planning, she’s especially passionate about diversity, ensuring those with the EQ to match their IQ get the chances they deserve.

Cyreta James
Founder, CEO

I have been an HR/People professional for over 12 years with half of that time working as a People Manager for various companies in the UK and the UAE. I am also the Founder/CEO of the Resourceful Human, an HR consultancy business helping businesses with the HR needs as well as individuals who want help with…

CVs, LinkedIn profiles, job applications and interviews practice.

Passionate about using my knowledge and experience to help empower and inspire the next generation of People professionals.

Katy Walsh
Head of Operations

Katy is a Production & Operations specialist with over 20 years’ experience in creative & digital agencies. Over the years Katy has worked for top tier agencies and delivered most things for many brands.

Currently specialising in rebuilding businesses & transforming teams, Katy has a passion for helping people and supporting them to bring the best out in themselves.

Amanda Pitt
Founder, Editorial Director

Amanda brings 25 years’ experience across the digital media industry having held senior leadership positions within executive search firms, media owners and agencies – including BBC Worldwide, Havas Media Group, Time Inc.

She started her executive search career over ten years ago and…

has worked at Korn Ferry as well as smaller boutiques. She now heads up the Media Practice at Saxton Bampfylde and advises clients on how to attract, retain and develop talent.

Amanda is a trustee of NABS, she won the Ron Miller award for her outstanding service to the charity and gives time to their mentoring scheme and fundraising committee. She is also a mentor to other industry bodies and passionate about supporting people during their career development. 

Elizabeth Anyaegbuna
Co-Founder

Elizabeth or ‘Buna’ to her industry friends, is a popular and respected media executive with years of experience gained in commercial, operational and management roles in the TV and digital advertising industry across the UK and Africa…

She has super strong commercial credentials approaching all her endeavours through an entrepreneurial lens supported by grounded lateral thinking and a huge laugh. She’s passionate about the need for diversity and inclusion in the media industry and is a member and mentors for MEFA , Bloom UK and Creative Access. She is Co-Head of Allyship , part of the Leadership Team at Bloom and cofounded Bloom in colour – a network within Bloom representing WoC in 2010.

Having worked at big broadcasters such as Sky Media, Viacom, Turner & A+E Networks she has built up a reputation of being a tough and accomplished negotiator with creative vision and a smile. She has delivered high value commercial solutions growing business across TV partnerships, digital, social & branded content. Elizabeth has spear headed inventive partnerships for a variety of clients from Masterfoods and Fox to ad-funded programmes for NFL, Nike and Adidas and has extensive kids market expertise. Elizabeth applied her entrepreneurial approach to her role Sales Director for GTV – an African Broadcaster of premiership football where she set up a commercial department. She set out on her own and is now Cofounder of Sixteenbynine – a TV and video centred media planning, buying and production agency backed by Goodstuff and recently co launched Black Corner – a black business directory, marketing, and mentoring support platform.

Kiessé Lamour
Global Head of Media at Wunderman Thompson Commerce

Before joining WTC, Kiessé was Head of Industry for CPG, Travel, Auto and Entertainment partnerships at Pinterest UK, where she was responsible for building and leading a team to help marketers drive business growth on the platform… 

In parallel, she was also the Regional Lead for Blackboard EMEA, Pinterest’s ERG for Black and Mixed Race employees.

Prior to joining Pinterest, Kiessé held various leadership roles in programmatic, paid search, social and brand safety within Omnicom Media Group UK, where she worked for 8 years. At Omnicom Media Group UK, Kiessé has been responsible for establishing operational excellence, driving commercial efficiency and pushing the standards for brand safety, fraud prevention and viewability. She also led strategy and planning for Programmatic and Paid Search across a vast portfolio of clients whilst building Omnicom’s Programmatic Audio offering from the ground up.

Early in her career she worked at Google in Ireland, as well as in product marketing at Unilever and Société Générale in France.

Kiessé studied British, American and Afro-American studies at the Université Grenoble Alpes, and also holds a Master’s of International Business from the Grenoble School of Business. 

She is married with 2 daughters (10 yo and 4 yo) and enjoys African fashion, traveling, reading, cooking with her husband, going out with her girlfriends, binging on Netflix and spending time doing lots of kids fun with her daughters.