Meet Joel Nettey, the first African to head the International Advertising Association

Ghanaian national Joel Nettey has been elected as the President and Chairman of the International Advertising Association (IAA), the global body for marketing and communications. He is the first African to occupy the position since its formation in 1938.

The Ghanaian succeeds Srinivasan Swamy who is also the first Indian to occupy the position, and will lead the global association for the next two years. Nettey was elected to the position during a virtual meeting of the World Board Meeting of the International Advertising Association in October.

The association also named others that would serve alongside Nettey to include Senior Vice President – Sasan Saeidi, who is Global Client Leader for Nestle at Wunderman Thompson Dubai; Secretary — Carol Schuster, Business Information Advisor at Lafayette 148 New York (New York) and Treasurer — Venanzio Camarra from Milan.

“We will focus on four key pillars –creativity and innovation, regulatory issues, diversity, and Inclusion, as well as Education,” Nettey said about his election. “Together as a team, we will take the steps required to ensure that the IAA remains the most recognizable, relevant, and impactful marketing and marketing communications association across the globe while ensuring that we attract and provide opportunities that engage and nourish the next generation of marketing game-changers.

Who is Joel Nettey?

Nettey is well-acclaimed management, marketing, and marketing communications expert. He has 20 years of experience in the advertising industry working for some of the world’s powerful brands.

He is the founder and Chief Executive of The Ninani Group, a group of Marketing Communications Specialist Companies that include Innova DDB Ghana, ReZultz Advertising, Touchpoint Magna Carta, Interactive Digital, Brand Alert in Ghana as well as Innova Liberia.

Before establishing his own agency, he worked as Chief Executive of various multinational marketing communications agency affiliates in Ghana including DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Publicist.

Nettey is a Trustee of the Unilever Ghana Foundation and has previously served on the boards of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and Multimedia Group Ltd.

In 2009, he was named by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) as Marketing Practitioner of the Year. Also, in November 2010, the Network Journal USA (www.tnj.com) recognized his sterling qualities when it named Nettey as one of the inaugural 20 honorees from across Africa in its “TNJ 40 under Forty Africa” Awards.

In 2018, he was a Senior Vice-President of the International Advertising Association for the 2018-2020 period. He was also the President of the Advertising Association of Ghana.

He holds a Master in Business Administration (Marketing) and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics and Psychology degrees from the University of Ghana. Nettey and his wife Rachel, are blessed with 3 children – Nichole, Natasha, and Nigel.

About IAA

The International Advertising Association (IAA) was founded in 1938 and has its headquarters in New York. The association, which comprises advertisers, media, advertising, media companies, and educational institutions, has members in over 70 countries.