CEW congratulates Lauren Joyce and Kate O’Connor, who have been awarded the 2022 Maureen Kerridge AM Scholarship. Two inspirational leaders in the media industry, both Lauren and Kate now have the opportunity to study executive courses at Harvard and Stanford to further advance their careers.
The Maureen Kerridge AM Scholarship is for mid-to-senior women leaders in advertising, media, and television.
Lauren is currently Chief Strategy and Connections Officer at Australian Radio Network (ARN) and Kate is Heads of Brands and Licensing, BBC Studios Australia and New Zealand.
Locally and globally recognised, Lauren is a Cannes Young Lion Gold Award winner with 18 years’ experience in strategic and client partnership roles, including at Mamamia and IPG agencies UM and Ensemble. She will participate in the Leading and Building a Culture of Innovation course at Harvard Business School with the support of the scholarship.
Lauren said she applied for the scholarship for the learning and networking opportunities it represented.
Exposure to women in executive positions outside of my industry presents a unique opportunity to grow and diversify my own thinking and ways of doing things, while participating in my chosen course will make me a more effective leader and more valuable employee as my career progresses.
I feel very privileged to be awarded the scholarship and seen as a worthy representation of Maureen’s legacy. To be recognised as someone who can represent the continued growth of women in executive positions across the media industry is an honour and a responsibility that I look forward to fulfilling,
Lauren said.
Kate is a former lawyer with over a decade of experience in the television industry. She currently oversees all aspects of brand and commercial expansion for Bluey and other BBC Studios IP in Australia and New Zealand and will study Executive Leader Development at Stanford as part of her scholarship.
Kate said she was beyond thrilled to receive a scholarship in Maureen Kerridge’s memory:
Maureen is an inspiration to me in so many ways, becoming the first female CEO of a free-to-air television broadcaster when I was in high school allowed me to believe I could do the same one day. My career path has been paved by inspirational women like Maureen, and I am so honoured to accept this scholarship.
Participating in structured learning from experts at one of the best business schools in the US will help cement my business acumen and prepare me to be a future leader. I would like to thank Keith Kerridge and the CEW selection committee for allowing me this once in a lifetime opportunity. I hope to make you proud!
said Kate.
This important scholarship is awarded in memory and celebration of CEW Member Maureen Kerridge AM, who was the first woman to run an Australian television network, Seven, and the first female CEO of a free-to-air television network globally. Maureen passed away in 2020 and was posthumously awarded an Order of Australia for her significant service to the television industry, the arts, and charitable organisations. We thank the Kerridge family for their generous support of this scholarship.
