Tackling the talent issue at the Digiday Agency Summit

The discussion around attracting and retaining talent in the advertising industry isn’t going away any time soon. We’ll be devoting an entire afternoon to the subject at the Digiday Agency Summit, which will be held in Key Biscayne, Florida, from Oct. 26 – 28.
On the first day of the summit, attendees will get the employer’s take on the situation from agency executives from Deutsch LA, Isobar and Young & Laramore. But one session in particular will turn the tables and focus on what advertising’s C-suite can learn from those in the industry trenches: the millennials.
Shareen Pathak, brands editor, will sit down with four millennials working in different departments in agencies across the U.S. to get the dirt on what it’s really like starting out in advertising today. From transparency at the executive level to a clear path for their careers, this session will discuss what millennials really want from the shops that employ them.
Our millennials are:
Amit Gurnani, copywriter, Publicis Seattle
A self-described “drag queen & copywriter,” Gurnani has written copy for Crate&Barrel and UNO Pizzeria. At present, he is helping relaunch the American Girl brand and working on their 2015 holiday campaign.
Hudson Sullivan, director of brand strategy, KBS+
Sullivan works on brand strategy for clients like Nike, Harman, and Mountain Dew and is one of Business Insider’s 30 Under 30 for the year 2015.
Christi Rohrkemper, senior strategist, Organic
Rohrkemper is a senior strategist at Detroit shop Organic, a marketing agency that uses data to “accurately predict outcomes, spot trends, identify behaviors, and create a much deeper connection with consumers.” Sound millennial-ish? It should — Organic was founded in 1993.
Shannon Hollsten, senior copywriter, GSD&M
Hollsten writes copy for Walgreens TV spots, Ace Hardware radio spots, and has her own web series about two friends trying to make it in show biz.
The Digiday Agency Summit kickoff will also feature discussions around how to keep your employees from falling out of love with you, led by Kim Getty, president, Deutsch LA, and how to build an innovation culture around talent, led by Dave Meeker, vp, innovation, Isobar and Carolyn Hadlock, principal & executive creative director, Young & Laramore.
Check out the full conference agenda here to learn more.
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