Enigma builds future-proofed agency with next-generation talent

Indie creative and media agency Enigma is building a world-class team, developing the next generation of talent through its Media Academy.

Future media stars learn from today’s best operators through a purpose-built training program. Initiated by Enigma Media MD Amy Dascanio and supported by Sally Lawrence, Executive Director and Jesse McColl, Group Director, the team are continuously redefining how Enigma develops its talent in this rapidly changing landscape.

Four Media Coordinators are the newest recruits to join the development initiative. Chloe Goodwin, Connor Daniel, Annabelle Corp and Samuel Bottom will undertake the media training at Enigma, one of the country’s leading independents with 80 staff across its Sydney and Newcastle offices.

Enigma Media has spent the last eight years building unique team structures that integrate traditional and digital channels with dedicated performance and data and tech specialists, ensuring they are true full-funnel experts. As channels merge and performance becomes central to everything we do, every coordinator is trained across all media platforms and planning principles, giving them a complete understanding of how all channels work together to deliver results.

Says Dascanio: “Having grown the media team from six to 40 staff in last eight years has been an amazing journey. To now see a lot of our own talent moving through the ranks and having the ability to lead and support the training of these new recruits is very special to watch. Developing and growing the next generation of media talent will require us as an industry to think differently. We need to continue to evolve the way we train and onboard new talent, as there is a craft to media that AI won’t be able to deliver to our clients. I see this as an exciting challenge for us as an agency.”

Says Justin Ladmore, Enigma Chief Media Officer: “I started in media exactly the same way 26 years ago at Universal McCann. There was a group of coordinators that all started together, and we went through an intense training program. We learnt together and supported each other. It helped us get through the stresses of a media agency. Most of us are still in the industry today and remain great friends.”

The Enigma team has drawn on IMAA, IAB and media partner support to create content for the bespoke training program, developing through the program since the Enigma Media Academy launched in 2022.

Courtney Birch, Enigma Media Manager, who began her career as part of the inaugural Enigma Media Academy cohort in 2022, explains its impact: “The Academy helped me grow quickly and gave me the confidence to understand how all the pieces of marketing and all the media channels connect. It means I can have deeper conversations with our clients without needing to hand them over to someone else.”

Enigma also works closely with University of Newcastle, with marketing and communications students welcomed into the agency for a taste of ad agency life. The agency is also providing real-world industry insights to the university around media planning and buying, including the latest methods, and emerging technology. This work is embedded through an integrated learning program in which students have the opportunity to respond to a live client brief from Enigma.

Pictured (clockwise): Chloe Goodwin, Connor Daniel, Amy Dascanio, Annabelle Corp, Samuel Bottom