News Australia has expanded its collaboration with The Marketing Academy, strengthening a relationship designed to support capability building across the industry and invest in the next generation of marketing leaders.
The enhanced commitment establishes a year-round program of events, insights and thought leadership, connecting Australia’s most prominent news publisher with a community that includes the country’s most influential CMOs, rising executives and senior brand leaders.
Four marquee events will anchor the 2026 partnership, supported by premium content from The Growth Distillery’s insights and research program.
This material will feed into The Marketing Academy’s Alumni, Fellowship and Virtual Campus initiatives.
Lou Barrett
Shared ambition for marketing excellence
Lou Barrett, News Australia client partnerships managing director, said the expanded collaboration reflects News Australia’s ongoing commitment to the marketing discipline.
“Marketers are looking for partners who stand with them, understand their challenges, and help them grow. The Marketing Academy is a values-driven organisation that elevates our industry’s capabilities and shapes the leaders who will drive its future.
“We are committed to supporting that ambition because stronger marketers mean stronger outcomes for our clients and for the broader Australian market,” she said.
Sherilyn Shackell, founder and global CEO of The Marketing Academy, said the alignment was a natural fit.
“News Australia shares our belief that investing in marketing leaders creates stronger businesses and a stronger industry. Their commitment to excellence and leadership development aligns perfectly with our mission to equip the leaders of today and tomorrow with the tools, networks, and confidence to drive meaningful change.”
Sherilyn Shackell
A program built around inspiration and global perspectives
The 2026 program will launch with the Food for Thought series, a think-tank style event centred on the industry’s most prominent themes.
The first session will feature advertising icon Sir John Hegarty in a fireside conversation moderated by The Growth Distillery general manager Leigh Lavery.
The discussion will explore creativity as a driver of business growth and will be filmed for distribution across both organisations.
Three further themed events featuring global keynote speakers will follow in June, August and November.
The extended program builds on two years of collaboration between News Australia, The Growth Distillery and The Marketing Academy, including the Unfiltered and Dynamic Duos vodcast series.