Leo Burnett’s Young Professionals attend AFAA’s Fast Track Programme in Malaysia

The LBSI team from Sri Lanka

Four young professionals from a cross section of the disciplines and brands within Leo Burnett Solutions Inc. (LBSI) were chosen to participate in the Fast Track Professional Excellence Programme. 

Fast Track is a programme designed to coach young leaders to take up their leadership roles with ease. This programme which was conducted over a three-day period in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is an annual programme conducted by AFAA and is moderated by 95% - The Advertising Academy. A total of 28 participants from five countries participated in the programme this year. The team from Sri Lanka comprised of Surani Perera, Rinesh Jayaratne, Nilusha Wanasinghe and Rameez Fazal, each representing a different brand and discipline within the agency. These four young professionals were the first Sri Lankan advertising professionals to attend Fast Track, which is yet another first for Sri Lanka’s advertising industry fuelled by Leo Burnett. 

Commenting on Leo Burnett’s commitment to developing talent within the agency, Ranil de Silva, Managing Director, LeoBurnett Solutions Inc. stated, “I learnt about Fast Track when I attended the recent AFAA meeting in Beijing.  I believed that it would address a very important training requirement we had for our team as we were facing the challenge of converting high performing executives to leaders. I strongly believe that this goal has been fulfilled with Fast Track.” Kumudini Gomes, Director, People and Culture, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc. further added, “Our four young professionals have returned with a new energy leaving behind many pre-conceived perceptions. We are strong believers in investing in our people and this is yet another investment which has paid a rich dividend.”

The AFAA Fast Track Professional Excellence Programme is designed to give young professionals a boost that will help them make quantum leaps in their career development. The programme is an intense three-day residential training programme designed to help young people take on the challenges of a fast-changing world. Fast Track enables participants to explore their role in the advertising and marketing industry and to understand how their contribution can make a difference to themselves, their careers, their organisation and the industry. The programme also helps young professionals to explore new ways of thinking, push mind-set limitations and develop people skills that will help them build lasting relationships. Fast Track also focuses on helping young professionals to improve their leadership skills by exercising greater control and influence, whilst reigniting their creativity and passion. LeoBurnett believed in the value of this programme and nominated four young professionals to attend Fast Track this year, in an effort to transform them into extraordinary professionals and leaders in the advertising industry. Through the extensive training they received at Fast Track, they are now better prepared to handle the multiple challenges they face with their roles and responsibilities.

Commenting on this learning experience all four of the participants had this to say about the Fast Track programme, “Fast Track provided us with a phenomenal learning experience. We learnt so much about ourselves and the barriers we have brought upon ourselves. The programme has taught us how to address the barriers we impose upon us. We now have a better understanding on how to improve our performance as well as the steps we need to take to develop ourselves in our careers.”

This year Leo Burnett Solutions Inc. celebrates its 15^th anniversary in Sri Lanka. Over the years, the agency has built many powerful brands and meaningful partnerships with its clients, whilst delivering gratifying results and gaining industry recognition in Sri Lanka, the region and globally. The company handles a diverse portfolio of clients; it is one of the world’s largest agency networks and is a member of the Publicis Groupe, the world’s fourth largest communications company. Leo Burnett believes in creating meaningful connections through its HumanKind philosophy. HumanKind works by relating with people, then engaging with them in order to build an enduring purpose for brands. ‘Acts’ with a purpose are central to the HumanKind philosophy and unlike traditional media, ‘Acts’ have the ability to transform the way a person thinks, feels and ultimately, behaves. 

About Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide ( www.leoburnett.com)

Leo Burnett Company, Inc., comprising the Leo Burnett brand agency and marketing partner Arc Worldwide, is one of the world’s largest agency networks and a subsidiary of the Publicis Groupe ( www.publicisgroupe.com), the world's fourth-largest communications company. Leo Burnett holds people at the centre of its strategic thinking, technological innovation and creative ideas, focusing first and foremost on human behaviour before attempting to tell a brand’s story.

With this approach, Leo Burnett ensures that people who buy into client brands believe in them all the more. With expertise in mass advertising and digital, promotional and retail marketing, Leo Burnett partners with blue-chip clients such as The Coca-Cola Company, Diageo, Kellogg, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Samsung.  The company has won more advertising awards for campaign effectiveness than any other agency in the last six years in the U.S., has been heralded as a “pioneer on the frontier of marketing” and continues to be ranked as one of the world’s top five creatively awarded networks worldwide.

About Leo Burnett Solutions Inc. ( www.leoburnett.lk)