Advertising Week Europe’s annual Future of Female Awards recognize women leaders for their efforts in creating positive change within the advertising industry.

Nerissa MacDonald, EVP Global Sales at Anzu, has been shortlisted this year for Advertising Week Europe’s Future of Female Awards, an annual event that recognizes accomplished female leaders for their efforts in creating positive change within the industry.

Nerissa, who celebrates her one-year anniversary with Anzu this month, is an industry veteran with over 20 years’ experience leading global teams, strategy, consultation, and partnerships with brands, agencies, and tech partners. In her first year as head of Anzu’s global revenue operation, she has transformed its overall sales strategy, worked closely with senior advertisers and agencies worldwide (including dentsu, Wavemaker, and Mindshare), and established significant revenue growth for the company.

As a mixed-race female leader in gaming, Nerissa is a proud advocate and spokesperson for diversity, inclusion, and the Black community, and regularly leads initiatives to mentor and uplift other women. While previously at Meta, she created its first Women in Partnerships resource group to support female ad technologists and was behind numerous International Women’s Day events to promote inclusion across the company. She is also a member of Bloom UK and has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds in the US.

This year, Nerissa was accepted as a UK delegate for UN Women and joined the 68th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68). Her application focuses on championing diversity and gender equality within the gaming and technology industries, and she is working within this initiative to help women of different backgrounds find greater access to employment, healthcare, and financial resources.

Check out the full shortlist for Advertising Week Europe’s Future is Female Awards 2024 here.