Future Media Leader of the Year 2025 – the shortlist
Members of The Media Leader’s Future 100 club have the chance to vote for which of their peers they think deserves the coveted Future Media Leader of the Year award for 2025.
F100 members can see the shortlist below and choose their top three here.
This award is designed to recognise an emerging leader who is already making a significant impact in the media industry. They may not yet hold a senior title, but their influence, ideas, and leadership qualities are impossible to ignore.
New for this year, nominations or entries must come exclusively from anyone who has been part of the Future 100 since its inception in 2022.
This is about celebrating potential, spotlighting fresh perspectives, and championing the future of our industry.
Take a look at our shortlist (alphabetically below), it’s going to be tough to choose a favourite.
Emily Alcorn – Chief effectiveness officer, Talon
Emily Alcorn is redefining what leadership looks like in media. She’s not just driving results, she’s shaping the future of out-of-home (OOH) through innovation, empathy, and a relentless focus on effectiveness.
Her thought leadership is recognised globally. She has spoken at major international forums, championing creative impact for diverse audiences and simplifying complex topics such as econometrics. Her commentary has sparked industry-wide conversations around OOH’s evolving role in the media mix.
At Talon, Emily has transformed perceptions of OOH, showcasing its value through award-winning work like the JCDecaux Location Matters project, which improved ROI by 42% using postcode-level data. She’s also driven the creation of best practices in MMM alongside Route, pushing for industry-wide standards.
Emily’s people-first approach is equally impactful. She’s built a thriving team culture, prioritising development and celebrating wins.
Her leadership is about more than metrics; it’s about impact, inclusion, and inspiring the next generation.
George Butler – Head of commercial marketing, Bauer Media
George Butler is a leader of the future who’s already making a significant impact on the media sector and the lives of millions of listeners.
As head of commercial marketing at Bauer Media, George drives reputation and strategy across the organisation’s brands. He’s also a national radio presenter on Fun Kids and co-host of the top-charting podcast AI Haven’t a Clue, making complex tech topics accessible to mainstream audiences.
George led the historic Mental Health Minute, broadcast across every UK radio station to over 20m listeners, and launched the Young Audio Awards to nurture future talent. He’s a champion for safe, trusted media spaces and has spearheaded campaigns supporting youth engagement and mental wellbeing.
His ability to blend creativity with strategic thinking, spot big ideas, and bring them to life makes him a media leader who inspires and drives change.
Gina Hamilton – Partnerships director, The Telegraph
Gina Hamilton is a transformative leader who blends commercial success with cultural change. Since 2022, she’s led The Telegraph’s Partnerships team to a threefold revenue increase and a 97% staff retention rate.
She launched ‘Stop, Collaborate, and Listen,’ a cross-team problem-solving forum, and introduced “Protected Focus Time” to support colleagues, demonstrating how empathy leads to sustainable excellence.
Under her leadership, the team has achieved significant commercial wins, including the Media Week and AOP Sales Team of the Year awards. More importantly, Gina’s success has translated to substantial YOY brand uplifts in trust and consideration for our content partners.
Gina proves that true disruption doesn’t come from authority alone, but from empathy, inclusion, and a willingness to listen.
Lee Isaacs – Senior media manager, Just Eat Takeaway
Lee Isaacs embodies the future of media leadership by demonstrating that today’s most influential leaders don’t just shape campaigns, they shape culture.
As global chair of the ‘JET & Proud’ LGBTQIA+ network, Lee spearheaded Just Eat Takeaway’s first-ever global Pride campaign, now in its third year and active across 22 offices.
His award-winning work unified departments, secured investment, and embedded inclusion into the company’s DNA, even in markets with challenging rights records.
Lee’s success secured him a formal, dedicated role as global Pride strategic & campaign lead, and he is currently on a secondment in the company’s Global Inclusion, Diversity & Belonging team.
His leadership earned him recognition as a ‘Top 10 Inclusive Campaigner’ at the British LGBT Awards and shortlistings at the MEFA and Rainbow Honours Awards.
In his core media role, Lee continues to deliver excellence, including the award-winning Big Brother partnership that earned a Silver Effie for Media Innovation.
Outside of his day job, Lee also volunteers as media director for the National HIV Story Trust, securing pro bono media partnerships to amplify LGBTQIA+ history.
His ability to drive business-wide change and elevate underrepresented voices makes him a standout leader for the future.
David Lucy – Managing director, December19
David Lucy redefines media leadership by challenging outdated industry practices and championing transparency, rigorous measurement, and sustainable growth.
As MD of December19, David has driven the agency to its highest-ever Campaign Live billings ranking. He has launched proprietary tools, including Optix (a programmatic platform that meets ISBA transparency standards), Lumos (a cross-platform video reach planning tool), and Oculus (a real-time performance dashboard), which provide clients with complete clarity and control over their media investments.
David remains deeply involved in client strategy, serving as the principal author of the IPA Effectiveness Award-winning Xero case study, which also secured both the Best Ongoing Use of TV and Grand Prix awards at the Thinkbox TV Planning Awards 2025.
He’s a vocal advocate for industry change, chairing the “Trust or Bust” panel at Advertising Week 2025 and shaping best practices across 100+ independent agencies through December19’s founding membership of the Alliance of Independent Agencies.
Under his leadership, December19 returned to Campaign’s Best Places to Work after a multi-year absence, plus earned Sunday Times recognition. David proves that doing the right thing drives sustainable success.
Babs Sotande-Peters – Senior manager, global programmatic & innovation, team x/OMD EMEA
Babs Sotande-Peters is changing the future of global advertising. At OMD EMEA’s bespoke unit for Mercedes-Benz, he’s led breakthrough strategies that fuse creativity, technology, and measurable impact.
He pioneered Mercedes-Benz’s first global audio framework, driving a significant increase in investment, and launched market-first CTV campaigns in South Africa and India, achieving record-breaking performance. His work is now embedded in the brand’s annual planning.
Recognised by PMW, ExchangeWire, and The Media Leader’s Future 100, Babs is both a trailblazer and mentor. He leads knowledge-sharing initiatives and champions collaboration across the OMD network, proving that future leadership is about vision, influence, and meaningful change.
Michael Tull – Head of strategy and insight, Digital Cinema Media
Michael Tull has redefined how cinema is valued in advertising. As head of strategy and insight at DCM, he’s led a decade of research proving cinema’s effectiveness and elevating it as a premium AV channel.
His Building Box Office Brands series revealed that cinema audiences are the most attentive in the media, and his Maximising Price study showed that cinema drives a 10% higher price premium than other channels. These insights reshaped advertiser perceptions and unlocked new revenue.
Michael’s work drove a 7% rise in bookings, brought 25 new advertisers into cinema, and helped DCM achieve record revenue growth. His ability to turn complex data into commercial impact makes him one of media’s most influential and category-defining leaders.