The Future 100’s media heroes of 2025
We asked Future 100 Club members to tell us who inspired them most in 2025. From industry leaders championing responsible media to colleagues who handled difficult times with grace, here are their media heroes.
Sarah Pettitt, senior group business director, UK & INTL, Seedtag
“Farah Golant is my media hero of 2025 because she embodies exactly the blend of confidence, creativity, and courage that inspires me personally and professionally. Meeting her, I was buoyed by her uplifting confidence, powerful anecdotes and philosophical perspectives.
“In her role on the Seedtag Board of Directors, she brings decades of strategic media and creative leadership, drawing on her experience as a former CEO and executive across global media and advertising businesses to champion innovation and meaningful impact in our industry.
“Watching her speak at MAD//FEST, I was struck by her gravitas and insight, particularly her conviction that great creative work must move people emotionally, even if that feeling is uncomfortable; she framed belonging and bravery as essential to this process.
“She even playfully reimagined KPIs as ‘Keep People Inspired,’ reminding us that data has its place, but emotion is what truly drives action. Her optimism was captured years ago when she said, ‘I really do bring optimism into most rooms… I don’t do blue… I don’t do worrying’, still feels relevant and powerful today. Farah Golant isn’t just a leader I admire, she’s a model of what media leadership should feel like in 2025.”
Mitchell Cocker, founding partner, Piqniq
“Katy Sharpe and Bee Pearson, my fellow Piqniq founding partners are my media heroes of 2025. It’s been a real rollercoaster of a journey founding and then growing a media agency over the last 18 months. We’ve gone from working in coffee shops and living rooms to our own Soho HQ with a roster of household named brands and a team of 13. Their dedication, work ethic & desire to build an agency of the future never ceases to amaze me.
“They’ve done podcasts, stepped on stage in front of hundreds of people at industry events and even won WACL awards while continuing to centre and champion female leadership and diverse perspectives in advertising & media.
“Not only that but they’ve done it all in what has been undoubtedly the craziest and busiest year of their careers, while managing the arrival of their children Cleo & Indigo. I’ll never stop being impressed by everything they’ve achieved both at Piqniq and at home.”
Colin Horan, strategic partner, FMCG, Bauer Media Outdoor
“For me, it’s the unsung heroes that deserve to be called out. There are so many people who work incredibly hard, deliver brilliant work, and yet often don’t get the recognition they deserve. They might not make the headlines, but they’re a joy to work with and absolutely integral to any business success.”
Lucy Baumgartner, effectiveness director, Talon
“Undoubtedly my media hero was Emily Alcorn, chief effectiveness officer at Talon. She has approached every challenge in 2025 with positivity and determination, while her unwavering dedication and passion to proving the impact of OOH for clients and drive the effectiveness agenda across the industry has been truly unmatched.
“Emily is a hugely inspirational leader within the industry and particularly for her team. Everyday she provides her team with a sense of purpose and has an unrivalled talent for getting the most out of people and entrusting those around her with exciting new opportunities which have undoubtedly shaped our futures.”
Natalie Fox, head of client sales and new business, Guardian News & Media
“The likes of News Alliance, iProspect, and Bountiful Cow continue to champion why news is good for advertisers — and why that matters for all of us.
“Whether we like it or not, we now have influence over which media survives and which dies. So we have to think about where we spend our money. Do we really believe that public figures like Keir Starmer or Nigel Farage need less scrutiny? Or that public enquiries like the grooming gangs investigation should unfold without a critical eye? As Adam Foley from Bountiful Cow said, ‘if you don’t pay for journalism, you get propaganda.'”
Adam Scantlebury, head of technology, Media Hub
“The Good Net — twice crowned start-up of the year — for putting ethical advertising at the heart of the industry.
“They’ve proved that brands can show up in high-quality, sustainable environments while still hitting business outcomes. The tech ensures ads only appear against ethical content, and this year we’ve gone further by co‑creating award‑winning custom algorithms that deliver genuinely positive outcomes for clients.”
Lisa Boyles, head of go to market and media, giffgaff
“Tim Pritchard, who is the head of responsible media at MG OMD. None of the work we do at giffgaff in sustainable/responsible media would be possible without Tim (and our wider client team). He’s so deeply passionate and knowledgeable about this topic, and does truly excellent work in spreading the word and getting more media folk on board.”
Matt Wilké, head of commercial partnerships, Media Plus
“My media hero of 2025 is anyone in a leadership role who handled layoffs with honesty and humanity. This year exposed the worst and best of our industry. While some companies reduced people to line-items, others demonstrated remarkable integrity by communicating early, supporting individuals properly, and refusing to hide behind corporate euphemisms. The real heroes were the leaders who protected dignity in a year when that felt unfashionable. They reminded us that media is a people business before it is anything else.”
Davina Barker, sales director, DCM
“Tom Linay, DCM’s head of film. Not only does he have unparalleled knowledge of film, cinema and cinema audiences he uses this to help inform the wider industry (including The Media Leader!). This year he also got in front of the camera for the first time to launch screen test to drive fame and conversation.”
Tim Bond, associate director, media, Ipsos
“Denise Turner. I was left speechless when I heard the very sad news about Denise, but to see the outpouring of sympathy and tributes only goes some way to show the impact she had on this industry. I had the pleasure of knowing her a little, and her taking the time to offer some words of advice and encourage early on in my career has always stuck with me. She is and will be missed.”