On Thursday 4 September, the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) Victorian State Committee partnered with VETASSESS to host an exclusive thought leadership event at Melbourne’s stylish QT venue. Over 70 marketers gathered to explore the evolving landscape of marketing capabilities under the theme: “Future Ready Marketing: Building the skills that matter.”

The panel featured three dynamic speakers—Corrina Brazel from Wesfarmers Health, Ben Miles from Movember and Swati Jain from McCain Foods, who shared personal insights and practical strategies for thriving in a rapidly changing industry.

Key takeaways included the importance of building diverse and unconventional skill sets, with Corrina and Ben encouraging marketers to step outside their comfort zones to reach leadership roles. Swati highlighted the link between diversity and innovation, advocating for teams built from varied backgrounds to spark fresh thinking and challenge norms.

The panel also tackled the evolving agency vs. in-house dynamic. Ben shared his experience running a hybrid agency model at Movember, while Swati reflected on the value agencies once held as the “pre-ChatGPT” creative engine, expressing a desire for deeper collaboration and internal understanding.

Corrina emphasised the benefits of hiring talent from agency backgrounds, citing their creativity and strong briefing protocols. The conversation also touched on AMI’s competency tool, which Corrina used to uncover blind spots in her team’s skillsets, and Swati praised the tool for enabling career advancement discussions.

When asked about the most critical skill for marketers in 2025, the panel agreed: it’s not just technical expertise, but bravery, adaptability, and strategic thinking that will define future success.

Thank you to the AMI Victorian State Committee and VETASSESS for bringing this inspiring event to life.

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