Award-winning ad specialist Ian Thomson joins Macleay College as advertising program leader

International award-winning advertising professional, Ian Thomson, is bringing his extensive creative industry experience to Macleay College advertising students through his new appointment as advertising program leader. 

Thomson brings over 20 years’ experience in the advertising industry to the role and he is responsible for developing relevant course content for the rapidly evolving industry.

The course structure at Macleay College is vocation-orientated, with a focus on project-driven learning with industry professionals, producing highly employable, job-ready graduates at the end of the 12-month course.

For further course information, visit the website here.

Says Thomson: “Advertising is going through a dynamic and exciting period of change. As a global trend, the industry is moving away from the traditional mediums of print and TV. We’re seeing a large number of new positions being created, particularly in digital and social media, which must be reflected in how we educate the upcoming generation of advertising professionals.

“In addition to entry level students, we also cater for graduates with prior education in areas such as Arts, English, Journalism and Graphic Design. We offer these students that have already developed a level of competency in these fields an opportunity to hone their conceptual and practical skills specifically towards getting successful jobs within the advertising industry.”

Macleay College dean, Dr Raffaele Marcellino said Thomson’s appointment marked a significant development for the advertising diploma.   

Says Marcellino: “Ian Thomson has worked extensively in international advertising, broadcast and design industries in London, Barcelona, Vienna and Hamburg, and is the ideal candidate to take our advertising course into the future and prepare students for this evolving field and the new career opportunities.”

Thomson’s work has won a number of awards ranging from the New York Festivals, BDA, Promax, Eyes & Ears of Europe, Cannes, the World Media Awards, Vienna Corporate Film Festival and AWARD. He has also spent time working for Miami Ad School in Hamburg.

Thomson’s appointment follows that of associate dean, Donna Mack in August, as Macleay moves to fill senior positions within the college with pioneering industry professionals.