ACCRA, GHANA // Yaa is an award-winning creative leader with 20 years of experience in advertising, branding and marketing. In 2025, she was named to the DARE! List (Dream, Act, Reimagine, Empower), recognising the next generation of Black leaders in creativity. She spearheaded the first-ever Cannes Lions See It Be It Africa initiative in Ghana, a landmark event empowering women in the creative industry. She also recently won Creative Marketer of the Year at the 2024 global Women in Marketing Awards, cementing her position as a trailblazer in the industry. In 2019, Yaa was one of only 15 women selected globally for the Cannes Lions See It Be It programme, becoming the first Ghanaian and sole African representative that year. Since then, she has served as a juror for Cannes Lions See It Be It (2020–2025) and was recently appointed a Cannes Lions Juror for Glass: The Lion for Change (2025), a prestigious category that honours work driving culture-shifting impact for equality. She also featured in Cannes Lions Classic Reactions, a collaboration with Facebook that re-examined iconic ads through today’s lens. Yaa began her career as a Designer at Landor Associates in the UK before returning to Ghana to join Ogilvy’s creative team. She later made history as the first and only female Creative Director at Scanad, a J. Walter Thompson Company within WPP Scangroup.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Graphic Design from the Arts Institute of Bournemouth and has earned certificates in Leadership, Branding & Marketing, and Interactive Media & Digital. Her excellence in typography granted her recognition from the International Society of Typographic Designers (UK), earning her the prestigious MISTD title. Additionally, her work was exhibited at London’s D&AD New Blood show. Yaa’s extensive jury experience includes Cannes Lions, The Art Directors Club, The Loeries, Gerety Awards, The ANDY Awards, Pitcher Awards, Ad Stars and LAIF/Young LAIFers Beyond judging, Yaa has played a key role in shaping industry discourse, having been involved in organising the International Advertising Association’s 6th African Rising Conference and speaking at the 3rd African Rising Leadership Conference. Her keynote speaking engagements include Accra’s Social Media Week (2018 & 2019) and the Pitcher Awards (2020 & 2022). She also contributed as a juror for the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) and the 2019 Young LAIFers program in Nigeria.