Research Council

Shaun is a seasoned strategist with up to 10 years’ experience in developing innovative campaigns in the corporate, public and political sectors. As the current Head of Digital for Wavemaker SSA, he is responsible for managing a dynamic team of digital strategists, planners and performance specialists who deliver growth driven media solutions to a diverse portfolio of clients. With a Master’s degree in Political Communication, and finishing up a PhD in digital political campaigning, Shaun possesses specialized knowledge in digital political communication. His academic body of work includes topics such as Personalization of Politics in South African elections, the Diffusion of the Arab Spring, and the use of hyper-targeted populist rhetoric by the Trump campaign. Shaun’s prior experience includes Media Director at Penquin Advertising, Head of Digital and Data at SPACE Media, and Lecturer in Persuasion Studies at the North West University. Shaun boasts an impressive portfolio of brands that he had the privilege of working on, including BMW, Netflix, Colgate, Telkom, British Airways, Huawei, Suzuki, Microsoft, The Kingdom of the Netherlands, South African Revenue Service, Whirlpool and many more. Shaun also regularly contributes to academic discussions regarding social change, specifically focusing on creating sustainable Corporate Social Initiatives. As a fierce supporter of the free press, Shaun also serves on the Board of Directors of the Burke Scholarship, a programme dedicated to advancing democracy by training and developing extraordinary journalists. In addition to the above mentioned, he also serves on the IAB Research council and is project lead for the annual IAB and PWC Digital Adspend Survey. Shaun is well-versed in data and digital media, and stands firm in his belief that strategy should be grounded in data, growth-driven insight and quantitative reasoning.