Commenting on her appointment, Costa Pierides, BUSA executive: chambers and membership, says that Curtis stands out amongst her peers in the advertising industry as a person who pushes the envelope and is not scared to address issues of a sensitive nature. "Our Board of Trustees is made up of people who have been selected exactly for this reason and she approaches challenges from a fresh angle.
"She has a unique set of credentials. We needed someone with an artistic flair that would bring a creative side of business to the equation and she certainly has this capacity. We also saw her as coming from a leading company in her field with a known pedigree worldwide. We expect that she will equally enjoy the presence and stature of her contemporaries on the Board and that this will add value to the agency's brand."
Commenting on her appointment, Curtis says that she is delighted to be part of a team that provides direct input on its strategic planning, with a consequential effect on the South African business environment. "The inclusion of a representative from the creative sector on the Board of Trustees is a big step in the right direction. No matter what business sector you are in, business leaders need to start thinking differently and change the way they have done things in the past."
The world is more complex and therefore successful innovative solutions are needed. "Creativity, ideas and innovative thinking are demanded at this time. The agency is a global ideas company that believes in the importance of creativity and innovation for personal, social and economic development."
Curtis also sits on the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA) board and is the IWFSA's (International Women's Forum of South Africa) Vice President. She is the founder and trustee of the Youth Education and Training Initiative (YETI) which funds the Imagination Labs in KwaMashu and Alexandra, enabling skills transfer through learnerships within agencies.
