Gia Conte

Once upon a time, I thought advertising was for Mad Men and marketing grads, not someone with a Psych & Philosophy degree and a knack for selling. But then a former colleague lured me into selling ad space for a glossy travel magazine (back when people still bought those). I was skeptical. I jumped anyway. And while that first media gig wasn’t exactly a fairytale, it cracked open a world I’d fall in love with: media sales, data, insights, and strategy. My inner nerd was hooked. Fast forward a few years, and I’d built a solid career in media sales. But in 2015, I felt the itch to understand the bigger picture, so I pivoted into strategy and then media product management at Primedia Malls. Cue a crash course in OOH development, project management, tech, and marketing. Valuable? Absolutely. But I missed the buzz of client conversations and the thrill of cracking briefs. In 2018, I shifted again — this time into location media strategy. Game. Changer. Suddenly I was fusing creativity with data, solving real client problems across diverse brands. And I realized something huge: I’m an agency creature. I thrive in fast-paced, data-fueled, collaborative environments. To round out my skill set, I completed Google’s Squared Online Digital Marketing Leadership Program in 2020 (with distinction!). I became a certified digital change agent, fluent in customer-centricity, innovation, and working across silos. At Dentsu, I expanded into above-the-line strategy, account management, and led the OOH strategy for Vodacom. I was also selected for two global acceleration programs; Trailblazers and Game Changers — where I was mentored by experts from around the world. In 2022, I joined GroupM for the opportunity to work on truly creative, boundary-pushing brands like Coca-Cola and Netflix and wow, did it deliver. I got to unleash my inner creative weirdo and led some of the most exciting OOH work of my career, including the Netflix Marquee billboard on Winnie Mandela Drive (yes, that one). Then came a call I couldn’t ignore, the leadership at JCDecaux approached me to take on a strategic sales role, focused on reviving and growing their mall portfolio. I said yes in a heartbeat, their ethos around media and selling aligned perfectly with mine. Now that I’m back on the media owner side, I’m in my element: engaging directly with clients, reigniting long-standing relationships, and doing what I do best unlocking revenue through insight-driven solutions. I’ve already turned the numbers around on the mall side, and now I’m looking for my next strategic sales challenge, one where I can sharpen my skills even further and build meaningful, long-term partnerships in the media industry. Focused Sales Manager committed to motivating others and offering extensive knowledge penetrating new territories and promoting product lines. Highly effective mentor driven to assess individual and group performance to implement improvements and set goals. Determined individual with background in establishing and nurturing lucrative partnerships.

Lunga, Majija - MD JCDecaux South Africa, 079 517 3257

Sally Stewart — Former Head of OOH, GroupM – 073 234 7527
Jared Jacobs — Business Unit Director, Wavemaker – 072 099 6745
Livia Brown — Former GM, Posterscope – +1604 740 2011 (WhatsApp)
Deshendri Smit, Lee Curtis, Adrian Goosen — Senior Execs from Primall & Campus Media

• RETAIL – MERCHANDISING & PROMOTIONS
• PROPERTY - NON GLA RIGHTS
• WELLNESS – SALES & MANAGEMENT
• MEDIA – SALES, STRATEGY & IMPLEMENTATION