Suhana Gordhan, Chief Creative Officer at Duke Group, Cape Town

Gordhan is a Hindu, who learned quickly that there are no sacred cows in advertising. One of her favourite moments in her 18-year career, was during her time as Creative Director on Nando’s, when she pissed off a dictator and won an award for it. Other accolades include a Black Eagle, multiple awards at the Loeries, Creative Circle Ad of the Year, Pendorings, The Bookmarks, Cannes Lions, D&AD, and Best of Show in Radio at The One Show Awards.

Career highlights include being selected by FCB Global as one of two Creative Directors to attend a surfing and leadership program in Nicaragua in 2016, and in 2017 being named one of Destiny Magazine’s Power of 40 Candidates. Gordhan’s work for Coca-Cola featured in Contagious Magazine as one of three campaigns in The World’s Best Strategies.

Gordhan serves on key industry boards in South Africa – The Loeries and the Creative Circle Exco. She is the former Chairperson of The Loeries. Gordhan also founded Open Chair – an initiative that creates space for young women in advertising to have face time with senior female leadership.

When not making ads, she enjoys people watching and Capoeira – a 400-year-old Afro-Brazilian Martial Arts (often mistaken by her colleagues to be an innocuous dance form).