Yaa Boateng, Managing Director & Chief Creative Officer, The Storytellers
After competing against over 700 applicants worldwide, Yaa was one of 15 women selected globally (the first Ghanaian and only African representative in 2019) to be part of Cannes Lions See It Be It initiative. A programme aimed to inspire, support, and bridge the gender gap by accelerating the next generation of senior-level women in the creative industry. Yaa began her career in advertising as a Designer at Landor Associates in the UK. After returning to Ghana, she joined the creative team at Ogilvy, rising through the ranks to become the first and only female Creative Director at Scanad, a J. Walter Thompson Company within WPP Scangroup.
An award-winning creative leader, Yaa received recognition for typographic excellence from the International Society of Typographic Designers (UK), earning her the title MISTD. She has exhibited her work at London’s D&AD New Blood show. Yaa was featured in Cannes Lions Classic Reactions in partnership with Facebook, where she offered insights by reacting to classic ads through today’s lens.
Her jury experience spans Cannes Lions See It Be It (2020-2024), the Art Directors Club’s 103rd Annual Awards, The Pitcher Awards, and the grand jury for the Gerety Awards. Additionally, she has judged at the Loeries (2023 & 2024), Ad Stars Advertising & Creative Festival (2021), and the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival awards (2019). Yaa was also a panelist at the 3rd African Rising Leadership Conference, organized by the International Advertising Association (IAA), and served on the planning team for the 6th African Rising Conference.
Beyond her professional achievements, Yaa is passionate about advocacy and giving back. She has volunteered at the Autism Awareness Care & Training Centre in Ghana and is an advocate for autism. Her speaking engagements include keynote addresses at Accra’s Social Media Week (2018 & 2019) and the Pitcher Awards (2020 & 2022). In 2018, Yaa was nominated for Ghana’s 40 Under 40 Awards in Advertising, Communications, Sales, and Marketing.
Now Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer of The Storytellers, Yaa continues to make strides in branding and storytelling, driven by a vision to change the world one story at a time.