Winner to Receive Full-Tuition Scholarship to Attend The Berlin School

Berlin – 22 June 2016 – The Berlin School of Creative Leadership and iHeartMedia announced today the return of the “iHeartMedia Scholarship for Leadership in Audio Innovation” program, which was introduced in 2014. The winner will receive a full-tuition scholarship (worth 53,000 Euro) to attend the Berlin School's prestigious global Executive MBA in Creative Leadership Program starting March 2017. Entries are being accepted from now through November 15, 2016 and will be judged by the Berlin School and iHeartMedia's Creative Advisory Council (CAC); entrants to the competition will be considered on both their professional and academic profile, as well as their response to a special essay question about the power of radio and the future of sound.

The return of this global scholarship competition reinforces iHeartMedia's initiatives to drive excitement among the creative community around the possibilities audio offers to advertisers and to develop leadership talent in the field. In conjunction with the competition kickoff, Berlin School President Michael Conrad will host an exclusive fireside chat with Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc., at the Palais des Festivals on Wednesday, June 22 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss strategies to develop creative excellence and the challenges and breakthroughs Pittman has experienced during his career.

"Audio creative — whether broadcast radio, streaming or podcasts — is increasingly critical for advertisers to maximize the power of sound to reach their consumers," said Pittman. "We are pleased to renew the iHeartMedia Scholarship for Leadership in Audio Innovation because we believe the Berlin School’s global EMBA program is crucial in spreading the right training and development for our creative leaders worldwide.”

Michael Conrad’s view on the power of audio and the power of this scholarship partnership is enthusiastic, “From the Internet of Things via the Media of Things to the Communication of Things the rock of all things combined has been radio. We are so honored and excited to now receive a second iHeartMedia EMBA scholarship with such a strong application topic for the winning participant: What made radio so unique for over half a century, so rock solid and the most favorite media bar none for people around the world and how should the advertising industry adjust their strategies to the growing popularity and innovative products of ’SOUND’?”

Members of the Berlin School Admission Committee will work with iHeartMedia's Creative Advisory Council, which provides expert insights on the development of innovative approaches to audio and out-of-home advertising, to review, evaluate and select the competition's next scholarship winner. The 2014 inaugural Leadership in Audio Innovation Competition received entries from across 20 countries and awarded Sam Bergen, Executive Creative Director for Energy BBDO, its first full-tuition scholarship. He has since joined iHeartMedia's Creative Advisory Council. As such, Bergen will also serve as one of the judges who will help select this year's scholarship recipient.

Distinguished industry and agency thought leaders among iHeartMedia's Creative Advisory Council judges are:

Sam Bergen, Executive Creative Director, Energy BBDO
Lincoln Bjorkman, Global Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman Paul Gunning, President/CEO, DDB Chicago Paul LaVoie, Chairman/Co-Founder, TAXI Benjamin Palmer, (formerly) CEO / Co-Founder, The Barbarian Group Chuck Porter, Partner/Chairman, Crispin Porter + Bogusky David Sable, Global Chief Executive Officer, Y&R Taras Wayner, SVP/Executive Creative Director, New York, R/GA Ty Montague, CEO/Co-Founder, Co:Collective
Jeff Benjamin, Chief Creative Officer, Disco
Matthew Ian, Group Creative Director, Droga5
Matthew MacDonald, Chief Creative Officer, BBDO
Rosemarie Ryan, Co-Founder, Co:Collective

The part-time EMBA program starts March 2017 in Berlin, Germany and is designed for senior executives in the creative industry who have a track record for creative excellence. The Executive MBA comprises of five separate two-week modules taking place in the USA, Asia and Berlin over 18-24 months. The ideal candidates should be accomplished senior executives in the creative industries with a strong professional background and track record of creative excellence. A bachelor’s degree is a required. Application Deadline: November 15, 2016, please visit http://www.berlin-school.com/programs/exec-mba-in-creative-leadership/scholarships/. ? ?

If you have any questions please contact the Berlin School at tel. +49 (0) 30 884 980 80 or via email: Press@berlin-school.com.

About Berlin School
The Berlin School of Creative Leadership (www.berlin-school.com) is the world’s first educational institute and think-tank dedicated solely to leadership for the creative industries including: media, advertising, marketing, design, journalism, entertainment and digital. Its part-time global Executive MBA program in Creative Leadership is the centerpiece of a vibrant global community of senior creative industry executives from more than 60 countries. Based in Berlin and operated by a not-for-profit foundation, the school’s mission is to help develop leaders whose innovative ideas can refresh, renew and transform the creative industries.