ANDREA QUAYE NAMED MARKETER OF THE YEAR AT BOOKMARK AWARDS

Andrea Quaye, Chief Marketing Officer at Heineken Beverages, has been named Marketer of the Year at the Bookmark Awards. Celebrated for her digital-first approach, she has driven innovation across campaigns and portfolios, elevating marketing standards in Africa while championing creativity, talent development and industry-wide transformation in a remarkably short span.  

Publicis Groupe Africa has proudly announced the recognition of Andrea Quaye as Marketer of the Year at this year’s Bookmark Awards, a distinction that underscores her leadership and transformative impact on the African marketing landscape. The accolade celebrates her commitment to advancing marketing excellence, innovation and industry growth, while reinforcing her reputation as one of the continent’s most influential marketing leaders.  

Andrea’s career has been defined by her advocacy for digital-first marketing, from Carling Black Label’s interactive “Be the Coach” campaign to Heineken’s “Social Screens” and Savanna’s “Try January.” After serving as Global Vice President for the Coffee Category at Coca-Cola in Ireland, she returned to South Africa in late 2024 to join Heineken Beverages as Chief Marketing Officer. Her mandate was clear: align the business following the Distell acquisition and drive digital transformation across the group’s marketing delivery.  

Her insistence that every plan combine creativity with a digital-first focus has provided agency partners with a clear directive: produce work that is both digitally integrated and creatively effective. This philosophy has manifested in campaigns such as a data-reactive billboard mirroring Max Verstappen’s race-day speed at the Dakar rally, and the Returnable Star Bottle initiative, which used QR codes and WhatsApp to reward consumers, resulting in the return of more than four million bottles. Across brands including Windhoek, Bernini, Amstel, J.C. Le Roux and Savanna, Andrea’s approach has built digitally led ecosystems that transform ideas into large-scale participation.  

Koo Govender, CEO of Publicis Groupe Africa, credits Andrea’s partnership with agency LePub as pivotal in delivering breakthrough work. “It’s her ability to drive a digital-first marketing approach with clarity and courage that aligns stakeholders and creates the conditions for brand and agency partners to deliver integrated work. Andrea raises the standard of how modern marketing should be done in South Africa,” Govender remarked.  

Luca Gallerelli, Group CEO of TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, echoed this sentiment, noting her ability to make digital transformation practical and scalable. “Andrea is rigorous on strategy, but equally committed to the craft of digital ideas. That leadership elevates the client-agency relationship, accelerates the digital agenda, and sets a benchmark for the wider industry,” he said.  

Her influence extends beyond her own portfolio. Andrea has championed emerging talent through Heineken’s sponsorship of the Cannes Young Lions Digital category and her team’s digital work helped Heineken Beverages secure a strong share of honours at the Loeries 2025, where she ranked as the festival’s second-best marketer in her debut year. Coenie Grebe, ECD at Brand Halo, highlighted Klipdrift’s “Legends” campaign as further evidence of the digital-first ethos now permeating Heineken Beverages.  

Andrea Quaye’s recognition as Marketer of the Year is not only a celebration of her achievements but also a testament to her role in shaping the future of marketing across Africa. By embedding digital-first thinking into creativity and execution, she has redefined how brands connect with consumers and set a new benchmark for the industry.