VICE PRESIDENT

Naseema Sparks was appointed to the Melbourne International Arts Festival Board in March 2006 and accepted the role of Vice President in March 2007.

With a background in pharmaceuticals and strategic consulting, Naseema joined the advertising business in 1988 and has worked in Australia and the UK for major companies including DDB, J Walter Thompson, McCann Erickson and Fleishman Hilliard.

Naseema's most recent executive position was as Managing Director of M&C Saatchi where she managed the agency in Sydney for 5 years until 2004. She then spent two years managing M&C Saatchi Melbourne from a loss making business to a position of profit.

M&C Saatchi is one of the top ten agencies in Australia and from its inception in 1995, has been one of the fastest growing networks. Clients in Melbourne and Sydney include Optus, Woolworths Supermarkets, ANZ, TRUenergy (China Light & Power), Australia Post, Qantas, Audi, Tourism Australia, George Weston Foods, Spirit of Tasmania.  In January 2007 Naseema resigned from M&C Saatchi to pursue a career as a non-executive director.

Naseema graduated as a Bachelor of Pharmacy and a Master of Pharmacology. She also holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School.

Naseema is currently a Director of Blackmores Ltd, Mitchell Communications Group Ltd, Monash IVF Pty Ltd, Australian Print Workshop and Deputy Chair of Osteoporosis Australia. She is a member of Chief Executive Women and GAICD.