Rebecca Wright named D&AD Deputy President

D&AD announces Rebecca Wright, our Dean of Academic Programmes, as Deputy President under Naresh Ramchandani’s presidency. In 2021, she will become the first educator to hold the industry-leading position of President.

The organisation, which celebrates excellence and shapes conversations across the advertising and graphic design professions, points to a new era through its selection of an educator.

“I am incredibly humbled and honoured... I see this as an optimistic move at a time of great uncertainty and it feels like the right time for education to have a different place at the table. Covid has accelerated what was already happening; a subtle shift in the power play between industry and education. I think our industry is now more open than ever to working with education, particularly in learning from our graduates as the next generation of creatives. This is an opportunity to engage in new ways, not according to old hierarchies, but as different equals.”
Rebecca Wright, Dean of Academic Programmes

The annual appointment was accelerated when designer, and UAL governor, Ben Terrett declined the presidency to “make space for others”. “He made a principled and really significant move,” reflects Wright, “to say this is not the time we need another white, middle aged male stepping into an honorary figurehead position. I have great respect for Ben’s decision and believe it sends a strong signal about how D&AD sees its role in representing its diverse membership.”

This will continue to be a period of intense change and reflection for both the organisation and the wider community that it represents. The focus under Ramchandani’s presidency is on embedding sustainable and inclusive practices as well as supporting the coming generation. “As a bridge between industry and education, D&AD is well-placed to play a critical role in how change happens,” says Wright.

Wright’s tenure as President in 2021 coincides with the organisation’s 60^th anniversary but she emphasises that both challenges and achievements will be faced collectively:

“The presidency is not about an individual, it must be more about building sustainable sector leadership around the challenges we face and the change we need to see. I’m interested in how we pass the baton across presidencies so that change is real and meaningful.”