Sturae Hickley is a digital advertising leader with 18 years of experience built on a passion for people development and performance-driven media. She began her career at Habari Media in a reporting role, developing a strong foundation in data and campaign insights. Her curiosity and drive quickly propelled her into broader strategic and operational responsibilities, setting the stage for her growth in the industry.

Sturae’s career accelerated at Mark1 Media, where she progressed from Campaign Manager to leading a team of platform specialists. Over eight years, she helped scale digital execution capabilities, implemented operational processes, and mentored emerging talent. It was during this time that she worked closely with Daan, building a shared vision around developing people and delivering high-quality digital media solutions.

She later spent more than six years at WPP Media, initially heading up the Programmatic team before expanding her role to lead integrated digital teams across biddable media and planning. Her remit grew to include operational leadership, giving her end-to-end exposure to agency functions, client management, and leading large cross-functional teams to drive business success.

Beyond her leadership roles, Sturae is deeply committed to skills development. She has trained professionals across digital planning and activation, spoken at industry events, judged the IAB Bookmark Awards and The Drum International Advertising Awards (three times), served as Chairlady for STELLA (a WPP initiative), and guest lectured at the University of Pretoria in 2024 and 2025.

Now, Sturae and Daan are joining forces, bringing together their complementary experience and shared passion for people development. Following Daan’s leadership in building and scaling Mark1 Media over 15 years, the partnership is rooted in a long-standing collaboration and mutual commitment to nurturing African talent. Together, they aim to deliver outstanding digital media solutions while creating meaningful career opportunities and developing the next generation of digital specialists across the continent.

Daan is a Chartered Management Accountant whose early career in London combined rigorous financial discipline with a growing fascination for media and digital innovation. Over 12 years in the UK, he qualified as a CMA and gained his first media exposure during a six-month contract with the BBC. That experience led him to Media Initiatives Group (MIG), a West End media business where he spent a decade and helped launch their first online media division in 1999—an initiative that ignited his long-term commitment to digital media.

In 2009 Daan returned to South Africa to pursue a long-held ambition: to build a media business rooted in African talent and opportunity. He founded Mark1 Media and led the company for 15 years, scaling operations, mentoring teams, and delivering digitally-driven solutions across the region. In 2024 he sold Mark1 Media, marking the culmination of a chapter defined by growth, strategic leadership, and a deep belief in the potential of local creative talent.

Throughout his career Daan has prioritized people development. Over 15 years he collaborated with and mentored emerging South African leaders, notably Sturae Hickley, who passionately led the Mark1 AoOps team for eight years. This commitment to career-building and high-quality digital work is the foundation for their next venture together, Ardent 4 Africa, which aims to deliver outstanding digital media services while continuing to develop meaningful careers for Africans across the industry.