Anita Forte
Creative Director, UI, R/GA
Anita is passionate about building memorable and meaningful brand experiences that improve people's lives in any way possible. Nurturing creatives is at the core of empowering the community by giving a voice to every single person involved. Anita is currently the Creative Director of Visual Design at R/GA and works with a range of global brands, including Toyota. With a specialisation in UXUI, Anita works carefully to craft enhanced user experiences based on true empathetic insights and data. Prior to working at R/GA, Anita worked both on agency as well as client side. Over her 20 years' experience, Anita has led the global creative teams for Mattel, Fisher-Price, and worked alongside key partners such as Disney, BBC, Hugo Boss, Nickelodeon & NBA as well as created branding for start-ups across Australia in the beauty and fashion space, with a particular interest in crafting tone of voice, as well as visual identity. Anita has also led regional teams across Asia-Pacific and is deeply interested in learning about localised executions for a variety of diverse audiences. Applying her 'sleeves rolled-up' mentality, Anita enjoys both being on the tools as well as overall creative direction and digital strategy.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
I have always been inspired by the women around me. I have not been preoccupied with status, but rather people who display strong commitment to passions that they love and believe in. Staying true to themselves and following a path of satisfaction above anything else tends to lead to greater success and happiness.
What was your journey and where are you headed in your career right now?
My professional background has always been centred around design. I absolutely love my work. My background in consumer product design, branding, strategy, creative direction, copywriting and UXUI are incredibly enriching. I love to learn new things and about all the digital tools that are available to us. I have spent time working overseas in regional and global roles as well as local ones. I am so happy to say I have experienced all this. It’s not been easy, but I am proud of it all.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
- The Alchemist – Paolo Coehlo
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Authenticity
- Balance
- Diversity
- Family
- Humour
- Integrity
- Leadership
- Perseverance
- Self-respect
- Trust
- Vision
- Wellbeing
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
My family inspires me every day. The way we band together and ride waves keeps me fuelled to reach above and beyond.
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
Help others reach their full potential. I know how difficult it was for me to be recognised for the work I did, so I would be more than happy to help anyone else in the same situation.
What are the top 5 skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Asking powerful questions
- Collaborative
- Confident
- Connected
- Empathic
- Great listener
- Intuitive
- Nurturing
- Open
- Patient
- Present
- Resilient
- Respectful
- Supportive
Ready to be a part of Assisterhood as a Mentee?
We are now up and running in QLD, VIC and NSW – and we’re only just getting started! Let’s shoot for the stars – together!