Carni Wilkens
Chief Growth Officer, dentsu South Africa
With two decades at dentsu and across the media, creative, technology and data landscape, Carni is a strategist, builder and transformer. Her career is defined by curiosity, commercial acumen and a belief that growth is only sustainable when the ecosystem thrives.
Starting in 2006 in brand strategy and media, she expanded into project, finance and operational excellence, earning recognition as one of the industry’s Top 40 Under 40 by 2011. She launched Amplifi South Africa in 2014, shaping its value‑beyond‑price proposition and building a commercial engine for sustainable growth. By 2016, her move to the Sub‑Saharan regional team broadened her influence, leveraging her nuanced understanding of African markets and partner networks.
Today, as Chief Growth Officer, Carni leads dentsu SA’s transformation into a technology, data and consulting‑driven business. She defines outcomes, identifies best practice and designs solutions activated locally and scaled continent‑wide as African impact innovations. She has delivered some of the region’s most complex product breakthroughs, guiding teams far beyond their comfort zones. Her strength lies in connecting the dots across disciplines, turning insight into future‑fit solutions.
Carni believes “our growth is your growth is society’s growth.” Success, for her, is measured by the health and evolution of the broader ecosystem. Outside work, she is a mother, a competitive athlete turned graceful competitor, and a Freestate farmer at heart bringing curiosity, resilience and grounded purpose to every sphere of life.
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