Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., (LBSI) the local office of Leo Burnett Worldwide, recently completed its third Masterclass programme for 13 industry interns. 
The intensive five-week internship which is heralded as the only programme of its kind in the industry, culminated with a graduation ceremony which was attended by the agency’s senior management and several partners of the programme. 


Present at the graduation ceremony were Ranil de Silva, Managing Director, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., Kumudini Gomes, Director People and Culture, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc., the Executive Committee of the company, and the interns’ buddies and mentors from the agency team. 
This year, 13 young people from varied backgrounds and different concentrations of study, were selected for the programme. This group of interns are mostly undergraduates who are pursuing degree programmes at prestigious institutions such as Lingham University - Hong Kong, ACBT, Royal Institute (affiliated with the University of London), the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the National School of Business Management and the Sri Lanka Institute of Technology. 


This internship programme was also strengthened this year by the participation of a variety of industry partners, which includes TV stations, digital design companies, research agencies as well as production and event companies.  The interns also had the opportunity to work in a cross-section of departments at the agency ranging from creative and media, to brand management, brand planning and public relations to digital, activations and events. To support them through the learning process, each intern was provided with a mentor and buddy who guided them throughout their internship. 


Commenting on the success of the third Masterclass programme, Ranil de Silva, Managing Director, Leo Burnett Solutions Inc. stated, “Today we are challenged with recruitment. It is difficult to attract bright young talent to pursue a career in marketing communications. We at Leo Burnett took it upon ourselves to champion this cause. The Leo Burnett Masterclass was designed to attract the brightest young talent interested in our industry and to spark a passion within them to consider a career in marketing communications.” 
 Also commenting on the programme, Kumudini Gomes, Director People and Culture, LBSI stated, “Since its inception three years ago, the Masterclass programme has been very active and has been an important part of the People and Culture programme at Leo Burnett. This programme is completely tailor-made to suit each individual intern’s interests in our industry and we believe that it will bring fresh and new talent into the agency in particularly, and to the industry at large.  I would like to thank the several partners who readily joined us in our efforts to provide these interns with a holistic learning experience.” 
Navvid Mushin, one of the Leo Burnett Masterclass interns stated, “The Leo Burnett Masterclass programme has been an unforgettable experience. Having the opportunity to work with a diverse group of individuals has given me a valuable insight into the advertising and marketing communications industry. I have been fortunate enough to experience the unique culture that is prevalent at Leo Burnett and it was most enlightening to learn the importance that the agency places on simple human insights. 
The Masterclass programme does not limit itself to those who only have marketing degrees, as an International Relations student, I found the programme extremely useful. I have developed a new found passion and enthusiasm for Leo Burnett and the marketing communications industry.”