Melissa Bergin Director and Co-founder of Paper Tiger Media Group

At just 28 years of age, Melissa Bergin is setting the publishing world on fire.

Melissa's keen interest and passion for publishing, fashion, business, youth culture and social issues developed through a stellar career in publishing and advertising sales across a range of titles at Pacific Publications, Australian Consolidated Press and specialist youth marketer Channel STU.

Her growing frustration in the lack of credible, intelligent and cutting-edge media for young Australian women in her demographic fuelled her ambition to launch a media environment that was in step with emerging trends she had identified. In September 2002 Melissa launched YEN magazine, which although it appeared to be entering a cluttered market, quickly established a new category in women's magazines in Australia, and grew to be the leading independent publication for women in the nation.

The parent company 'YEN Media International' quickly grew to launch several brand extensions to the YEN magazine core, including 'Curvy' an annual event, exhibition and publication highlighting the 100 most exciting female graphic artists from 20 countries around the world; 'LadyKillers' an annual event and publication celebrating the most innovative women in surf, skate & snow; and most recently the 'Pantene Young Woman of the Year Awards' - a major annual event celebrating the most inspiring young women in Australia across 9 industry categories.

Building on it's strengths in the local female market, her company was renamed in late 2005 to 'Paper Tiger Media Group' in response to plans to tackle a similar opportunity (that YEN addressed for women in Australia and New Zealand) in the men's market.

The first foray into that territory is the company's exclusive Australia & NZ license of 'Dazed & Confused' the #1 independent publication for men in the UK. Dazed & Confused magazine will launch in Australia in July 2006 and is the first spoke in a wheel that aims to offer an alternative to the Australian men's magazines on offer that either cling to an outdated ideal of the uber-male, or seem to think that the only way to get a guys attention is with a b-grade bikini model.

Director and Co-founder of Paper Tiger Media Group and The Pantene Young Woman Of The Year Awards

So have your say and nominate today - but be quick - nominations close 31 May 2006. For further information on the Pantene Young Woman Of The Year Awards, visit the official website www.pywya.net.