WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership )

⏰ It’s not long until the 2025 WACL Talent Festival! 🏃♀️ There was a stampede for London tickets but, if you’re quick, you can still  join us virtually. And, new for 2025, we have a Hub in Manchester where  we’ll stream some of the London content alongside live motivational  fireside chats and panels. Book your place and join us as we focus on  5 ways to accelerate your leadership. It promises to be an unforgettable  day that all ambitious women need on their calendar. Link to book your place in the comments! GroupM Sky Mail Metro Media EssenceMediacom Camilla Kemp Freddie Turner Kerry Chilvers Karen Stacey Claire Sadler Satin Reid

✨ A Special Night to Remember: WACL Dinner with Baroness Scotland The final WACL dinner of Karen Stacey’s Presidency was always going to be a special one, but the evening became truly unforgettable with the inspiring words of our after-dinner speaker, the remarkable Baroness Scotland. From the moment she stood to speak, the room was held by her presence. Baroness Scotland’s career is nothing short of extraordinary - rising from humble beginnings to achieve many firsts, including the first Black woman to be appointed as Queen's Counsel (QC), the first female Attorney General and the first woman to serve as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. But what made the evening truly special was not just her long list of achievements, but her ability to speak to every woman in the room, not as a distant figure, but as one of us - warm, human, relatable, and utterly compelling. Her speech wasn’t simply a timeline of accomplishments; it was a call to action. She asked us all a simple but powerful question: "Do you want to be someone, or do you want to do something?" It was clear which path she had chosen. Every story she shared, every lesson she imparted, was rooted in a deep, burning commitment to change - not for recognition, but to make a difference. Throughout the evening, she spoke of courage and fortitude. "Our fortitude, our courage, must be stronger now than ever," she urged, reminding us that progress is never handed to us; it is fought for, step by step. She told of how her parents instilled in her a mindset of leadership, teaching her to accept no barriers. Their belief in her shaped the woman she became - proof, she said, that having someone who believes in you is one of the most powerful gifts you can give. You can read the rest of WACL member Rachel Forde's write up on our website here: https://lnkd.in/eDgZNHsy And huge thanks to Karen Stacey, Rachel Bristow and team for organising the event and to Claire Enders, CBE for securing us such an inspirational speaker, very much rooted in action!

⭐ Rising to the Top: Women CEOs who are Changing the Language of Leadership Come join us at Advertising Week for a 20-minute power panel, followed by a WACL meet up. Lianre Robinson will moderate the panel featuring three remarkable women CEOs who will discuss their journeys in the industry and how they are Changing the Language of Leadership. Amina Folarin - CEO of Oliver UK Jo Blundell - CEO of Crosstown Sera Holland - CEO of Ketchum UK 🕒 When: Thursday 3rd April at 3:20 PM 📍 Location: Empower Lounge Don't miss this opportunity to hear from some of the most inspiring voices in our industry!

Adolescence shows us we must do better. The Netflix series has sparked a critical conversation we can no longer ignore. As Steven Graham's character Eddie poignantly says, "I'm sorry son. I should have done better." This isn't just a line from a show - it's a wake-up call for our entire industry and society. We must: ➡️ Stop turning away from the challenges facing young men ➡️ Challenge toxic narratives that exploit and divide ➡️ Create positive, nuanced representations of masculinity ➡️ Use our storytelling and marketing expertise to build a more inclusive vision of manhood WACL Member Lori Meakin shared her thoughts in Creativebrief, article linked in the comments below. Big thanks to our PR partners Propeller Group for making this happen. Karen Stacey Claire Sadler Lianre Robinson Susie Safavi Annie Leisma #Adolescence

What a night of inspiration and celebration it was for our WACL Talent Award winners on the 20th Anniversary of the event last week! As well as Supporting each other and Campaigning for change in the industry, the way we Inspire next gen talent is a key pillar in our work to accelerate gender equality in the industry? Congratulations to all 29 winners - including our three special award winners  Thanh Catachanas, Emilia Kireli-Reed and Bee Pearson. All of these phenomenal women have shown resilience, determination and talent, some in the face of challenges and hardships that would have fazed many. Now, each of them has been awarded up to £1,500 to invest in training to support their leadership journeys. As the evidence is clear that more gender-equal businesses are more successful, and women face many barriers in their rise to the top, Tess Alps, WACL President in 2004 when the Talent Awards launched, gave the best piece of advice of the evening:  ‘Don’t be scared about wanting power’. And we know the bursaries we've awarded to each of these women will help them  step into their power and make the industry a better place for all of us. An emotional moment came when judith salinson and Lyndy Payne, who have been involved with the Talent Awards selection process from day one, presented the three special awards and announced that after 20 years they will be stepping back from the judging. We all owe a  huge debt of gratitude to these two titans of our industry and the beating heart of WACL. A big thanks to all of our Talent Award Committee members - especially Chairman Satin Reid - and also Sally Keane at Spotify for hosting the evening. Big thanks also to Fleur Stoppani and Katrina Urban as well as Amanda Farmer and the team at LeSHOP for their support on socials and Rose Bentley and Propeller Group on PR. Onward to our 21st Awards in 2026. And the message from our award winners for anyone applying next year? Be yourself and go for it! #womenleaders #WACL #womeninbusiness #genderequality #mentorship Film credit: Bronac McNeill

Are you ready to accelerate your career journey? The window to join WACL's Talent Mentoring program closes TOMORROW! 🔔 At WACL we believe in paying it forward to the next generation of women - to inspire them and help accelerate gender equality in the industry. What makes this mentoring programme special is you will have access to four one-hour sessions: each with a different WACL member, each with a different perspective and all dedicated to helping you fulfil your true potential. ⭐ Standard rate: £120 Special rate for sole traders/not-for-profits: £80 Link to sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eJrv9bZ7 Make sure you invest in yourself today and sign up to this opportunity. 💥 Jo Blundell Karin Seymour Claire Sadler Karen Stacey

We’re thrilled to announce the official Winners of the WACL Talent Awards 2024/2025! These extraordinary women have wowed us with their ambition, talent, drive and vision towards shaping the future of our industry. A huge congratulations - you are an inspiration to us all! A heartfelt thank you to our incredible judges for their time and dedication throughout this process. Visit the WACL website to see the full Winners list: https://lnkd.in/eWZiqvEU #wacl #wacltalentawards #20thanniversary Satin Reid Karen Stacey Claire Sadler

This is such a worthwhile initiative - make sure the rising stars in your organisation sign up before the deadline

The theme for International Women's Day this year is 'Accelerating Action' and at WACL we believe in paying it forward to the next generation of women - to inspire them and help accelerate gender equality in the industry. 👏 The WACL Talent Mentoring Programme provides an opportunity to gain direct insight from the UK’s most experienced and inspirational leaders. Our members will listen and offer, the benefits of their extensive experience and life lessons. What makes this mentoring programme special is you will have access to four one-hour sessions: each with a different WACL member, each with a different perspective and all dedicated to helping you fulfil your true potential. So for IWD this year why don't you invest in yourself by harnessing the collective wisdom of over 100 WACL members who are ready to share their expertise and insights by signing up to our mentoring programme? Deadline: 14th March More information and link to sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eJrv9bZ7 ⭐ Karin Seymour Jo Blundell Karen Stacey Claire Sadler

As International Women's Day approaches, we can't ignore the critical challenges facing workplace gender inclusion. Recent attacks on DEI aren't just setbacks - they're wake-up calls for our entire industry. Karen Stacey, WACL President and CEO of Digital Cinema Media highlights three persistent myths holding us back: 1️⃣ Gender Inclusion is NOT an attack on meritocracy  2️⃣ Opinions are NOT the same as facts  3️⃣ Gender equality is NOT a threat to men Diverse teams drive better business outcomes. Companies with gender balance see increased creativity, innovation, and customer satisfaction. This is an important moment in time. Our purpose at WACL – to accelerate gender equality in our industry – feels more pertinent than ever, but we can’t achieve this without your help. We need everyone to play their part. There’s so much that each of us can do to use what power and influence we have to make our industry better. There’s so much to gain. But we can’t do it alone. 💡 Want to understand why gender equality is a win-win for everyone? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dEjCx4nQ #InternationalWomensDay Claire Sadler Lori Meakin Lianre Robinson Propeller Group