What happened to the progress in female creative leadership?

Women in creative leadership roles have been leaving adland. The IPA Census reported a decline in both of the last two years, down from 30% in 2022 to 25.6% in 2024. On top of this, the Census reported a widening pay gap, increasing to almost 20% in 2024.

This episode welcomes Laura Jordan Bambach to the studio, founder and chief creative officer of female founded Uncharted. Alongside editor Maisie McCabe and deputy creativity and culture editor Charlotte Rawlings, they discuss why it’s got worse, if there was any improvement seen in the first place and what needs to be done to amend the issue.

Jordan Bambach, who launched The Great British Diversity Experiment nine years ago, explained that when agencies feel under pressure from economic and other external storms, they return to "muscle memory", and rely on behaviours of the past. The industry needs to reframe what it is to be a successful creative leader and adjust perceptions, she said.

This episode was hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley.

Further reading:

I can’t believe I still have to write columns about this shit

Under-appreciated, overlooked and misunderstood: the life of a female creative

3 great ads I had nothing to do with – #68 with Laura Jordan Bambach

My Cannes Snapshot: Laura Jordan Bambach

Laura Jordan Bambach, Hannah Matthews and Fern Miller unveil 'advanced' creative agency

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