How networks & ad agencies are celebrating International Women’s Day 2024

“These events range from educational programs, like our NYC brunch with partners at Win Fertility to highlight our new elective egg and sperm freezing and donor materials (part of our US benefits offering) to #IamRemarkable workshops with Google that empower women to speak openly about their accomplishments in and out of the workplace. We also have an impressive lineup of women speakers joining us for panels and fireside chats around the world.

“Diversity is a key enabler of creativity, and by fostering a more inclusive workplace, we cultivate a space that allows for more innovative ideas and solutions for our people and clients. As a leader in our industry, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to empower change and drive gender equity across the business – no matter the month of the year.”

Havas

Jules Mayer-Janovic, head of communications at Havas Health & You and Havas Creative Network: “To find inspiring females for International Women’s Day, Havas looked no further than our own backyard. In a video distributed to all 22,000 employees, colleagues across continents lifted the proverbial curtain on decades of experience to reveal issues of pay equity, childcare, representation and having a seat at the table. These women discussed how the industry has changed (spoiler alert: it’s improved, but we’re not there yet), the strength of our internal programs, the significance of a mentor and a single word of advice for all women navigating their professional careers.

“As the video testimonials echo throughout our offices over the course of the day, it will only reinforce the need for these meaningful conversations.”

Stagwell

Beth Sidhu, chief brand and communications officer: “This month, we’re using the opportunity to introduce a new series we’re calling ‘The new class of female leaders at Stagwell,’ where we’ll spotlight the women who have either been recently elevated to CEO roles or who have joined the network as CEOs of newly acquired agencies. They’re bringing a wealth of expertise and fresh perspectives to the table across cultural marketing, emerging technology, immersive experiences and design, product development and more, and we’re proud to be in partnership with these exceptional women who are helping to propel Stagwell’s growth forward.”

IPG Mediabrands

Hermon Ghermay, global chief culture officer: “At IPG Mediabrands with over half of our global population identifying as women, including in our key executive roles, we’re creating a workplace that fosters a consciously diverse and inclusive workplace for all our people. In our APAC region, we’re proud to have achieved a 0% gender pay gap in Australia, outperforming all other holding company groups.

“This year for Women’s History Month, we came together to echo this year’s global theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’ across our collective network – inclusive of Initiative, UM, Mediahub, Kinesso and Magna – with a curated month-long commitment to educating and inspiring employees.

“On International Women’s Day, we’re hosting multiple events, including ‘Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality’ in partnership with Women In Development Europe+ for all global employees – a panel discussion celebrating the diverse and powerful voices of women in media in Canada. Our Open Women’s Network in EMEA is hosting a series of events to inspire inclusion and creativity. LATAM will begin the celebration with an employee-led video, followed by events celebrating motherhood and work, diversity among women and combating gender violence. APAC will focus on the idea of ‘Invest In Women,’ with content sessions exploring ways that investing in women, and investing in yourself, benefits us all.”

Accenture

Jill Kramer, chief marketing and communications officer: “2024 is a milestone year for us, marking Accenture’s 20th year celebrating International Women’s Day around the world. Our theme this year is ‘Be Without Limits,’ which aims to spotlight the limitless, barrier-free and unhindered opportunities women can have to truly thrive. It’s a focus on the freedom to challenge, innovate and dream big.

“This year, we’ll have over 150 local events globally, where our people come together to recognize our progress and celebrate our women, learn from each other’s expertise and experiences and have meaningful conversations on how we can continue to advance gender equality.”

David & Goliath

Nicole Gordon, director of talent and culture: “This International Women’s Day, we’re championing the holiday’s global theme, ‘Inspire Inclusion,’ with engaging and educational initiatives. We’re kicking off the month with a women’s history trivia game during our weekly Thursday agency happy hour, celebrating the monumental achievements of women in a way that’s both fun and enlightening.

“Later in the month, we’re planning to host an agency women’s panel featuring our senior female leaders of diverse backgrounds and functions, who will share their invaluable insights on leadership, their career journey and mentorship. With more than half of our agency comprised of women, we are proud to honor them as they continue to actively trailblaze and reshape our industry.”

VML

Carly McCracken, strategist and co-chair of Ellume, VML’s women’s employee resource group: “For Women’s History Month this year, VML’s women’s employee resource group, Ellume, has several activations planned. Throughout the month, employees are encouraged to create digital works for a story collection, Ellume Stories, on the topic of ‘Women Who Inspire Me.’

“On Thursday, March 28, there will be two special sessions. The first is a workshop with Gretchen DeKnikker, founder of Unbound & Unbothered, on how to silence your overly critical inner voice, extend grace to yourself and others and kick imposter syndrome out the door. Following Gretchen’s workshop, there will be a hybrid event featuring a panel of women leaders speaking to the importance of diversity and inclusion.

“Winners of our 2023-2024 Helen Lansdowne Resor (HLR) Scholarship will be announced on March 13. VML’s tribute to Resor, the industry’s and our first female copywriter and an unparalleled creative force during her time, our HLR Scholarship aims to inspire a new generation of diverse female talent to take their creative bravery to the next level.

“Additionally, VML is leaning into the holiday’s global theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’ by spotlighting women and nonbinary colleagues in an International Women’s Day newsletter, hosting #IAmRemarkable sessions (workshops on the empowerment of underrepresented communities), creating graphics for ‘thank you’ cards that will be distributed to women throughout the organization and organizing leadership dialogue with a panel of women leaders across the region. The spotlight will focus on the APAC region – VML rotates regions each year.”

Assembly

Michelle Chan, marketing manager: “At Assembly, we are committed to celebrating inclusivity on International Women’s Day. This year, our focus is on emotional intelligence, recognizing its vital role in understanding and embracing our emotions on a daily basis. The highlight of the week will be an engaging panel discussion featuring female leaders from Assembly, as well as our client Aesop, and partners including Stagwell, Goodstuff and KWT Global. Together, we will delve into various topics related to emotional intelligence in the workplace.

“We have chosen ‘Emotional Intelligence’ as our theme because we want to shed a positive light on something that is often stereotypically and negatively associated with women. Emotions are powerful and universal, and they can be harnessed for success. Ultimately, our goal is to drive transformative change in our workplace by encouraging everyone to embrace and express their own emotions, creating an environment where everyone feels supported and valued.”

Mischief @ No Fixed Address

Anne Caceres-Gonzalez, director of people and culture: “When we launched Mischief, we were very deliberate across all leaders – regardless of gender – to build something that works against the macho man, big-ego dude energy that has plagued the industry.

“While we celebrate International Women’s Day at Mischief, our focus is not limited to a single day. We’re committed to a 365-day mission. Every day throughout the year, Mischief is dedicated to empowering women and having them lead by example. This commitment is not just a statement but a part of our DNA, ensuring that our workplace is a platform for women to thrive and succeed.

“At Mischief, we take pride in the strong representation of women across our staff and leadership team. Our commitment to gender equality is reflected in our numbers: 54% of our staff and 63% of our leadership team are women. We’ve also been conscious of implementing policies that support and uplift our talent, informed by the intersectional experiences of our talent at Mischief.

“We’ve created a culture of kindness and collaboration with a human and heart approach to leadership. This culture of consensus gives Mischief a different feel.”

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