As one of the UN Women’s newest HeForSheChampions, Yannick Bolloré joins world and business leaders in working toward global change in gender equality. At Havas, we have also made commitments to increase the number of women in executive creative roles and establish pay equity in countries where there is inequity.
To ensure we are set up to meet our goals, Havas Group has established a Creative Women’s Advisory Council, consisting of the following women creative leaders who will support Yannick Bolloré in his role as Champion and help ensure the environment at Havas advances women into creative leadership positions. Congratulations to these inspiring women!
Dare! asked them why they are passionate about advancing women and what they want to accomplish as part of this council.
Antoinette Beatson
Executive Creative Director International, BETC Paris
“Representation is so important. We must “Creativity has no gender. Ideas rule no matter where they come from. Therefore there is no reason why there are fewer women in higher positions in creative. This needs to change. Creativity is what we sell, that’s where the power resides. Where we can make a difference.”help women believe there’s a way up in this industry. I am thrilled to help it happen.”
Allison Ceraso
President, CCO Havas Health Plus
“Are our inherent, deep gender role expectations playing a part in how we evaluate creativity, as well as who we promote to represent it? Why is it an estimated 75% of creative women have a male boss, their work is 10% less likely to be entered for awards, and 12% of female creatives are thinking of leaving the industry over the next two years? As a leader, mentor, and unashamed mother, I believe women should lift up other women. That it’s our responsibility to make sure our future females live in a world with less bias, more equity. And I believe our creativity should be allowed to shine, just as much as us.”
Laura Florence
Executive Creative Director, Havas Health & You Brazil
“Since women started working, they have faced tragic choices: to play the role of mothers to take care of everything and everyone, or to become men to be heard. I want to show that we can be ourselves without having to fit into a mold that doesn’t fit us.”
Vicki Maguire
Chief Creative Officer, Havas London
“Equality in creative isn’t just a nice to have it’s fundamental to ensure the work we put out into the world positively reflects and affects culture. So why are there still so few women at our level? To quote a popular meme doing the rounds… ‘I can’t believe I’m still protesting
this shit’.”
Myra Nussbaum
President/Chief Creative Officer, Havas Chicago
“I still have vivid memories from childhood of being taken to NOW (National Organisation of Women) meetings by my Mother. At the time I didn’t understand what the words oppression, right-to-choose, sexual harassment, equal pay meant, but I fully felt the passion and importance of their gatherings. Almost 40 years later we still have work to do and I’m here to carry the torch for all the strong women that came before me.
This pandemic has wiped nearly 2 million women from the workforce so I’m more energised than ever to create runways for women in the creative department. As a mother of three I know how difficult it is to juggle the demands of a creative career and not letting the fam down. I want to inspire and support women through every life stage and help them realise all their potential. I had an amazing village that got me where I am today and I’m here to push the next generation of female creatives forward.”
Kat Thomas
Founder & Global Executive Creative Director, One Green Bean
“It’s a curious thing that more women than men study creative subjects, yet fewer women than men go on to pursue creative jobs. There are several reasons for this, but research suggests that the lack of female role models in our industry is an issue – 70% of female creatives have never worked with a female ECD. I think it’s my responsibility to be seen, be heard and to champion the huge contribution women can and should make to the creative landscape.”
