IMAA Launches "Female Leaders of Tomorrow" Mentorship Program

The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) announced on August 1, 2023 the beginning of the mentorship programme "Female Leaders of Tomorrow," which aims to promote inclusion and diversity in the media sector. Senior marketing executives and executives from major media companies will take part in the programme, which will run in Sydney and Melbourne. They will mentor and encourage upcoming female media leaders.

The six-month programme aims to create a network of support for emerging female media agency executives and seasoned industry professionals. Cathy O'Connor, CEO of oOh!media, Lauren Joyce, Chief Strategy & Connections Officer at ARN, Nikki Rooke, Sydney Sales Director at Nine, and other well-known individuals serve as mentors in Sydney. Peter Whitehead, the Chief Commercial Officer at ARN, Andrea Salmon, the National Head of Audio Sales at SCA, and a number of other illustrious people are among the mentors in Melbourne.

While noting that there is still more work to be done in encouraging diversity and inclusion in the media industry, Cathy offered her support for the effort. The IMAA's dedication to this initiative is in line with their goal to reduce inequity in the media environment and boost the representation of women in positions of leadership.

Wendy Gower, the trainer and coach behind WeGrow, which focuses on mentoring for the communications profession, will lead the programme. Gower emphasised the value of empowering and developing the female leaders of future by giving them access to guidance and assistance from influential businesspeople.

Data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency show that women make up a small minority of CEOs in Australian companies, and that there is also an imbalance of gender on corporate boards. The "Female Leaders of Tomorrow" programme of the IMAA seeks to change this by encouraging more women to hold top leadership positions in the independent media industry.

Sam Buchanan, CEO of the IMAA, emphasised the importance of this project, describing it as the most important since the Diversity Council was established in 2022. He extended his thanks to the mentors who kindly offered their time and knowledge to help the program's mentees succeed.

The programme will formally debut with networking events at the oOh! offices on September 5, in Sydney, and September 12, in Melbourne. Long-term corporate success is anticipated to be boosted by the IMAA's dedication to developing and supporting a new generation of female leaders in the media sector.