Back in October, McKinsey released a “Women in the Workplace” study that said women are still significantly underrepresented in senior leadership, especially at the manager and director levels. At the “Campaigns to C-Suite: Women in Marketing Leadership” panel, as part of the Power Women Summit 2023, moderator Sara Wilson asked the panelists about the McKinsey report and how they are addressing it as leaders themselves.
“We have quite a few women at Spotify and I make it a point to make sure that we keep women at Spotify whenever we have headcount,” Donna Lamar, Global Brand Executive Creative Director, said. “I mean, I just do, and particularly at a GCD/CD level, I think we need more women and more representation. I really do and so I just make it a point to do that.”
Kim Granito, CMO of AMC Networks, emphasized the importance of personal connections.
“I think it’s one-to-one relationship building and with managers of anyone, but of woman specifically. It’s really important to have a whole human approach,” Granito added. “In this moment in time, where we’re shared docs and zooms, and we’re so rarely in office together, it’s important that we carve out a space for women, especially junior women, to let them know that they’re seen and appreciated.”
Vivian Odior, Global Head Of Marketing, WhatsApp, said to get to a place of real change, it can’t be done quietly or silently in the background. It has to be intentionally vocal and unapologetic.
“Promote women, when you promote them and say, ‘I promoted a woman,’ talk about what a miracle it is to have a promoted a woman in a leadership position,” Odior said.
“I think just helping people understand that we’re still on the trajectory on a regular basis brings more appreciation to it, keeps focus on it, and allows us to continue to grade ourselves. We get such peaks and valleys of when this is a top issue that we’re addressing versus when it’s not,” she added.
For all of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit 2023 coverage, click here.
