Marilla Akkermans
Equality Media + Marketing

Marilla Akkermans, founder and managing director of Equality Media + Marketing, is redefining what meaningful DE&I leadership looks like. In 2022, she launched Equality Time—a four-day workweek at full pay—designed to tackle structural disadvantages faced by women and caregivers. Far beyond a policy tweak, this was a full operational overhaul that led to measurable gains: 85% staff retention, 14% growth in gross profit and a 23% rise in client work. Independent research by Inventium showed Equality outperforming industry benchmarks across nine out of ten workplace metrics, including empowerment, mental health and belonging.

Jacquie Alley
The Media Store

Jacquie Alley has embedded DE&I into the operational fabric of The Media Store. Driven by her fearless direction, the agency has achieved an equal-gendered leadership team, with 30% of staff aged over 50 (vs 5% global average) and top market rankings for staff happiness and tenure. Initiatives include blind recruitment, equal access to L&D and a Culture Club scorecard that evaluates inclusivity across all activities. As IMAA Chair, she also helped launch the indie sector’s first salary survey and mentoring program, creating benchmarks and support systems that extend well beyond her own agency.

Linh Diep
Ogilvy

Linh Diep is the founder of Assisterhood, a groundbreaking mentoring movement addressing the gender confidence gap in advertising and communications. Now delivering its eighth consecutive annual program, the volunteer-led initiative has connected 330+ mentees across Australia, Aotearoa and the US with 93 mentors in 2025 alone. Linh has introduced chapters, workshops and an online program to scale its reach. Her leadership has driven measurable impact: 85% of mentees report increased confidence and 80% have achieved career goals. While juggling a full-time role at Ogilvy, Linh continues to build inclusive communities, champion DE&I and pave the way for the industry’s future leaders.

Lindsey Evans
Special Group

Nominated by the Dylan Alcott Foundation, Lindsey Evans has been instrumental in launching and leading its Shift 20 Initiative, which significantly advances disability representation in Australian advertising. Since its 2023 debut, the initiative convinced 13 major brands to reshoot TVCs featuring people with disability, sparking vital industry progress. Lindsey’s strategic leadership and tireless advocacy rallied agencies, CMOs and industry bodies, turning Shift 20 into a sustainable, long-term movement. Under her guidance, the initiative continues to develop practical tools for inclusion, ensuring ongoing progress for Australia’s largest marginalised community.

Danielle Galipienzo
Initiative

Danielle Galipienzo has transformed diversity, equity and inclusion across her agency and the wider industry by dedicating half her role to purpose-led impact. She has pioneered groundbreaking mental health programs, secured $20.8M+ in pro bono media for diverse causes and championed Australia’s first Media Responsibility Index™ to hold media accountable on safety, inclusivity and ethics. Her leadership drives measurable change, from improving mental health awareness to increasing support for marginalised communities. Danielle’s innovative strategies and industry advocacy have set new DE&I standards, inspiring lasting cultural shifts and earning her multiple prestigious awards.

Gordon Geraghty
EssenceMediacom

Gordon Geraghty is a trailblazer in driving neurodiversity and broader DE&I initiatives across Australia’s media landscape. At GroupM he led the rollout of a groundbreaking Disability Action Plan, introduced inclusive hiring processes and spearheaded neurodiversity training for managers. He also co-developed the A-Plus Inclusion programme with Amaze creating practical frameworks now being adopted across the industry. Through public speaking, media advocacy and lived experience, Gordon has shifted conversations and policies alike—earning global recognition for his work. His leadership has transformed not only his organisation but also industry norms, creating lasting pathways for inclusion, equity and meaningful long-term change.

Elena Giannini
Avenue C

Elena Giannini is transforming how Australia’s media industry reaches underrepresented audiences—engineering systemic changes with measurable, lasting impact. In 2024 she led the charge in reforming Roy Morgan’s research panel to better reflect CALD communities and Australians with disabilities, shifting how billions in media spend are planned. Her DE&I strategies are embedded into client campaigns, team onboarding and national frameworks. As Deputy Chair of the MFA DE&I Committee she’s known for action over optics. Whether fundraising for Indigenous communities or reshaping planning tools, Elena leads with conviction, not compliance—ensuring inclusion isn’t a side project but core to how media works and who it serves. 

Joshua Green
Spark Foundry

Joshua Green has championed DE&I at both an industry and organisational level through strategic leadership and deep advocacy. As Chair of the MFA DE&I Advisory Council, he has driven initiatives that educated, mobilised and inspired thousands—such as the SBS Inclusion Course uptake and industry-wide sessions on disability representation. At Publicis Groupe ANZ, he led the group's involvement as founding member of cross-industry initiative Pride In Media, endorsed the introduction of LGBTQ+ awareness training and driven LGBTQ+ inclusion with New Zealand agencies. His efforts have resulted in measurable gains across workplace sentiment and participation, laying the groundwork for lasting change both within Publicis and across the broader industry.

Philippa Noilea-Tani
Wavemaker

Philippa Noilea-Tani is a driving force for change in mental health advocacy within the media industry. As a qualified Mental Health First Aid instructor, she has trained over 70 industry professionals, with a goal of reaching 100 more by 2025. At Wavemaker, she leads the Mental Health Change Group and is a founding member of GroupM’s Wellbeing EXCO. Philippa’s leadership has shaped policies, fostered inclusion and empowered others to lead with empathy. Her ability to drive change extends beyond the industry, dedicating her time to The Kindess Factory, a not-for-profit organisation delivering social and learning programs to over 4,000 primary schools. Her ability to translate personal conviction into measurable impact is helping redefine what it means to lead with purpose in media today.

Tess Palmyre
WAMA/Brandable

Tess Palmyre is a passionate advocate for diversity in marketing, leveraging her lived experience as a woman of colour and foster mum to drive systemic change. As DEI Lead at WAMA, she pioneered WA’s first industry-wide DEI survey, establishing vital benchmarks and fostering transparency. Tess founded Brandable to help brands embed inclusion from within and leads impactful initiatives including community campaigns, industry events and leadership taskforces. Tess plans to expand DEI education with accessible, interactive online workshops for organisations while also extending beyond the industry to reach schools and regional communities. Her work has inspired widespread DE&I action, creating lasting impact across marketing and broader society.

Hank Paul
TheyConnect

Hank Paul is a pioneering force in LGBTQ+ inclusion within marketing, co-founding TheyConnect to address the industry’s lack of authentic queer representation. They lead innovative training programs, including The Inclusify Framework™, empowering marketers to create genuine, inclusive campaigns while avoiding tokenism and backlash. Hank’s work through TheyConnect’s QueerPeers Network connects brands with diverse LGBTQ+ talent, driving measurable change in representation. Recognised as an LGBTQ+ Business Disruptor and a top emerging speaker, Hank champions systemic change, fostering safer, more equitable workplaces and marketing practices. Their forward-thinking vision aims to embed LGBTQ+ inclusion so deeply it becomes industry standard.

Scott Purcell
Man of Many

Scott Purcell has been integral in embedding diversity, equity and inclusion policies at Man of Many, structuring principles deeply into the company’s culture and operations. Under his leadership, Man of Many introduced transparent diversity reporting, pay equity, inclusive hiring practices and proactive parental leave policies. Scott has led partnerships to enhance staff training in DE&I, proactively partnering with Indigenous cultural education provider Mirri Mirri to share foundational knowledge into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. These efforts have yielded measurable outcomes: increased representation across the company, diversity in branded campaigns and 92% employee satisfaction.

Margie Reid
Thinkerbell

As CEO of Thinkerbell, Margie Reid has reshaped leadership in the creative industries by embedding diversity and inclusion as a core business driver. She champions inclusive storytelling, equity and a culture that celebrates difference, with 65% female leadership and focused development of women in mid-level roles. Margie leads game-changing initiatives like Allyship Training, disability representation through Inclusively Made and the development of inclusive client contracts. Learning from early challenges, she implemented systems supporting diverse talent. Her visionary Ethical Framework partnership ensures continuous cultural curiosity and action. Margie’s leadership inspires change beyond the agency, mentoring future female leaders and driving opportunities for diverse talent.

Jen Sharpe
ThinkHQ

As founder and CEO of Think HQ, Jen Sharpe has built a diverse agency workforce representing 24 countries and 37 languages. Jen’s leadership prioritises people, implementing progressive policies like Extra Flex and Gender Affirmation Leave and fostering inclusion via initiatives like the LGBTQIA+ working group. In 2019, Jen acquired CultureVerse, expanding the agency's in-house capabilities in language services, translation and localisation and cementing it as the gold standard for inclusive comms. As the industry and global landscape face evolving DE&I challenges, including the regression of inclusive policies, Jen has committed to growing Think HQ as the agency that will always fight back with impact.

Andrew Thompson
The Otis Recruitment Company

The Otis Recruitment Company, founded in 2023 by ex-agency creative Andrew Thompson, champions diversity by tackling the traditional approach to talent acquisition. Otis filled over 75% of roles with candidates from underrepresented groups in its first year, negotiating equitable salaries and reducing bias by anonymising candidate backgrounds during shortlisting. Innovative initiatives include running targeted job ads beyond traditional networks and offering a Free Replacement Guarantee to encourage bold hiring decisions. Otis also created the Otis Rising Star Award with BADC to spotlight emerging diverse talent. This forward-looking approach includes ongoing support for diverse students and launching industry-wide equity benchmarking surveys.

 

Lauren Thornborough
UM Australia

Over the past decade, Lauren Thornborough has been a tireless advocate for gender equity and working parents in Australian media. In 2021, after her second child’s birth, Lauren identified a lack of support for working parents, causing many to leave the media industry. She launched the UM Working Parents Committee to connect and mentor parents, later expanding to inspire the wider Mediabrands business. In 2022, Lauren led UM to become the first media agency with Family Inclusive Workplace™ accreditation. In 2024, she co-founded The Village with Lou Wilson, creating Australia’s first media community supporting working parents through workshops, mentoring and online networking.

Sam Turley
Mindshare

Sam Turley is a trailblazer in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the media industry. Over 20 years, she has dismantled systemic barriers through five major initiatives, including Mindshare Australia’s Inclusive Innovation programme and the Inclusive Media Playbook, which has driven double-digit growth for brands. She led the creation of Australia’s first inclusive influencer platform and advocates for equitable AI use. Sam’s commitment to reconciliation and progressive workplace policies, notably on menopause support, has delivered measurable cultural and business impacts. Her visionary leadership continues to inspire industry-wide change and embed inclusion as a core principle in media.

Louise Wilson
LinkedIn

Louise Wilson has championed inclusion by pioneering industry-wide support for working parents. In 2024, she co-founded The Village, a 650+ member community addressing parental isolation and career retention in media, hosting six events with 450+ attendees and engaging senior leaders to reshape workplace norms. As Global Chair of LinkedIn’s Families@ ERG, Louise led the adoption of a gender-neutral parental leave policy and launched programs like executive coaching for returning parents and emergency family leave globally. Her initiatives have measurably increased retention, fostered inclusion, and sparked a sustainable movement advancing working parents’ equity worldwide.

Leigh Wood
Nani Creative

Leigh, Co-Founder and Design Director at Nani Creative—an Aboriginal-owned agency—is a powerful force for good within Australia’s creative industry. Through authentic collaboration with First Nations communities and a best-practice approach to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, Leigh has pioneered Artist Agreements supporting ethical commercial partnerships. Under her leadership, Nani infuses Aboriginal stories into mainstream design, fostering cultural integrity and broadening representation across intersecting diverse voices. A notable project includes the Wadjemup Rottnest Island dual-naming initiative, which honors Indigenous history and truth-telling. Leigh’s inclusive agency culture and industry advocacy have delivered measurable, meaningful change.

Charles Xu
OMD

Charles is a passionate DE&I advocate within OMD and across the broader media industry. As a key leader on OMD’s DE&I Committee and the MFA DE&I Advisory Council, he drives meaningful, measurable change beyond conversation. Charles rebranded OMD’s committee, led over 10 events and 50 educational initiatives celebrating diverse identities and influenced policy changes—such as introducing medical leave for gender-affirming procedures. He integrates DE&I into client work and partners with diverse community groups to amplify underrepresented voices. Drawing on his lived experience as a gay Asian man, Charles fosters inclusive cultures and champions ongoing education, collaboration and resilience for long-term industry progress.