‘We Are All Women Who Support Other Women’: Industry Leaders Gather Inspired By B&T’s Women In Media Awards

Last week some of the industry’s most powerful and influential women came together to reflect on the year and celebrate one another.

The Queens of Media lunch was hosted by News Australia’s managing director of client partnerships Lou Barrett and Initiative CEO Jo McAlister. It saw senior leaders from News Australia, Accenture Song, WPP Media, Omnicom Media Group and Publicis sit down at Mimi’s in Coogee to talk all things leadership and the progress of the industry. B&T managed to sneak a lucky invite to the lunch, inspired by our Women in Media Awards held earlier this year.

Many at the lunch had been nominated for or picked up an award back in August. Barrett won the executive leader category, with Jo McAlister highly commended. Meanwhile, Pia Coyle, Laura Nice, Maria Grivas and Pippa Berlocher were finalists in the same category.

Barrett, McAlister, Grivas, Berlocher and Nice all featured on the B&T Women in Media Awards Power List along with fellow attendees Melissa Hey, Aimee Buchanan, Melissa Fein and Imogen Hewitt all featured on B&T‘s Women in Media Power List.

“The lunch was organised off the back of B&T‘s Women in Media Awards to celebrate our amazing senior women in our industry. We wanted to toast Lou for winning the executive leader category. Whilst we can be fierce competitors in the pitch rooms, we all share very similar values and have enormous respect for each other so spending time enjoying a lunch was incredible. We are all women who support other women,” McAlister said.

While it wasn’t all shop talk, the overall mood was uplifting and lighthearted, with many telling B&T they thought it was a great chance to catch up and wind down before Christmas.

Many reflected on their journeys in the industry, with some recalling that it was quite the boys club when they started out. Now, while not perfect, they said the industry offers more opportunities for women and those from different backgrounds.

There’s still work to do, though. That’s why B&T‘s Women in Media Awards and Women Leading Tech Awards are so important; by recognising female-identifying talent and spotlighting it, the narrative can shift to one of diversity rather than exceptionalism.

A theme in many discussions was the notion of women supporting women; there’s enough to go around for everyone, and everyone does better when they’re supported by others, rather than in competition with them.

Barrett shared that it was rare to get so many senior women together in a room for an informal lunch, but that it has the power to forge a stronger community. After all, the industry isn’t all about the work–it’s about the people behind it.

“After the Women in Media awards, Jo and I wanted to bring a group of brilliant women together to keep the conversations going. Our industry moves fast, and it can be easy to focus on what we haven’t achieved yet. But after 40 years in media, I know that the moments that matter most are the ones where we champion each other. That’s how we stay energised,” she said.

Informal catch-ups like this offer a source of solidarity, allowing one to see the myriad of other passionate and hardworking people in the industry. We’re all guilty of getting wrapped up by the work at hand and forgetting the power of a simple conversation.