As a relatively young, female CEO of Asia-Pacific’s largest marketing association, I’m often asked whether it has been a struggle to reach this position in a male-dominated world.
I have to say I’m lucky because this has never been my experience.
Behind almost all of my career progressions has been a male champion who has recognised my determination to progress and succeed, and actively supported me to find and take on the next challenge or role. This continues today, where my mentors and advocates are largely male.
I hear the rhetoric that to succeed in business women have to fight harder to be seen as equals and be heard. Again, I can’t recall a single scenario in any of my roles where this has been an issue, and I have found colleagues, peers, seniors, and board members supportive equally—male or female.
As a general rule, there is still a gender bias in senior roles and CEO positions in Australia and indeed throughout the world.
There are differing theories as to why this is the case—some based upon social realities and others by gender discrimination. In my experience, it has been a result of the former. That’s not to say that in other instances the latter hasn’t played a role.
Preparing to speak with authority
I took up the role of CEO of the Association for Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA) at the age of 35 and, on accepting the position, I was conscious that I was both young and female. It struck a chord with me as I remember deciding that it was imperative that these two factors would not preclude me from having credibility within the marketing community and the members we represent.
The fact that I actively made this decision suggests a certain apprehension on my part to overcome the stereotypes I assumed existed with regard to being a young, female CEO.
Looking back, I’m not sure such assumptions existed, and if they were made, it was never overt. At the end of the day, I have been judged by the extent to which I have been successful in my role—not on being male or female, young or mature.
That said, it was essential for me to actively ensure I was across the issues and had a deep knowledge and understanding of the key industry issues before commencing my role, giving me the ability to speak with authority on the matters affecting members. This gave a general level of confidence both for me and for members that their interests were being looked after—minimising any concerns that youth or gender could potentially bring.
Moving from male to female leadership
It would be interesting to ask my team whether they saw a dramatic shift or change when ADMA moved from a male CEO who had been over 17 years in the role to a female CEO in her first C-level role. I’m sure the answer would be yes. This would be in a generational style of management, but also in the different approaches a male CEO would take in contrast to a female.
When I joined ADMA, there was a strong female weighting on the ADMA team, with almost 90% of the staff being women.
This was actually quite reflective of the marketing industry, which in itself has a strong female bias at the mid level.
Having worked in both a male-dominated environment and a heavily female office, I believe it is essential to find a middle ground to get the right balance in the organisation and provide an environment where people can thrive. Within a year, we had restored gender equilibrium in the association, and the difference to the environment, working relationships, and the office vibe is positive.
At that time, the board of directors was also predominantly male, again reflective of the fact that most leadership positions in marketing are held by men.
Although I found this intriguing at the time, it’s hardly a surprise. Like it or not, it’s a fact of life that women are much more likely to take a career break to have children. Although many do return to work, a proportion would agree that their focus on reaching a pinnacle position has shifted.
What has become important is maintaining a good balance between a rewarding career and being a mother. I know some people will be outraged by the suggestion that you can’t ‘have it all’. You can if you want it, but you also have to sacrifice time and energy to get there.
In the case of ADMA, the board appointed its first female chair—Karen Ganschow, General Manager of Customer Relationship Marketing at Wespac – in November 2011. Since this time, the number of female board members has grown, so now one third of the board is female. This has brought a nice balance and perspective to our board which diversifies decisions and decision-making.
Should there be more women in senior roles?
I think we need to be careful to ensure we appoint the best person for the role at all times, whether male or female. In other circumstances, particularly with politically charged issues, policies are introduced to correct an imbalance. In doing so, the balance can tilt too far in the opposite direction, creating the reverse of the problem.
There are many programs in place to engender confidence in women in the workplace, providing them with the support and resources to become a senior leader or manager. These are to be wholeheartedly supported, as any scheme which upskills and builds business confidence should be applauded.
However, there are many men who also require these additional skills to take the next step in their career, and the overwhelming focus on providing skills to women means that these skilled but inexperienced individuals are not being presented the same opportunities.
I feel quite strongly about this. We should support any individual who has shown ability, initiative, and determination to succeed. Gender should not even come into the equation.
Achievable balance, not bias
I don’t feel—and have never felt—that I’m a woman in a man’s world. However, I do realise that the reasons for this are not wholly within my control.
I’m lucky that I happen to work in an industry that sees less gender bias than most. I’m also privileged in both the support I have been given and the roles that have come my way.
In the short time I have been back in Australia, I have definitely seen more of a shift towards women in senior positions. Of the four industry associations in the marketing space, each one now has a female CEO, whereas less than 24 months ago they were all male.
But let’s be clear: the overall objective should be to achieve balance rather than a bias one way or the other.
This is an edited extract of an article that first appeared in The CEO Magazine. The publication is holding its Executive Conference in Hamilton Island in October, featuring Ita Buttrose, Rachel Botsman and John Howard. For more information check out the website.