If you had a collective of Super Women by your side, what help would you ask for? This was the question that Are Media’s Jane Huxley asked more than 800 incredible attendees at B&T’s Women in Media awards in August this year.
Last week on B&T’s Superwomen Series, we spoke with 2025 Women In Media Client Services Winner Belinda Drew and #30 on the Women In Media Powerlist Jo McAlister about stopping the voices, believing in yourself and admitting when you aren’t ok. To view last week’s instalment click here.
The women of the Australian media, marketing and advertising spoke out loudly, sharing their biggest fears and doubts. So, now, in partnership with Are Media, B&T has called upon our legion of superwomen – that’s our winners and the Women in Media Power List inductees – to guide this generation of women through some of the industry’s most consistent problems.
This week, we tackle workplace questions with Power List inductees Anathea Ruys, Laura Nice and Mandie van der Merwe.
How do I push for change in a system that wasn’t built for women like me?
Anathea Ruys, CEO, UM Australia: I love the phrase “don’t pull the ladder up behind you”. It’s critical to be aware that even if you, as an individual, feel welcome, included and respected, others might not. Keep bringing others up that ladder with you.
Laura Nice, Co-CEO, OMD: By proving, every day, that it is for women like us. I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years and have been fortunate to feel supported and offered incredible opportunities – but I know that’s not the case in every corner of our industry. That’s why those of us in leadership must keep pushing for better. I don’t see the industry as something to fight against – I see it as something to reshape from within. Change happens when we show up as our whole selves and lead differently: with empathy, transparency, and conviction. When I became Co-CEO, I didn’t want to inherit the system – I wanted to evolve it. That’s why we removed executive offices, rebuilt how teams collaborate, and reframed OMD’s ambition around creativity and effectiveness.
Success takes strategic advocacy. Find your stakeholders, those you trust and can support your vision, and bring them on the journey early so when it’s time to share your ideas you’ve already built momentum. Use your voice respectfully and authentically. Stand by your perspective, and have the data to back it up
Mandie van der Merwe, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi: Start by refusing the premise that you need permission. Change happens when courage meets persistence. Change rarely happens all at once but it always starts with someone who won’t stop asking for better. That’s where you come in. Find your voice and use it to name what needs to shift: the process, the policy, the culture. Allies will reveal themselves, momentum will build and slowly the system starts to bend.
How do I create a team where every voice is seen, heard, and valued?
AR: This is something I think about all the time. I believe the starting point is understanding that not everyone communicates the same way. It sounds so simple, but creating an environment where you understand the communication style of every person in your team means you can genuinely hear what they have to say. It’s a bit cheesy but I often create a “user manual” with my teams. It helps us all understand how the rest of the team likes to share, prefers to get feedback, or responds to stressful situations.
LN: By designing structures that make it impossible for voices to be ignored. At OMD, that means removing layers, breaking down silos, and creating intentional forums where ideas can come from anywhere. We’ve introduced initiatives like OMD Exec Next, where cohorts of emerging leaders sit alongside our exec team for a year, and swarming, our collaborative way of working to solve client challenges, that are designed to bring diverse perspectives together and ensure everyone has a seat at the table.
But structure alone isn’t enough. You have to build teams intentionally, with different backgrounds, lived experiences, and ways of thinking – and then foster a safe space where people feel empowered to contribute. Culture isn’t built through posters on a wall; it’s shaped in everyday moments of trust, curiosity, and genuine listening. I’ve seen how transformative it is when people feel heard and valued – they become empowered to challenge, innovate, and lead.
MvdM: Take fear out of the room and ego out of the work. Be valuable, be vulnerable, and own it when you get it wrong. The best ideas come from teams that feel safe to challenge, question, and contribute. As a leader, your job is to make that possible, by listening, giving credit generously, and setting a high creative bar everyone can rise to. Build rituals that make individual contribution routine: rotate who presents, share the mic and make space for the quietest voices in the room. Lift others as you climb, because the real measure of leadership isn’t how much work you shape, but how many people you grow. When people feel valued, the work gets braver, sharper and far more effective.
What does it take to be the kind of leader who inspires women like me to believe they belong here?
AR: The leaders who inspire me are empathetic and understand that we are living in a world of significant and constant change. They recognise that their most critical role is to help navigate that change because even when change is positive, it is hard to adapt to.
LN: Visibility and vulnerability. You can’t inspire belonging by pretending the juggle isn’t real – it is. Leadership isn’t about having it all figured out, it’s about showing up as your whole self and making space for others to do the same. I talk openly about being a single parent. I leave loudly to pick up my kids. I share what I’m learning – even the uncomfortable parts – because the next generation needs to see that leadership doesn’t mean sacrificing who you are. It means leading with empathy, transparency, and conviction. At OMD, my kids Betsy and Arthur are regular fixtures during school holidays and our annual Kidsmas and OMD Cup events. They love seeing where I work and understanding what I do. When I asked Arthur what my job is, he said, “Mum makes people happy and brings them together”. I’m good with that!
This industry doesn’t just make space for women like us – it needs us. Our empathy, our creativity, and our ability to connect. Belonging comes when we lead in a way that reminds others that you don’t have to change to fit the system – you can change the system by being yourself.
MvdM: It takes resilience. You won’t get everything right, and you’ll make mistakes, sometimes publicly, because there still aren’t enough of us. Be okay with not being perfect; perfection isn’t inspiring, persistence is.
Don’t wait for recognition. Most of the real work you do for others will never be seen or celebrated. If you do it for applause, it drains you. If you do it because it matters, it fuels you.
Stay open to who you learn from. The hardest bosses and toughest workplaces often teach you more than the kindest mentors. And don’t assume your allies will only look like you – the sisterhood is powerful, but some of my greatest champions have been men who made space without trying to change me.
Real leadership is recognising talent in all its forms, regardless of gender or age, and using your influence to lift it.
