As President of WPP in AUNZ, Rose Herceg has built her career on embracing the complexity of business, of people, and of the world we live in. She’s not interested in easy answers or surface-level solutions. Instead, she champions truth-telling, robust debate and day-to-day accountability as the real foundations of progress.
As a regular at B&T’s Women In Media Awards, presented by Are Media, B&T sat down with Herceg ahead of the awards to unpack how WPP is driving measurable inclusion across its network, why psychological safety matters more than ever, and what she’s learned about leadership, ambition, and resilience from decades of shaping Australia’s advertising landscape.
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Under Herceg’s leadership, WPP was recently renamed an Inclusive Employer by the Diversity Council Australia for the second time, the only company in its category to be recognised. “Being the employer of choice for all is central to WPP’s people strategy,” she told B&T. “We’re a business that reflects the multicultural richness of our nation, with many of our people speaking a language other than English at home.”
That diversity isn’t just about representation, it’s a commercial imperative. “We need to reflect the target audiences to whom our clients sell their goods and services,” she said. “This gives us a far better understanding of consumer trends and customer sentiment, and it’s how we better engage with their audiences; it’s what our clients expect”.
Herceg is equally committed to creating a workplace where people feel they belong. “We are dedicated to building workplaces where everyone feels they belong,” she says. “This involves fostering a culture of respect, collaboration and innovation, supported by our state-of-the-art campuses that are designed to bring people together.”
But for Herceg, inclusion goes far beyond infrastructure. It lives in the culture, and in the courage to speak up. “The ability to speak one’s mind and disagree openly without fear or repercussion speaks to a healthy culture,” she explained. “Sugarcoating bad news isn’t helpful. Telling the truth is”.
She’s built WPP around that principle. “We welcome all forms of robust debate. It’s what fuels innovation and creativity. You can have a firm point of view, but you can also deliver this POV kindly and with dignity”.
This approach is echoed across WPP’s leadership. “We have a number of female CEOs across WPP. They are respected as leaders because they seek honest debate… Their voice isn’t the loudest. It’s one of the voices around the table leading and guiding discussion to get to the right decision.”
Herceg believes the industry as a whole needs more of this.
Part of that conversation involves dismantling harmful tropes and stereotypes in advertising, something WPP is actively tackling through its alignment with the Unstereotype Alliance, a coalition of companies in the advertising industry that focuses on reducing stereotypes in advertisements and enhancing gender equality in staff.
“The content we create on behalf of our clients should reflect the Australia of today,” she said. “From those who originate the idea, to those who execute the idea. We can write the stories of the real Australia. We can break every stereotype we see with honesty as well as elegance”.
Still, Herceg knows progress doesn’t come from policy alone; it requires clear, measurable action. In WPP’s most recent Gender Pay Gap Report, progress was acknowledged, but gaps remain. The company’s response? Action at every level.
“To ensure WPP is a place everyone feels like they belong, WPP established an Inclusion Council in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to road-test initiatives and advocate for positive change throughout our businesses,” she said.
“We are committed to developing our people through initiatives that provide opportunities for learning and growth, with a focus on future-facing skills, leadership development and belonging. These programmes ensure that our colleagues are equipped with the skills needed to excel in a diverse and dynamic workplace.
“Recognising each WPP agency has its own brand DNA and workforce requirements, we also encouraged our businesses to create bespoke initiatives to help close the gap – each agency has its plan and knows that progress must be made. Our people are watching, which will keep us all honest as we work to close the gap”.
That honesty also underpins WPP’s approach to mentorship, especially for women. “Many of our people, not only our leaders (both male and female), seek out mentors inside and outside of WPP. Every agency encourages our more senior leaders to mentor up-and-coming people”.
“Making time to speak, openly about anything and everything is the key. Talking about life and work, and how these two are intertwined. One’s career is simply a part of it. We encourage people to write it down. Have a plan and then figure out what you need to do to make it real”.
Herceg herself is deeply involved, her approach is structured but personal. “Every person whom I have mentored (especially the women) will know my MO. Get it down on paper. Be honest about what you really want. Ambition is healthy. What do you have to do to make it real?”
Her leadership philosophy is built on curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to be challenged. “I’ve always admired smart people who disagree with me,” she told B&T. “Opposing views demonstrate a mind at work, and this is what I look for in a person, more than anything else”.
She sees innovation and creativity as a direct result of diversity of thought, and argues that widening the funnel is essential for the industry’s future. “In a country of 290+ nationalities and languages, it shouldn’t be too hard, as long as we tell people in our country that they can have a career in our industry,” she said. “We need the best minds to choose our industry as a career for our industry to thrive”.
Herceg’s own background spans agency leadership, futurism and authorship, experiences she credits for shaping her nuanced view of leadership. “The most interesting people (and leaders) have usually tried several paths,” she said. “They have lived large and see life as messy. Because it is – and because there is beauty in the mess.”
And to young women hoping to rise through the ranks? She offers both challenge and encouragement.
“Know what you want. More than that, know your dealbreakers,” she says. “The most important relationship is absolutely the one you have with yourself.”
“Get it down on paper. If you want to be a leader, what’s your plan on getting there? What’s your life plan, and how does this work with the career plan? When you get to 90 years of age and look back, what will matter?”
Ultimately, Herceg wants more women to recognise the power they already hold. “It’s amazing to me how much free will and choice we have and yet very few of us take it,” she said. “Your life is your own to construct. We each have more power than we know. It’s up to each of us to take it”.
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