Jasmin Bedir, the CEO of marketing and advertising agency Innocean and Kate O’Loughlin, the group strategy director of media agency Wavemaker, have highlighted the risk of Australia’s advertising industry falling behind on gender equality, warning that progress could quickly be undone unless the industry continues creating opportunities for women, supporting the next generation and pushing for change.
The comments came as Bedir and O’Loughlin joined ELLE Australia editor-in-chief Jessica Bailey for the second episode of B&T’s Women in Media Superwomen Series, presented by Are Media.
The series brings together established industry leaders and B&T Women in Media Rising Star finalists to explore ambition, career journeys, leadership and the changing realities of working in media, marketing and advertising.
Bedir is a 2025 B&T Women in Media Power List honouree while O’Loughlin won B&T’s Women in Media Rising Star Award in 2024 and was a finalist again in 2025.
While discussing the future of women in the industry, Bedir warned that the gains made over recent years cannot be taken for granted, particularly as economic pressures put greater focus on business performance.
“I feel like we’re going backwards 20 years,” she said. “We are going to an economic contraction, and if you let it happen, we can go backwards really, really swiftly.”
She said the industry needs to continue advocating for equality and creating opportunities for women, rather than assuming the progress made by previous generations will continue automatically.
“This is a pretty scary time, actually, because we need to keep the momentum on that, so it doesn’t change and doesn’t go backwards,” Bedir said.
The pair also discussed the expectations placed on women in the workplace, with Bedir arguing that women continue to face particularly high standards around how they are expected to behave.
“I think the standards for what a woman, a successful woman, is supposed to look like, are really, really, really, really high,” she said.
“As a woman, when you say difficult things you’re easily seen as the difficult woman just because you’re assertive and have opinions.”
O’Loughlin agreed, but added she felt fortunate to enter the industry at a time when female leaders have helped create an environment where she feels more comfortable being direct and authentic.
“I feel like I’m very privileged because I’ve come into the industry at a time where there are so many incredible female leaders,” she said.
O’Loughlin said earlier in her career she felt she needed to soften her directness with “pleases and thank yous”, but that senior women around her had encouraged her to let go of that pressure.
“I’ve been very much encouraged to put that to the side and just be honest and direct, and I feel like I’ve been really emboldened to embrace that.”
The duo stressed the importance of women supporting other women across generations.
“In my 20s, I always thought about women going on maternity leave… but it’s not until you get older that you actually realise we’ve really got to support each other and lift each other up,” she said.
She encouraged women to build relationships with those at different stages of their careers, arguing that intergenerational connections can provide valuable perspective.
“I’ve got the most amazing connection now with women in like, you know, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s,” she said.
“Don’t just stick to yourself. There’s so much wisdom going around, and there’s so much joy.”
O’Loughlin highlighted that when it comes to leadership she feels there is no single blueprint for becoming an effective leader.
“I think there’s no one right way to do anything,” she said.
“It’s really just what comes at you at the time, and adjusting how you’re showing up and how you’re leading for that moment to make sure that it’s right for what’s required.”
Bedir added that leadership is all about using influence responsibly and ensuring people feel supported throughout the process.
“If you know that you have the ability to move people along on a journey, that’s a superpower,” she said. “But you’ve got to use it really, really carefully. You’ve got to make sure that you know everyone’s safe.”
The pair also shared that creating opportunities for others as an increasingly important measure in the workplace.
For O’Loughlin, that includes helping young people entering the industry during a difficult job market.
“I work a lot with university graduates who are obviously going through such a turbulent time to enter the industry right now with the job market the way that it is,” she said. “The more that I can create an opportunity for them, or create an opportunity for someone in my team, that is amazing.”
Bedir agreed, adding: “It’s important to make sure they feel that they have permission to step outside the mould,” she said.
The B&T Women in Media Superwoman Series, presented by Are Media, will continue to spotlight the women redefining leadership across Australia’s media, marketing and advertising industries.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next episode coming soon…
