Women To Watch: Mindshare’s Tanya Koppe

At B&T, We are staunch believers that every woman and her achievements should be celebrated, every day and always.

However, unfortunately, the achievements of women often go unnoticed. That’s why we launched our annual B&T Women in Media Awards – to recognise the amazing accomplishments of women across the marketing, communications and advertising industry.

In honour of our WIM Awards, we’re chatting to industry powerhouses; women we should all be keeping an eye on — women to watch. Today, we are hearing from Mindshare national head of digital investment Tanya Koppe.

Tanya Koppe

B&T’s Women in Media Awards is an important vehicle to celebrate the achievements of women in media given the enormous contribution they’ve made to the industry. It’s important for it to be recognised as a positive symbol for all women and the industry as a whole, given where the media industry has traditionally been and where it is going.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the many influential women in my life. From my amazingly strong mother to my primary school art teacher who encouraged me to be curious; to the numerous strong women that have shaped my professional and personal life – I thank them all since I have been so fortunate and I’m eternally grateful for having them in my life.

Then, there are plenty of other women who I’ve never met but are incredible champions for equality, like Malala Yousafzai who is one of the youngest activists campaigning globally for girls’ rights to receive a free, safe and quality education. She created the Malala Fund, which works to ensure that every girl is given the opportunity to go to school and make her own decisions about the future. She regularly meets with UN Ambassadors and other activists to put pressure on governments in developing countries to dedicate and commit to funding for education. Her achievements include being the youngest Nobel laureate, at 17 years old she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Malala is an incredible champion with her own amazing story and an inspiration to those everywhere who think they can’t make a difference.

Malala is just one example of how one person can make a huge difference. I think we all have the ability to make a change in the struggle for equality. Even in the seemingly smallest of ways. For example, I would suggest for senior women in leadership to speak up and put it on the table. Be open about biases and assumptions. Most people don’t do it vindictively, they’re just ill-informed or completely unaware they are saying/doing the wrong thing. By making it more visible, especially at the senior leadership table, it creates awareness of the issue and we can role model good behaviours and decisions for others in the organisation.

Quickfire questions

If you were PM, what law would you change/introduce right now to improve equality?

Mandatory quotas. It might not be ‘politically correct’, but the research and evidence on mandatory quotas is overwhelming – they are proven to work to address the structural deficits in the system.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

You’re never too old to learn something new. Always be curious and be adaptive to change.

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B&T women in media awards Women to Watch