Last month, I attended the IPA Talent & Diversity Conference. It was a brilliant event, full of thoughtful discussion, practical insight and a very real desire to continue moving our industry forward.
Alongside the fantastic speakers and scintillating energy, it was clear to see all the fantastic work already happening and how deeply people across the industry want to build something better.
But it was hard to ignore that only 24% of attendees were men.
In an industry where men still hold 60% of senior leadership roles, that’s disappointing. Diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t something that should be discussed only by the groups who are most negatively affected. The more people who join the conversation, the stronger the conversation becomes and the quicker we can enable change.
For men in leadership or positions of influence, showing up really matters. Not because anyone is expected to have all the answers, but because listening, learning, asking questions and lending support can help create the conditions for meaningful change.
And that change is still urgently needed.
The latest IPA Agency Census shows that women now hold 40.8% of C-suite roles across advertising, media and marketing. Representation in chair, chief executive and managing director positions also continues to rise, particularly among women from non-white backgrounds. That’s strong, positive progress.
However, women make up 55.9% of the overall agency workforce. The progression gap is still there, meaning the systems that shape careers haven’t yet shifted far enough to level the playing field.
Parenthood and the care load put on women is a clear example of this.
When my son was born, my wife became seriously ill. The statutory parental leave available to me as a father was not enough for us to survive those formative weeks. We decided that the only way we would be able to manage would be for me to step away from work and take unpaid leave. It was a tricky period for us, but it was one that also helped me realise I wanted to be more present as a husband and father. Ultimately, the only option for me to be able to do that was to leave my job and put my career on hold. The same decision that every woman in our industry faces because the support structure is not there.
For me, that experience really exposed what a deeply ingrained assumption it is in our existing workplace systems that caregiving is a woman’s responsibility and how, every day, career progression is being shaped by that assumption. It’s also why I was so keen to be part of the very first cohort of Wacl Male Allies.
Back in March, I attended another event at the IPA: a Parental Guidance panel. If you’re not familiar, Parental Guidance is a mentoring movement supporting working parents in the industry (run by the brilliant Charlotte Coughlan [managing partner at Leo Burnett], and is open to any working parents in the industry.
Fifty people showed up for the morning. Other than myself and two Neverland colleagues, there were only two other men in the room. Less than 10% of the audience. That alone tells you whose careers are being most affected by parenthood.
If we’re serious about change, we need to normalise shared caregiving at every level. That means stronger parental policies, proper paternity leave and genuine flexibility in senior roles.
It also means making decisions differently. If someone has earned a promotion, why should maternity leave delay it?
Structural change is what shifts outcomes. Our industry does not need more words of support; it needs consistent, practical allyship, measured in actions and impact from all of those with the power to influence, not just those most affected by the issues. Leaders all have the power to change the systems that determine who progresses. The only question is whether they choose to use it.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about momentum. There is already so much brilliant work happening across the industry. Imagine how much faster we could move if more of the people with power and influence were visibly and actively involved.
For that, we all need to be in the room. Women and men.
So, to the men in advertising, especially those in leadership, this is an open invitation. Show up. Join the conversation. Support the people already doing the work. Use your influence positively. Be curious. Be visible. Be part of building an industry that works better for everyone.
Because diversity and gender equality aren’t someone else’s agenda, and you can’t hear what’s being said if you aren’t in the room to hear it. This is one of the biggest opportunities we have to shape a stronger, fairer and more creative future for our industry.
And frankly, if you don’t use your influence to create change, you’re just maintaining the systems that hold inequality in place.
Josh Harris is CEO of Neverland and a Wacl Male Ally.
