Diageo backs Creative Equals scheme to bring 100 women back to the workplace
Diageo is helping to reduce barriers to female creatives wishing to return to the workplace in partnership with Creative Equals, as the drinks giant works to achieve greater gender parity.
The Creative Equal Returner scheme is now in its second year with a remit to assist 100 women across London, New York and Mumbai who wish to return to the creative sector in 2020 by offering them a two-week ‘training boot camp’.
Participants are put through their paces with courses covering the latest industry developments together with responding to briefs from Diageo brands such as Baileys, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff. This serves as an introduction to a four-week placement at partner organisations including Anomaly, D&AD, DDB Mudra, Geometry, Glitch, M&C Saatchi, MRM//McCann, Publicis, Uncommon, VMLY&R, and Wunderman Thompson.
Syl Saller, chief marketing officer of Diageo: “I’m pleased to see more women entering the boardrooms of agencies, but too few are in creative leadership positions. I am convinced that diversity in creative leadership leads to better and more effective work. It’s time for concerted action that will close the creative leadership gap.”
The programme has been spurred by research from the UK advertising industry which found that women comprise just 16% of creative directors and follows the success of the 2019 programme which aided 58 women in Manchester and London.