WACL’s Executive Committee is led by the President, with the support of her VP. Each year WACL’s leadership oversees the delivery of all our programmes of support, inspiration and campaigning, as well as our events and the day to day running and governance of the Club. WACL has one salaried administrator but all other roles are filled by volunteers, who generously give up their spare time to help run the Club.
About WACL
Melissa Robertson & Helen Calcraft, WACL 100 Wisdom Launch 8Feb2023, Photographer BronacMcNeill
Supporting women since 1923
Women in Advertising and Communications, Leadership (WACL) is a membership organisation whose purpose is to accelerate gender equality in the advertising and communications industries. Founded in 1923, our membership currently comprises nearly 300 senior women drawn from client organisations, agencies, media owners and trade bodies.
We are lucky enough to count many high-profile women such as Dame Carolyn McCall (CEO, ITV), Justine Roberts (Founder, Mumsnet) and Alessandra Bellini (CCO, Tesco PLC) among our members, as well as industry trailblazers like Carol Reay (the first woman to have her name on the door of an agency) and Barbara Nokes (the creative behind many of Levi’s most famous ads).
Making change happen
Our membership today reflects many of those at the forefront of progressive change, including Chaka Sobhani (CCO Leo Burnett), Selma Nicholls (Founder, Looks Like Me), Helen Normoyle (Founder, My Menopause Centre) and Nana Bempah (founder, POCC).
Why women’s leadership is important
Women leaders make powerful role models and not just for other women. Research suggests that if leaders were judged solely in terms of the traits that are most valued and effective, 70% of leaders would be female. But women are still woefully under-represented at the most senior levels in advertising and communications. By leading for change, we aim to improve female representation in key roles, address the industry’s persistent gender pay gap, create more inclusive cultures, and ultimately create more equitable and more productive workplaces for everyone.
Leadership team
Past presidents
Allies
FAQs
Karen Stacey
WACL President
Chief Executive Officer
Digital Cinema Media
Claire Sadler
WACL Vice President
Chief Marketing and Fundraising Officer
British Heart Foundation
Nishma Robb (she/her)
WACL 101st President 2023 to 2024
Founder and CEO
The Glittersphere
Hanisha Kotecha (she/her)
WACL Hon Sec
Chief Client Officer
Creature London
Lori Meakin
WACL Hon Comms
Founder & Chief Executive Office
The Others & Me; Author of No More Menemies
Diana Tickell (she/her)
WACL Hon Treasurer
Jo Arden
WACL Next100 Committee
Chief Strategy Officer
Ogilvy UK
Judith Salinson
WACL Fellows Committee
Carol Reay
President 1995/96 WACL Fellows Committee
Chair
Portfolio
Lianre Robinson (she/her)
Chair WACL Campaigning Committee
General Manager (EMEA)
1021 Creative
Melanie Chevalier
WACL Member Experience Committee
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Creative Culture
Satin Reid
Chair WACL Talent Awards
Chief Operating Officer
EssenceMediacom
Jo Blundell
Chair WACL Talent Sessions
MD
Papa Johns
Camilla Kemp
Chair of The Festival of Talent Committee
CEO
M+C Saatchi
Chloe Davies
Chair WACL Wisdom
Founder & CEO
It Takes A Village Collective (ITAV)
Sarah Parkes (she/her)
Co-Chair WACL Gala Committee
Chief Sales and Marketing Officer
Talon
Cat Davis
Co-Chair WACL Gala Committee
Group Marketing Director
The MISSION Group PLC
Radha Davies (she/her)
Co-Chair WACL New Members Committee
Marketing Director – Brands, Communications & Creative
Sainsbury’s
Over the year WACL’s Past Presidents have included some of the industry’s best known and most respected female leaders including Kerry Glazer (17/18), Elizabeth Fagan (09/10), Nicola Mendelsohn (08/09), Dame Dianne Thompson (05/06), Tess Alps (03/04), Dame Carolyn McCall (02/03), Dame Cilla Snowball (99/00), Stevie Spring (94/95), and Patricia Mann (72/73).
WACL is proud to work with organisations and campaigns that support our aim to accelerate gender equality, including NABs, Bloom, CMI, All In Census, timeTo, UN Unstereotype Alliance, Creative Equals, IPA, ISBA, Ad Association.
To find out more about WACL read our FAQs.
What we do
Read about what we do for leaders, talent and allies below.
Support for WACL Leaders
Leaders
Benefit from the professional and emotional support provided from a powerful network of over 250 female leaders. Whatever your challenge, the chances are someone or something in WACL can help you through it! From our formal peer to peer mentoring, to our guest speaker programme to informal opportunities to make new friends or catch up with old ones, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your WACL membership.
Campaigning with WACL Allies
Allies
