- Who can join WACL?
WACL is a club for senior women leaders and we welcome women from across the advertising and communications industry, from all nations and regions of the UK. As the industry is growing and diversifying, so too must our membership. We would love to hear from you whether you are the founder of a new start-up, whether your at the forefront of the data or technology that is transforming our industry, whether you work in advertising production or customer experience. And, of course, we still welcome women who work client-side marketers, in media owners or in agencies.
Whatever your role, to be considered for membership, you will already need to be a highly respected woman in your field and have held an executive position/be on the board/executive management team (CEO/MD, CMO/Marketing Director, Founding Partner, CCO/ECD, Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Data Officer, etc.) for no less than two years in a business, or the department within a business, that is involved in the creation, execution or evaluation of advertising, marketing communications and media. If you are not quite yet at the right level for membership, there are many other female groups within the industry with whom we actively partner with and support.
- What are we looking for?
Our mantra as a club is ‘stronger me, stronger we’. As members of WACL, we are united by the conviction that we are each better because we are together. We all contribute, every day in a multitude of ways and equally we all gain from the friendship and support of the Club.
As such, we want our members to be active, to lean in and to use their influence in their own businesses to make a difference.
We want our members to be active participants in the club’s activities, events and campaigns, and to be proud advocates of WACL to further increase our collective sphere of influence.
We want our members to positively check and challenge what we are doing and where we are going.
- How do I apply?
You can apply through the website by following the link below and completing the application form. Please take time with your application and give us sufficient detail to help us understand who you are, why you’re keen to join WACL and your commitment to gender equality.
You will need to be endorsed by an existing member: This member shouldn’t be someone who you work with, either directly or commercially but they should know you well enough to be able to write a recommendation on your behalf. These members will then act as your buddy to speed integration, should you become a member.
Fees: Current Annual Membership costs: £406.00 *inc. VAT
- Key dates for your calendar
- *PLEASE NOTE THAT THE APPLICATION WINDOW FOR 2022-23 IS NOW CLOSED. ANY APPLICATIONS WHICH ARE NOW SUBMITTED WILL NOT BE REVIEWED UNTIL JANUARY 2024.*This WACL year we will be taking in one cohort of new members. You are welcome to apply any time between Nov 1st 2022 and Jan 2nd 2023. All applications will be reviewed by our New Members’ Committee in January and we will let all applicants know the outcome of the process by the end of February. New members will officially join the Club from March 2023.
Become a WACL member to bring gender equality to our industry
What is WACL and why should I become a member?
Who we are
We are an active club of influential women in marketing, media, the creative industries and communications. We are purpose driven – our aim is to accelerate gender equality for the benefit of all. As leaders, we are determined to use our power and influence to change our own workplaces, in the work that we do, and the communities we operate in. As a Club, we come together to support each other, to learn from each other, and to form lasting relationships and friendships.
What we believe
Our goal is to effect change. To create working places and a society where everyone has the same access, opportunity, experience and recognition to succeed in life. We believe everyone’s contribution should be valued and respected to create cultures of belonging in our workplaces. We advocate for transparent reporting, candour amongst ourselves and embrace and support women in all life stages. To do this, we recognise that for all of us to be equal, those women who are further ahead than others must use their privilege to help lift others up.
What we do
We campaign for change to drive gender equality. Recent work has included campaigns to promote Flexible Working, to close the Gender Pay Gap, to address the representation of women in the media and eradicate sexual harassment in our industry via our support for timeTo. Our 2021/22 campaigning focus has been to encourage companies & organisations to be #FlexibleFirst as we know one of the biggest levers of change that will help us deliver equality in the workplace is to measure people on output & not hours spent and enable them to be architects of their own ways of working. We inspire our members with thought leadership events and give them opportunities to meet their peers and broaden their networks. We support women in the industry via sponsorship, training and mentorship. And we fundraise for industry charities for the benefit of all.
If this sounds like a Club that you would like to be part of, please see below for more information about the application process.
Please note that applications for 2022-23 are now closed. New applications will not now be considered until January 2024.