Publicis Groupe launches leadership programme for female creatives across APAC

Publicis Groupe has launched a tailored leadership and creative development programme for high-potential female creatives across over 60 agencies in Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA). 

Developed and led by Natalie Lam, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA, the programme aims to change the gender ratio among creative leaders across the region. This comes as more than 50% of Publicis' workforce globally is female and 41% of key leaders are women, however industrywide, the percentage of female creative directors remains comparatively low, according to Lam.

Every year, high-potential mid- and senior-level creatives from Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA will be selected for the L’avenir programme, equipping them with the skills they need to shine as creative leaders. “We’ll identify our top female creatives, because true diversity makes the work better. L’avenir is a tailored programme that pairs mentees and mentors according to specific skills and potential, backing up their positions as future leaders with a strong portfolio of work,” said Lam. 

Over the past two months, Lam has hand-picked the first cohort of 15 female creatives, who will be paired with more than mentors, exposing them to global opportunities and client briefs.

The programme includes monthly 1:1 mentorship meetings, career growth sessions with chief talent officers, tailored creative training sessions and leadership masterclasses while relevant technology and digital tools will be adopted. Furthermore, participants will partner with one of Publicis Groupe’s biggest clients across the duration of a major project in the final three months of the programme.

The programme is open to high-potential female creatives at Publicis Groupe’s agencies in APAC and MEA. Selection is based on the strength of their creative portfolio, growth mindset and passion for creativity. The inaugural year-long programme has kicked off in October. 

“L’avenir means ‘the future’, and it is a programme where our future creative leaders can reach their full potential through targeted skills development and mentorship. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime career development opportunity for our participants that will contribute directly to Publicis Groupe’s creative and leadership base for years to come,” explained Anna Tomasetti, creative community manager at Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA.

Loris Nold, CEO for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Publicis Groupe, said: “This programme is tailor-made to the needs of each participant’s skills, strengths, gaps and career goals. For our clients, this means boundary-breaking work and more progressive, modern thinking that avoids unconscious bias and stereotypes. For our culture, it means creating an inclusive environment that supports the creative development of our next generation of leaders.” 

Jane Lin-Baden, Asia Pacific CEO at Publicis Groupe, added: “By giving L’avenir participants access to our most creative minds globally, we want all creatives to know that their career development at Publicis Groupe will be recognised and supported.” 

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