Leo Burnett Sydney chief executive officer Pete Bosilkovski addresses gender diversity issue
Leo Burnett Sydney chief executive officer Pete Bosilkovski has released a media statement on the gender imbalance issue within the creative industry.
Over the last week, our company sparked and has been at the centre of a conversation about gender diversity. While one photo isn’t reflective of our company, it does highlight that we clearly have an issue to address.
And we need to publicly recognise that. This is an industry-wide issue, but we have to tend to our own backyard. We acknowledge that we have some work to do when it comes to gender diversity in our creative department here. It’s an uncomfortable truth, but one that we need to face up to.
The Communications Council, along with the CEO of Leo Burnett Melbourne, Melinda Geertz, have done some important work in this area. Our commitment now is to do better. We believe in diversity as a company and as individuals, and we have a policy. But clearly, we have not lived up to the standards we set in the creative department.
This is a humbling week for us, and we now need to move forward with greater intent and actions. We certainly have a lot of work to do and we are committed to turning the conversation into action.
Pete Bosilkovski
CEO, Leo Burnett Sydney
12 Comments
Hire a tranny, that’ll shut em up.
I just read the latest flare-up over a freelancer being refused work over anti-Leo FB comments. What did the freelancer expect would be the outcome? What a fool. Number one rule of being either an employee and particularly a freelancer: don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Trust me Im in advertising!
Assuming the freelancer had done work for Burnett’s or knew she might, I have to agree.
It’s just dumb.
I wouldn’t hire someone who had publicly poured fuel onto a fire that was embarrassing my agency.
Hire the best people you can find. If you’ve done that, then you’ve done nothing wrong. If you’re discounting females, oldies, minorities or anyone you think is more talented, then shame on you.
I don’t know this freelancer, but I fail to see how sharing a post with the comment ‘Maybe time for an all female agency’ is biting the hand that feeds you.
It’s glaringly obvious that the under-representation of women in creative isn’t just an issue at Leo’s, it’s an issue at almost every agency.
Besides, not hiring someone because they dare to have an opinion (and share it), is almost as bad as not hiring someone because they have a vagina.
…okay folks it’s all over. There’s nothing to see. Move along please. Boz I love you mate.
All the women are working in PR.
WHY ARE THERE NO DUDES IN PR????
Anyone who suggests that sharing an article with an opposing opinion is tantamount to treason is well past their used-by date.
Sharing is neither an endorsement or a criticism, it’s promoting debate.
The same debate that generates better ideas.
You may think you’re the experienced practitioner in the office, but you’re actually just a negligent one. Time to step aside and give an AWARD School student a job, or perhaps promote the middleweight propping you up.
No-wonder so many traditional agencies are turkeys if the above is a prevailing view.
meanwhile every guy in that creative department is waiting for the tap on the shoulder for the slightest wrong foot, as ‘committed to turning the conversation into action’ unfolds.
“just hire the best people” is a cop out. We could also say lets connect with our consumers and represent diversity in creative teams. Having a few more women and ethnically diverse folks about the creative department is not going to end the old world order, but it is going to create a culture of acceptance, appreciation and respect for one another. I would like to see that in our ideas. After what has happened over the weekend in France I think there are very few people who would disagree that the world needs more acceptance and cohesion of diversity. Yes Leo Burnett, you and every other agency has a huge amount of work to do, to be more relevant to consumers, by being more accepting and respectful of diversity and placing that in the ideas you create. Change is difficult but that is the only way we get better.
Creative departments in Sydney really are nothing more than horrible little cliques of drinking buddies – as you can see in all the photos from every event ever. Misogynistic, homophobic, testosterone-fueled prima donnas on company beer. We even seem to attract people like that here from overseas. It’s f@cked. Leos are no better or worse than the rest.