Tebogo Skwambane, WPP country manager SA: Everyone needs to have a voice
Relatively new to advertising, having spent most of her career in other industries, such as in strategy consulting, with extensive experience working with clients in mining and other heavy industries, Skwambane has the perspective of being able to compare the industry to others she’s worked in.
And she’s found it lacking.
The question is, why?
“Overall, women frequently outnumber men in advertising,” she notes.
“But my experience of the industry so far is to see a lot of women at mid and junior levels – and our numbers at WPP reflect that fact – but once you leap over into that senior level, it flips over, and there’s a pyramid situation where you get to the top and it’s almost completely male and that seems unique to this industry.
“You find men in those driving seats and decision-making roles, supported by strong and powerful women. The question in my mind is, why?”
Opportunities lacking: Mentoring an answer
Skwambane set about answering that question and her investigations revealed there was no shortage of women with the ambition and talent to rise to the topmost levels of leadership; what’s been lacking are the opportunities.
As country manager for WPP, which counts some of South Africa’s biggest agencies in its stable – including the likes of Ogilvy and VML – Skwambane is looking to address this.
One of the ways is through mentorship.
Stella
Stella is a global WPP initiative that Skwambane is promoting in South Africa.
It’s a forum for women across the WPP network to connect and support each other, based on the premise that shared experiences can be empowering and there’s value to be gained in learning from those who have overcome the challenges you’re currently facing.
Inclusion as a Skill
Another WPP initiative, Inclusion as a Skill, is a 12-week programme that teaches people the importance of thinking inclusively and aims to entrench that way of thinking as a culture in the business.
Meanwhile, Skwambane is also working towards achieving 50/50 representation of men and women at senior management level to reflect the country’s population.
“If women make up half the population in South Africa – and statistics suggest that is the case – then it doesn’t make sense for them to make up only a small percentage of the boardroom,” she observes.
