Equality Media + Marketing - AFR BOSS
Equality Media + Marketing has won the Media and Marketing category at the 2026 AFR BOSS Best Places to Work Awards for the third time in four years and taken the Best Place to Work, Small Organisation title on the same night.
The win adds to a strong run for the agency, which also took home AdNews Employer of the Year (under 75 headcount) and previously won the AFR BOSS category in 2025 and 2023.
Founder and managing director Marilla Akkermans said the recognition points to a broader shift in the industry.
"Three wins in four years is incredibly special, not just for us as a business, but for what it signals about where our industry is heading,” Akkermans said.
"We have always believed that if you design work properly from the start, you can create an environment where people do the best work of their careers and build full lives outside of it.
“To see that recognised again at this level reinforces that a different way of working is not only possible, but already happening."
The awards assess organisations through workplace practice submissions and independent employee surveys.
All Equality employees reported feeling empowered to work in a way that suits their lives.
The 30-person agency, founded in 2018, runs a four-day, full-pay 32-hour week and a leave framework covering menopause, menstruation, mental health, pregnancy loss, pawternity and gender affirmation, 19 additional days in total.
It also donates 10% of annual profit to Women's Property Initiatives, reaching $250,000 in 2025.
Publicis Groupe Australia took Silver, the only large company in the top three and was named overall winner of the Nurturing award across all industries, one of five dimension-based recognitions presented by Bendelta, the consultancy that partners with the AFR on the rankings.
CEO Michael Rebelo said the result was particularly meaningful given the group's centenary year.
"Being named as an AFR BOSS Best Places to Work is a recognition I'm incredibly proud of,” Rebelo said.
“It is particularly meaningful during Publicis Groupe's 100-year anniversary, reflecting a century of creativity and reinvention, with people at the heart of everything we do.
"This achievement is further reinforced by winning the overall 'Nurturing' award. It highlights our commitment to helping our people grow, learn and build the skills needed for an AI‑augmented future with company-wide programs such as PL.AI Ground."
Bronze went to TFM Digital.
TFM Digital CEO Taylor Fielding said it was one of his proudest moments at the agency.
"This one really counts a lot as it truly shows we are living our impacting people purpose," he said.
"Featuring as the only agency on the past two consecutive FAST100 lists illustrates we're doing the scaling part right. And to be included as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Media & Marketing, proves we're doing it in a sustainable way.
Independent agency The Media Store was a finalist for the second consecutive year.
Chief operating officer Jacquie Alley, the only Australian to have twice won at the global Indie Awards, taking Gold this year in the Indie Legend category, said culture underpins everything the agency does.
"One of our greatest achievements at The Media Store is the culture we've created among our team. We are people-first and values-led, and we prioritise creating an environment where people feel heard, supported and empowered," Alley said.
Alley said as a leader you had to do more than pay lip service to workplace culture.
“You have to deliver and we've continued to do that at The Media Store,” she said.
The other finalists in the Media and Marketing category were iProspect Australia, Yango, AEK Media and dentsu Queensland.
Luke Povee, managing partner at Yango, said it was an honour for the agency.
"Being recognised as a finalist in the AFR Best Places to Work Awards is a proud moment for the entire Yango team," he said.
"In an industry often obsessed with the efficiency of algorithms, we’ve always placed a definitive bet on the power of human ingenuity”
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