AdNews is following the WFH Diaries with a series of Perspectives, asking two questions: What did you learn in 2021 and what are you looking forward to in 2022? We've also encouraged the industry to glam, dress for the best, and face next year with optimism.
Laura Aldington, CEO, Host/Havas
They say ‘today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present’ but as far as presents go, 2021 really should’ve come with a receipt so we can return the bastard. An ill-fitting assortment of lockdowns, home schooling, separation from loved ones, cancellation of plans, and an absence of stimulating experiences, all wrapped up in a miserable La Niña grey - it’s amazing any positives can be found it in at all..
And yet….
It was also a year that showed us the enormous resilience of our teams, and our industry more broadly.
Our end of year survey saw 100% of our people agree we’ve had a good laugh this year, and 98% of them say they’re proud to work at the agency. Under the circumstances, I think that’s pretty remarkable. Despite it being my job to keep chins up, I think they inspired me far more than I did them, and taught me invaluable lessons about grit, determination and teamwork.
It was a year where many women further established themselves at, or ascended to, the top roles in many of our leading agencies.
I share my CEO mantle at Havas Village Australia with two of the best: Simone Gupta (Havas PR) and Virginia Hyland (Havas Media), so I get to experience first-hand the impact that more women in leadership can have. Brilliant initiatives like F*ck the Cupcakes, Mavens and The Aunties grew our industry ambition to inspire, protect, connect, and champion women; and similarly, I’m super proud of the progress we were able to make through the Havas Hustle (which helped over seventy women entrepreneurs) and significant new policies around parenthood (with key responsibilities often falling on women) and family violence, which disproportionally impacts women.
Whilst we’ve still got a mountain to climb when it comes to diversity, 2021 was a year that kicked off the inaugural Advertising Council of Australia’s Create Space Census. I loved seeing our industry’s reception and participation, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the responses it elicits. Earlier this year, the ACA also launched the industry’s first Reconciliation Action Plan, which was another moment for celebration. Chairing their Reconciliation Committee has given me a glimpse into the incredible talent that exists within the oldest and most creative storytelling culture on this earth, and the untold possibilities that offers our industry.
Whilst I’m firmly in favour of spending at least some of the week in the office, I’m also grateful we’ve accelerated the conversation around flexibility. Like many agencies, next year we’ll be letting staff work for up to a month from anywhere in the world, reuniting them with their loved ones. It’s hard to imagine this sort of scheme gaining any traction at all pre-Covid, but the fact we’re all capable of quickly implementing new ways of working is undoubtedly an unintended highlight of 2021.
I started with an adage, so I’ll end with one too. It’s always darkest just before the dawn. I’m strangely and perhaps naively optimistic about what 2022 will hold. We’ve proven this year, yet again, just how resilient, positive, hard-working, progressive and adaptive we can be.
I hope next year we get the chance to apply this energy to collectively making our industry a better place – happier, healthier, wealthier, more diverse and more inclusive. What an opportunity that would be.
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