Sally Tambourgi, Executive Creative Director, VML DubaiIt was International Women’s Day over the weekend, and honestly, it’s a great time to stop and celebrate where we are today. When I look at our industry, it’s been totally transformed. Just fifteen years ago, I used to be the only woman sitting with upper management in a room full of men, the ‘boys club’, where I often felt a little out of place. But today, women, with their tenacity and talent, have smashed through glass ceilings with their stilettos and have truly earned their place at the table.
From the fresh-faced junior creatives to Regional CCOs running the show, there’s no denying the progress. And now I can say that it’s truly admirable to see women in senior leadership roles. We know that getting to these positions often means juggling a whole lot: big career ambitions, family life, and the relentless mental load. It’s a huge balancing act, comes with plenty of sacrifices, and it takes serious resilience.
For any woman who’s made it to a leadership role, particularly in a buzzing place like Dubai, it just shows her talent, plus an incredible mix of toughness, smart thinking, and emotional intelligence. We’re celebrating these wins not as the finish line, but as a hard-earned launchpad for what’s next.
Beyond the box-ticking mentality
But now that we’ve made it to the top and we’ve proved that we belong there, I feel like it’s time for a real shift in how our industry approaches this whole inclusion thing.
We really need to move past just “ticking boxes” for demographics. And that means explicitly moving beyond hiring someone because of their gender or from a specific nationality, purely to hit some diversity ratio.
Making sure we had some representation, a mix of genders, different nationalities, was super important for breaking down old barriers and getting fresh perspectives into our teams.
But leaning too hard on those numbers, purely for the sake of a ratio and without truly valuing the individual talent, can actually do more harm than good.
It can make people feel like token hires, cast shadows on genuinely talented individuals, and frankly, it just gets in the way of what we really want: a place where individual brilliance can truly shine, no strings attached.
The pure meritocracy imperative
So, here’s my take: the focus has to change, permanently.
Our big goal should be a pure meritocracy. We’re talking about a world where talent, what you can do, and your individual contribution are the only things that matter for getting ahead, getting promoted, and getting recognised.
Not your gender, not your nationality, and certainly not your personal background.
My vision is for a creative industry where someone’s skin colour, gender, or any other label takes a backseat to their proven skills, their fresh ideas, and the real impact they make.
What pure talent really looks like
So, what does this pure focus on talent actually look like in our creative world? It’s far more than just a flashy portfolio. We’re talking strategic brains, sharp problem-solvers, and the resilience to keep up with constant tech shifts.
It’s about being a leader, a team player, and having the emotional intelligence to genuinely inspire. And living in a global hub like Dubai, cultural intelligence, that skill for truly connecting with diverse audiences, is non-negotiable.
These aren’t gender-specific traits; they’re human strengths that, when prioritized, naturally elevate the most gifted individuals, regardless of their background.
Authentic diversity through talent
Now, buying into this whole ‘talent-first’ thing doesn’t mean we suddenly ignore diversity. Quite the opposite! It’s actually how we get real, authentic diversity, it just happens naturally.
When agencies really commit to fair hiring, letting awesome portfolios and solid track records do the talking, and then build systems where you grow based on your performance, they’ll automatically pull in a much wider range of brilliant minds. Why? Because they’ll get known as places where talent is king.
This way, we’re lifting people up for what they do and what they offer, not just for fitting into some demographic box.
And from a business angle, it’s a no-brainer: a true meritocracy means we build the absolute best teams, churning out more innovative ideas, better work for clients, and ultimately, a super competitive and dynamic agency.
As leaders, it’s our job to champion this next step. That means putting systems in place that totally ditch unconscious bias when we’re hiring and reviewing.
It means building inclusive cultures where everyone feels safe to take chances, throw out ideas, and really grow, knowing that their hard work will be judged solely on its own merit.
And it means pushing mentorship and sponsorship programmes that spot and develop potential based purely on someone’s natural abilities, not just ticking some box.
Towards a future of true equality
So, this International Women’s Day, let’s go beyond just counting the number of women in the room. Let’s celebrate the deep, undeniable talent every single person brings to the table.
Let’s commit to building an industry where every creative professional gets to shine purely because of their genius.
For me, that’s the real deal – the truest form of equality we’ve all been working towards. A creative world where excellence has no limits, and every unique contribution is truly valued for what it is.
by Sally Tambourgi, Executive Creative Director, VML Dubai
