Omniwomen 2017

As people celebrated International Women’s Day all over the world last week, the third Omniwomen UK 2017 Leadership summit also took place at County Hall in London.

Omniwomen is Omnicom’s global programme to drive the number, seniority and influence of women across the network. 2017’s theme was leadership and being able to be ’your true and best self in the workplace’.

Around 350 women gathered for what was a truly inspirational day where we heard some amazing speakers talking about their leadership journeys. The speakers, panels and breakout sessions all gave something different and really showed the audience that we need to aim high, be authentic and believe in ourselves – we really can have it all!

I took pages and pages of notes but here are some the best quotes from the day:

  • ‘Omnicom UK senior leadership is now 48% female’ Emma Sargeant, DAS Europe
  • ‘It’s not pretty. We’re not perfect. Own who you are and stand out.’ Natalia Brzenzinski, Symposium Stockholm
  • ‘Step out of your comfort zones’, Philippa Brown, OMG
  • ‘Focus on building the best team around you. Success is a team game’. Philippa Brown, OMG
  • ‘Mentorships create hierarchy, champion someone less powerful than you.’ Ruth Hunt, Stonewall
  • ‘In 2015, women earned what men were making 10 years ago’ Amir Dossal, Global Partnerships Forum
  • ‘If you’re not going to remember it in 5 years’, it’s not worth 5 mins worrying about it now.’ Rachel Holms, Pepsico
  • ‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid?’ Catherine Oliver, Sky
  • ‘All I can say is go for it. Don’t let anyone hold you back’. Gabrielle Ludzker
  • ‘Diversity breeds creativity’ Felix Koch, C Space
  • ‘Men of quality don’t fear equality’ Phil Bartlett, CDM London
  • ‘It’s not just what you say, but how you say it.’ Judi James, Body Language Expert
  • Don’t cover up who you are, be the best version of yourself. Judi James, Body Language Expert
  • ‘Don’t wait for permission, just get on with it.’ Fenella Grey, Porter Novelli
  • It’s not a weakness to show you don’t know something. It’s a strength to admit it and learn. Sophie Daranyi, Haygarth

Omniwomen is a fantastic initiative and illustrates how Omnicom are leading the way in supporting diversity and gender equality in the workplace. I left the day feeling lucky to work for OMD, inspired and optimistic – if you are ever offered the chance to attend Omniwomen I would definitely recommend you go.

#beboldforchange #omniwomenuk

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