Bee Pearson, Piqniq co-founder, has been named as one of the winners of the WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership ) Talent Awards. 29 finalists were chosen from a record-breaking 210 applications to receive bursaries of up to £1,500 each to fund a training course of their choice.
This year marks 20 years of WACL & NABS investing in the next generation of female+ leaders in advertising, communications and media—driving change, championing diverse perspectives and shaping a more inclusive industry. Over the past two decades, more than 300 women have been supported and £560,000 invested.
This award is more than a grant—it’s a launchpad for continued success for women in our industry. At Piqniq, we’re committed to championing female leadership in an industry where women remain underrepresented. In advertising, women face a 15% gender pay gap – worse than the national average, what’s more, across the UK, women make up only 1 in 3 business owners.
Further compounding the need for change, a closer look at the top 50 UK media agencies in Campaign’s Media Agency School Report reveals that every single agency is either male-founded or majority-male-founded. These stark figures highlight just how important partnerships between female leaders and initiatives like WACL are for driving this essential change our industry is crying out to see.
Congratulations to all of the incredible women who were honoured as part of the 2025 awards.
The winners of the 2025 WACL Talent Awards
Aimee Rishover, Digital Account Director at EssenceMediacom
Alique Ohanian, Group Account Director at UM – Mediabrands
Alys Donnelly, Media Operations and Change Director at GroupM
Amy Dick, Chief Operating Officer at CULT
Annika Allen, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at All3Media
Bee Pearson, Director and Co-Founder at picniq ltd
Chloe Fanning, Director, Client Advice & Management at Initiative
Claire Mathieson, Business Director at Republic of Media
Clara Biu, Head of PR
Daria Zlobina, Senior Manager at 2K
Elizabeth Anyaegbuna, Co-Founder at 16x9media
Ella Walton, Global Head of Marketing and Communications at Alpha International
Emilia Kireli-Reed, Founder/Creative Director at Kireli Studio
Emma Hunt, Marketing Manager, Women’s Health at Perrigo
Jennifer Litherland, Senior Global Advertising & Media Manager at TUI
Jessica Redhead, Partner at EssenceMediacom
Kat Breadon, Service Designer at VML
Katie Dennis, Data Strategy & Insights Manager at Mindshare
Leanne Ainsworth, Director at Female Founded
Lucy Martin, Head of New Business and Marketing at Good Agency
Natasha Szczerb, Founder & Managing Director at BADBERRIES
Nicole Jones, Head of Copy at Publicis Pro
Nicole Orioro, Project Manager at RAPP
Sarah Clarke, Senior Data & Strategy Director at McCann Central
Shivani Arora, Communications Lead Manager at British Airways
Shreyaal Hirani-Shah, International Revenue Account Director at Hearst UK
Thanh Catachanas, Head of Collaboration & Acquisition at JCDecaux UK
Tiffany Mondersir, Planning Director at VCCP
Results
1 in 3
Women are business owners
0
Female-founded or majority female-founded media agencies in the Top 50