International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 (8 March) is a global call to accelerate action towards gender equality. This year’s theme urges individuals, businesses and communities to move beyond awareness and drive meaningful change. While progress has been made, achieving true gender equality requires bold steps, decisive policies and collective effort.
At Salocin Group, it’s recognised that action – not just conversation – is the key to real progress. We’re striving for a more inclusive and fair future. This IWD, we’re shining the spotlight on some of our wonderful women working across our brands. We’re also championing authentic female leadership and encouraging allyship of women working in data and technology. Read on to find out more…
Salocin Spotlight
Meet some of our empowered women working across Edit, Wood for Trees and Join the Dots, and learn about their inspiring career journeys – overcoming challenges and embracing opportunities.
Jodie Hanrahan, Senior Media Account Director, Join the Dots
Can you share your journey at Salocin Group and what it’s been like working as a woman in your field?
I started out as part of Response One (one of the initial businesses to form Edit) in my first media planning role. At the start of my career, I learned so much and was surrounded by intelligent, passionate women rocking it in the industry; these women were my role models and inspiration. As women, I think we all know that we have to work a bit harder to shine in industries dominated by men, and this comes from the core values of a company – luckily I’ve always felt like Ben Briggs, who leads our team, has been so supportive in praising and giving me opportunity to flourish, grow and progress, but I know this isn’t always the case in businesses. I feel lucky to have had this support, as it can be challenging to navigate a successful career with the biases that exist in the industry, and at times I have had to fight to be heard, but this has just made me stronger!
Do you feel seen, heard and valued in the workplace? How does Salocin Group foster an inclusive and supportive environment for women?
The team I am part of is mostly women, which is fantastic! We support each other, celebrate each other’s wins and feel like valued members of the team. In our team, everyone’s opinion counts – it feels like we all matter regardless of our gender. Salocin Group runs an authentic leadership programme, which I took part in a couple of years ago; it’s a great initiative that gives women in the business the confidence they need to be successful and grow, and it helped me develop my career for sure! The next step would be to have more women on the board, as I feel this would further the inclusivity of women in the business.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in your career and how have you overcome them?
As a woman, there have been times where I’ve felt like my opinion or knowledge wasn’t valued as much because of my gender – I think sometimes people can find it hard to adjust to the fact that a younger woman might actually have good or better knowledge about a subject than them, and they become defensive. The way to deal with this is to keep your cool and keep pushing through with your strong will and passion, don’t let it eat you up or knock you down, and keep projecting your knowledge and opinions! Your opinion does matter, and most people know that. The gender pay gap is REAL as well, and as women we need to find the confidence to bring the subject up with our managers and recognise our worth.
Do you feel there are equal opportunities for women to step into leadership roles? What support or encouragement have you received to progress in your career?
It really depends on the business. If you’re part of a business that has women in leadership roles already, there’s more likely to be opportunity for other women to move into these roles too. In a male-dominated business, it can be a struggle, and we may have to fight more for leadership roles. I’ve been fortunate in that Ben has always believed in me and given me opportunities to progress – he’s my biggest supporter, and without his encouragement I might not have had the confidence to step into other roles. Not only this, but the whole team I’m part of is so supportive of one another and we have role models like Clare Arndell leading our very successful planning team, demonstrating how women in leadership roles not only provide huge success for businesses, but also give other women the passion and drive to succeed and progress.
What advice would you give to other women looking to grow their careers and what changes would you like to see in the industry to further gender equality?
My advice to other women would be to firstly make sure they are joining the right company; it’s so important to ensure you’re surrounded by a culture and people that provide opportunity and encouragement. Keep sharing your opinions, keep working hard, believing in yourself and knowing your worth. The right people will recognise and reward it. The industry is still dominated by white men, particularly in senior roles, so for the future I’d like to see a more diverse workforce particularly in leadership positions to bring women’s voices, experience and passion to life; inevitably creating thriving businesses representative of everybody.
Kay Weller, Account Director, Wood for Trees
Can you share your journey at Salocin Group and what it’s been like working as a woman in your field?
Compared to other agencies in this field, working at Salocin Group has been a breath of fresh air. As a woman working here, it seems to be so much more respected. I’ve previously felt unheard and like my opinion simply didn’t count, but now my confidence is growing, and I feel respected by my peers and senior team. It’s fantastic!
Do you feel seen, heard and valued in the workplace? How does Salocin Group foster an inclusive and supportive environment for women?
I think our B Corp status means a lot. It feels like Salocin Group is at the forefront of embracing a positive culture for women and I can see everyone respects each other. Promotions are based on skill, and I see women doing amazingly well around me, which just energises me! Just the small things, like everyone having cameras on in meetings and kindness being the norm – it fosters such a great working environment and team culture.
What challenges have you faced as a woman in your career and how have you overcome them?
I’ve worked in many industries and seen a lot throughout my career – my early days in shipping were a real eye opener and it was a hugely male dominated sector, which didn’t value women in the workplace. It set me up to understand that I’d have to work a lot harder in my early days to get recognition. I became bolder as a junior to ‘fit in’ with the ‘lads club’ and always felt like a fraud that would be found out – it was truly exhausting! As I’ve got older and more comfortable in my own skin, I’ve realised that to be truly happy you must find your place and your people, and culture fit is a huge thing for me.
As a whole, do you feel there are equal opportunities for women to step into leadership roles?
I still feel there are less opportunities for women – I feel as a mother my ability to go over and above isn’t as easy as those without children and having to take time off for maternity definitely impacted both my career growth and confidence. This is changing now men can take more paid paternity leave, but it still doesn’t feel as equal as I think it should be across the board – but it’s definitely improving!
Emma Corbett, Partner Development Director, Edit
Can you share your journey at Salocin Group and what it’s been like working as a woman in your field?
I started working here 2.5 years ago in my current role, which was to set up and manage the Microsoft partnership, and I really enjoy my job and working with Microsoft. I started in the print industry and then moved into data and tech, so I was definitely in a man’s world! My roles have predominately been in client services, sales and partnership management.
Sadly, I’ve at times felt prejudice, especially in my early years venturing into the world of technology. I was made to feel like I have to work harder, faster and smarter than my male team members, which was totally unacceptable. I definitely felt I had more to prove to be taken seriously as a female. Later on in my career, I realised it was about output, not input!
However, I’ve also been lucky in that over my long career I’ve had three amazing male allies, who’ve always managed to spot the potential in me and provide the building blocks to elevate me up the ladder. The first one mentored me onto the start of my leadership path at the tender age of 22, which was a massive achievement and I’m really grateful he took the time to help me.
I’ve made sure to build solid relationships with those around me, to ensure we all work together as a team to be successful.
Do you feel seen, heard and valued in the workplace? How does Salocin Group foster an inclusive and supportive environment for women?
I feel 100% seen, heard and valued by everyone at Salocin Group, from the top with our CEO Nick Dixon through to all roles and levels. I’m fortunate to have a wonderful line manager, J Cromack, who I’ve worked for in two different companies now, which says a lot! He’s always supported me and assisted in my career progression. He’s a great role model and encouraged me to complete the authentic leadership course we have at Salocin Group. He also has a great ability to place people in the right role based on their skills. He’s also fun to be around – it’s important to enjoy your job!
We’re B Corp certified, so that’s all about people, planet and profit, and this helps us create a workplace that values our employees’ needs beyond just their work contributions. It also promotes a positive and inclusive workplace culture, attracting and retaining talent and fostering a sense of purpose and mission alignment, ultimately leading to higher employee satisfaction and engagement.
We have a great HR team that actively promote inclusivity – we have a menopause policy that everyone has to read and complete a test on, we also have a shared parental leave policy.
We have a split here of 43% women, which is very unusual for a tech company. We have internal campaigns, such as nominations for IWD, where we celebrate and champion inclusivity, leadership and resilience and of course our women in business. We also celebrate success as a team, which is very important.
As mentioned, our female leadership course is designed to mentor females to progress on to the board (on which we need more women), if that’s something of interest to them. This course is designed to build confidence and authenticity in female leaders. It helped me to identify and celebrate my strengths and how to apply them in my role. It created a safe space where we could share any self-doubt to build resilience. This coached programme provided skills to inspire and lead a connected team. I found it hugely beneficial and empowering and would firmly recommend anyone to take up such an offer.
What advice would you give to other women looking to grow their careers?
Say yes to more opportunities or volunteer for things you wouldn’t normally do, even if they scare you. Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable – you’ll grow in confidence and ability, so don’t let fear hold you back. Don’t feel like you have to prove yourself just because you’re a woman. Make sure you’re on a level playing field with your team members, irrespective of gender. Take time to really understand and celebrate your skills and strengths, they’ll empower you.
Liza Hughes, Founder, Whynot? Coaching and Salocin Group’s authentic leadership course leader
“I have been incredibly privileged to work alongside Salocin Group for the last three years supporting their aspiring female leaders. We created a nine-month programme called ‘Authentic’, which supports women to thrive in their leadership roles.
“At its core, the programme is strength based – this is really important to build confidence around authenticity. We use two psychometric tests, Emergenetics and VIA Strengths, to enable all delegates to fully understand their strengths and how to use them practically in their roles.
“We’ve created a safe space in which to embrace self-doubt and build resilience, both topics that can be isolating and difficult to discuss with colleagues. The second phase of the programme looks specifically at leading others, we have sessions on coaching, leading a connected team and navigating change, which can be a constant challenge for organisations. Our final stage is about how to present authentically, which we do in nature walking around the outskirts of beautiful Bath.
“The programme has been a huge success and great return on investment. We’re currently working with our third cohort as a result. Previous delegates have found the programme life changing!”
Allyship for women working in Microsoft Business Applications
At a Partner Pulse event hosted by Oaka Studio, our Chief Growth Officer, J Cromack, joined Emma (who you’ve already met above in this blog!) to share insights on allyship for women working in Microsoft Business Applications. The session, aligning with IWD, focused on fostering diversity, mentorship and leadership opportunities for women in technology.
Key takeaways from the discussion included:
- Building inclusive workplaces: Salocin Group actively supports diversity through B Corp certification, structured mentorship, leadership programs and workplace policies, like menopause awareness and shared parental leave.
- Role of male allies: Men play a crucial part in gender equality by advocating for women, promoting diverse leadership and fostering flexible work cultures. J’s approach to hiring and mentorship demonstrates how allies can drive meaningful change.
- Overcoming barriers to leadership for women: This requires structured diversity initiatives, equitable promotions and strong mentorship networks.
- Advice for future female leaders: Confidence, mentorship and seeking inclusive workplaces are essential. Women should recognise their strengths, advocate for themselves and challenge biases in leadership paths.
As part of the Microsoft BizApps community, Salocin Group remains committed to championing women and inspiring inclusion in the data and technology industry.
