The 30 women trailblazing in creative right now

In the UK, only 12% of creative directors are female. To change this, Creative Equals, which champions gender-equality in the creative industries, is partnering Campaign to celebrate 30 (or 31, as it ultimately turned out) women redefining adland through their creativity and craft.

"The work we saw shows the applicants are punching above their weight in their personal projects, their ambitions, their energy and their determination," Caitlin Ryan, executive creative director at Cheil Worldwide and one of the #CEFutureLeaders judges, says. 

The calibre of candidates impressed the jury. "The future of our industry is in safe hands," Ian Heartfield, deputy executive creative director at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, says. "It’s exciting to see the quality of the next generation of creative talent coming through the ranks." 

For MullenLowe group executive creative director Emma Perkins, what stood out was how hard "many of the women are working outside of their day job to make the industry a place where they and other women can thrive".

Identifying these future leaders is part of the Creative Equals mission to track and monitor the progress of 100 of London’s rising stars with the aim of doubling the number of female creative directors over the next 24 months. To further develop this talent, it is launching the Creative Equals Leadership School, sponsored by Facebook, in June. 

So who made the list? Read more at Campaign here.  Check out our other Future Leaders, here

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We run Creative Comeback, out best-in-class returnship programme for women and gender nonconforming creatives who have taken a career break. We desperately need these women back in our industry - their perspectives are invaluable.