Breaking Through: Women's Path to Equity in Marketing Leadership

4th Mar 2025

Marketing has a gender pay gap of 15.6% - a figure that’s too large to ignore.

This isn’t breaking news; most people know that the gender pay gap exists. What’s striking is how little progress has been made in closing it.

At Pivotal, we surveyed nearly 800 professionals working in marketing, sales, and tech. From this data, we learned that for full-time employees working in marketing, the gender pay gap is £9,031. On average, women earn 15.6% less than their male counterparts. Effectively, women in marketing work unpaid from November 5th onwards.

That’s not all. Another hurdle exists. Despite being better represented than men in mid-level roles (Marketing Manager/Account Manager), women remain underrepresented at the senior level (Lead/Head of/Director/VP/C-Suite). Marketing leadership teams, in many (but not all) cases, are still largely male-dominated. Our data suggests this is not due to a lack of suitable female talent ready to progress upwards but rather a systemic issue that needs addressing.

With International Women’s Day 2025 on the horizon, we spoke with senior marketing leaders to help unpack this issue, detailing strategies and advice for employers and female marketing professionals looking to break through the glass ceiling. Featuring expert contributions from Jessica Nesbitt, CGO at Not On The High Street; Tamsin James, CMO at MSQ; Sophie Brisbourne-Rhodes, Global CMO at CleanCo; Sharon Hegarty, Marketing Consultant (ex-SVP Corporate Marketing at BBC Studios); and Emilia Korczynska, VP of Marketing at Userpilot.

According to data from our Salary and Work Insights Survey, in Media Agencies, women make up 12% more mid-level marketing roles than men do, but 11% fewer leadership positions. In B2C Consumer Brands, women make up 5% more mid-level marketing roles than men do, but 22% fewer leadership positions.

The Marketing Gender Pay Gap

Globally, the gender pay gap is several generations away from being fixed. The World Economic Forum states that it will take until 2158 to achieve worldwide gender parity. In the UK, change is happening at a faster pace but still not fast enough. According to the ONS, the gender pay gap has been consistently shrinking over the past decade. Based on their most recent calculations from April 2024, it currently stands at 7% for full-time employees.

Marketing is playing catch-up. Our data puts the gender pay gap at 15.6%, significantly behind the national figure and closely mirroring the results of Marketing Week’s 2024 Career & Salary Survey (16%).

Why does the marketing gender pay gap persist? In short, for a multitude of reasons. Tamsin James, CMO at MSQ, acknowledges: “You can’t talk about the gender pay gap without talking about the drop-off in senior women—the two are completely connected.”

Jessica Nesbitt, CGO at Not On The High Street, states: “The industry needs to prioritise not just equal pay, but also transparency around pay scales and career progression opportunities for women, particularly supporting working parents.” The underrepresentation of women in senior marketing roles is a major driver of the gender pay gap.

The Marketing Leadership Gender Gap

Several marketing leaders agreed that it can be a familiar feeling to be in a senior leadership role and, at the same time, the only woman in a boardroom meeting. As Sophie Brisbourne-Rhodes, Global CMO at CleanCo, says: “Nine times out of ten, I’m the only woman in the boardroom. It makes me wonder - why is it just me?”

This has a knock-on effect. If fewer women occupy senior marketing positions, fewer role models exist for junior female marketers to look up to. Tamsin highlights how this impacts “how women feel and the confidence they have to put themselves forward” for senior roles.

Sharon Hegarty, Marketing Consultant and ex-SVP Corporate Marketing at BBC Studios, echoes this, stating: “If women can’t do 80% of the job description, they don’t apply for the job.” This underscores the importance of using inclusive language when crafting job descriptions to encourage more female candidates to apply.

Women may also hesitate to pursue senior roles if they have young children, as balancing childcare with a high-pressure job can lead to self-doubt. Childcare responsibilities -disproportionately borne by women - often extend to additional caregiving for parents and other relatives, particularly during key career years (30-40), causing women’s trajectories to falter.

Emilia Korczynska, VP of Marketing at Userpilot, states: “Around the age when people progress into these roles, women have to make a trade-off: are they going to have a family or not?” Many women aim to reach a certain seniority in their careers before having children.

The leadership gap in marketing isn’t due to a lack of qualified female candidates. Our data shows slightly more women in mid-level marketing roles than men. Companies must address the broken rung in the ladder, actively supporting women’s career progression to create more female role models and promote inclusive work cultures.

Motherhood & Maternity Leave

Motherhood was a recurring topic among marketing leaders. While not all women have children, the stigma around working mothers remains a corporate challenge.

Getting maternity leave policy right is crucial to ensuring returning mothers feel supported and ready to resume their careers. Sophie mentions that managers should discuss communication preferences during maternity leave, as some may prefer regular updates, while others may not.

Maternity leave and the demands of raising young children can shift a woman's career trajectory, often pulling her away from the workplace for several years. Sharon highlights that after this time away, “it takes a while to gain traction again in your career.” However, rather than seeing this as a setback, employers should recognise the unique strengths that emerge. Sophie points to biological studies suggesting that motherhood “rewires the brain”, enhancing skills like prioritisation, rapid information processing, and strategic thinking - allowing mothers to return with a fresh, highly valuable perspective.

Working mothers also face additional challenges, including the stress of breastfeeding during working hours. Sophie highlights: “If you are breastfeeding, you are physically needed somewhere.” It’s crucial for managers to be accommodating and provide the necessary support, such as dedicated breastfeeding spaces and flexible schedules.

Flexibility & Work Culture

Offering flexibility is key to supporting women in the workplace. Hybrid and remote working options are crucial for working mothers who juggle childcare while maintaining their careers. Companies that enforce rigid office attendance policies risk alienating female talent.

Jessica discussed how Not On The High Street has made flexibility a core part of its Employee Value Proposition, enabling more women to take senior positions.

At MSQ, Tamsin highlights that “the gender split across the company is 50/50, and women occupy 55% of senior roles.” She also mentions “the narrative that you have to be in the office to work creatively is outdated, and many offices provide the least creative environment in which to work”.

Companies that make flexible working and gender equality part of their DNA, are first in line for securing top female talent.

Male Allies

Men play a key role in supporting women at work. Emilia describes the familiar issue of women being talked over in meetings. To counteract this, she ensures she finishes her point before stopping. Tamsin recalls how supportive male colleagues would ask her to repeat points when interrupted, helping create space for her voice.

Jessica adds that men should “call out inequalities when they see them,” but true allyship goes beyond observation - it requires action. This means speaking up in meetings when a female colleague is interrupted, advocating for fair pay and promotion opportunities, and actively mentoring women within the organisation. Small interventions, like amplifying women’s ideas in discussions or challenging biased hiring practices, can make a significant impact. Jessica also highlights that men taking parental leave can help break the stereotype that caregiving responsibilities fall primarily on women, fostering a more balanced and equitable workplace culture.

Strategies for Career Development

Sharon emphasises the importance of networking within your company: “Make it your business to know your business, expand your network outside of your division. You need cheerleaders when you are not in the room”. Sophie highlights that “men will just walk in and ask for a promotion,” while women are often more hesitant.

Tamsin stresses that “nobody cares as much about your career as you do.” Instead of waiting for recognition, women should proactively seek career progression plans and mentorship.

Overall, having positive self-belief and not falling into the trap of imposter syndrome – easy to do if you’re the sole woman in the room – works wonders. As Sophie reminds, “There’s a reason why you’re there.” Embracing this mindset not only helps women navigate leadership spaces but also paves the way for others to follow.

Strategies for Employers

There is a commercial case for companies to actively work to improve diverse representation across all levels of their business. Studies show that diverse companies are more agile, innovative, and profitable. As Sharon states, “most brands serve diverse customers, so leadership teams must reflect that diversity to connect and understand audiences better“. Achieving gender equity requires a strategic, company-wide approach, including:

Hiring at all levels, not just the top – Tamsin stresses that representation must be built “at all stages of the pipeline” to create more female role models and clear progression pathways.
Reducing bias in hiring – Jessica highlights that employers should:
- Anonymise applications to remove unconscious bias.
- Avoid time-consuming take-home interview tasks that disadvantage working parents.
Challenging gendered assumptions in interviews – Jessica recalls being questioned extensively about childcare, while her male partner - who also travels for work - was never asked the same.
Ensuring DEI policies promote opportunity, not preference – Sharon emphasises that “DEI policies aren’t about giving an advantage but ensuring equal opportunity.” A truly inclusive hiring process builds the strongest possible talent pipeline.

Only companies that integrate inclusive strategies throughout their hiring and leadership development will achieve true equity.

Support & Networks for Women in Marketing

Both employers and female professionals should take advantage of the breadth of professional groups that are dedicated to helping women succeed in their careers. Below are several that are recommended by the marketing leaders:

Bloom. A professional network for women in communications roles.

WACL. An organisation for women in senior roles working within advertising and communications.

NABS. Advertising and media charity with resources to deal with more negative aspects of gender inequality.

WITSEND. Networking and events for women working in Tech.

Pregnant Then Screwed. Charity that supports pregnant women and working mothers.

Breaking Barriers: What’s Next?

The glass ceiling still exists. Despite marketing often being called a female-driven profession, leadership roles remain male-dominated. Progress is slow, but companies leading the charge are fostering inclusive cultures where female employees thrive.

This International Women’s Day, let’s move beyond celebration. Whether you’re an employer, a leader, or an aspiring professional, take action - mentor a female colleague, advocate for fair pay, or implement inclusive hiring policies. Every revolution starts small.