Foxtel opens its doors to indie media’s next female leaders

Independent Media Agencies Australia (IMAA) and Foxtel have joined forces to give emerging female indie agency talent direct access to some of the broadcaster’s senior leaders.

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The organisations hosted a Communicating with Confidence workshop at the Fox Sports studios in Sydney on 18 August. The event brought together 25 women from independent media agencies across NSW for a session focused on communication, influence and leadership.

Inside the Foxtel workshop

The event was hosted by IMAA Chair and The Media Store Chief Operating Officer Jacquie Alley, alongside IMAA Operations Manager Bec Coulson.

Participants heard from Fox Sports General Manager Erin Ferreira, Foxtel Media Head of Advertising Go-To-Market Strategy Caitlin O’Meara and Fox Sports host Catherine Cox AM. The panel discussed communicating with confidence, influencing others and developing an authentic voice.

Foxtel Media Head of Narratv Alexandra Hazlehurst said the session gave emerging leaders an opportunity to hear directly from women working across broadcasting, production and commercial strategy.

“It was a privilege to open our doors to such a talented group of emerging leaders. At Foxtel, we have trailblazing women shaping our industry, from on-air experts, to production, to the commercial strategy that makes it all possible,” Hazlehurst said.

“There was real value in hearing directly from leaders like Erin, Caitlin and Catherine, who've each navigated such different and inspiring paths in their careers, and the IMAA's Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme is doing brilliant work in creating these opportunities.”

Building the next generation of leaders

Alley said supporting female talent remained central to the IMAA’s work across the independent agency sector.

“Supporting and nurturing female talent is critical to the future of our industry,” she said. “We know our industry is home to some incredible female talent - our role is to help create the pathways, networks and confidence that enable the next generation of female leaders to thrive.”

She said the Foxtel partnership formed part of the organisation’s investment in professional development and leadership skills for women working in independent media.

The workshop included members of the IMAA’s Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme, which is now in its third year. The national initiative pairs emerging female leaders with experienced marketing leaders for mentoring and professional development.

Experience across sport and media

Ferreira has more than 23 years of experience in live sports broadcasting and joined Fox Sports in 2019. She became General Manager of Fox Sports in 2025 after working across rugby league and serving as Executive Producer of Fox Netball.

O’Meara leads Foxtel Media’s advertising go-to-market strategy, following senior roles spanning sport, sales, partnerships and digital. Cox is a former Australian netball international who has worked in sports broadcasting since 2015 and now hosts and commentates on netball for Fox Sports.

The 25 attendees represented agencies and businesses including Apparent, Hatched Media, Slingshot, Howatson & Co, The Media Store, Enigma, Awaken, Cummins & Partners and REA Group.