Independent Media Agencies of Australia launches diversity council

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The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has announced the launch of its Diversity Council, aimed to educate and empower member agencies on the value of embracing a diverse and inclusive workplace.

It will facilitate resources, training, and other initiatives for members, including leadership training on the value of D&I, and provide a platform for support and collaboration between members.

The new Diversity Council will be chaired by The Media Store chief operating officer and IMAA board member, Jacquie Alley.

“Diversity & Inclusion is a deeply personal and emotive workplace topic. Our goal as the IMAA Diversity Council is to be respectful of this and to provide resources, training, and events to cater for member agencies, wherever they are on the journey,” she said.

“Alongside ten committed colleagues, our mission is to demonstrate the value of embracing a diverse and inclusive workplace with the goal of taking D&I from niche to normal within IMAA agencies.

“Ideally, over time, there is no need for such a Council as our industry embraces its wonderful differences, bound together by common goals. Indies are often known for their great cultures, so we have a solid foundation to build upon. We are excited to lead the way,” Ms Alley said.

The Diversity Council has four pillars: cultural diversity, age, gender, LGBTQI+, and ability and accessibility.

The goal is to provide education, increase agency engagement and employee satisfaction of being valued and treated fairly regardless of age, cultural background, sexual orientation, gender, or disability.

Alley will lead the Diversity Council alongside 10 industry representatives including, The Media Store’s Aliya Hasan, Half Dome’s Tom Curtain, AFFINITY’s Angela Smith, Impetus’s Janet Boey, Kaimera’s Stewart Gurney, MediaSmiths’ Angela Smith, In Marketing We Trust’s Selina Gough, Customedia’s Jacqui Ollevou, and the IMAA’s Sam Buchanan and Bec Coulson.

To kick off the Diversity Council, the IMAA has become a member of the Diversity Council of Australia, the independent not-for-profit peak body leading diversity and inclusion in the workplace, which has more than 1,000 corporate members.

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, Independent Media Agencies of Australia will partner with JCDecaux to present an industry breakfast on 9 March featuring guest speaker Jelena Dokic, the former professional tennis player and author of Unbreakable.