Creative Leaders: Sponsoring Success
Creative Leaders (2012-2014) was a pilot program designed to help women become a more significant part of creating the Canadian media landscape of the 21st century. The program supported strategic partnerships between top industry decision-makers and the next generation of media leaders.
The presence of women in top leadership positions is a critical factor for all our cultural and business enterprises. Yet the higher up one goes in the media hierarchy, the less likely we are to find the gender and racial diversity needed to compete nationally and globally. Endowed with one of the most diverse and
sophisticated populations on the planet, our industry is in an ideal position to build a vibrant media culture by supporting women past the glass ceiling and into senior positions.
Creative Leaders was grounded in the practice of sponsorship – an approach in which an influential industry leader – the sponsor – recognizes and advocates for a gifted, accomplished professional – the protégée. While mentoring is a valuable career tool, it is quite different from sponsoring. A sponsor moves beyond traditional mentoring to become active champions of their “protégée.” Resarch by Catalyst and other influential research institutions has identified sponsorship as the best strategy for moving more women into senior positions.