Leadership in 2025 looks very different than it did a decade ago, and the recent Digital Women panel at Cannes, hosted by New Digital Age and chaired by Ellie Edwards-Scott, co-founder of The Advisory Collective and Digital Women, offered a powerful insight into how and why it needs to keep evolving.
The panel featured: Ellie Norman, CMO, Formula E; Amy Williams, CEO, Good Loop; Angela Hoye, Head of Corporate Communications, LG Ad Solutions; and Jasmine Dawson, SVP Digital, BBC Studios.
As Edwards-Scott explained in her introduction, Digital Women was created to offer a platform for inspiration, support and real discussion.
“It’s all about giving a platform for the moments, about inspiration, about sharing stories, and talking about issues that particularly impact women,” she said. Importantly, the initiative isn’t just for women. “I love the fact we have men in the audience front and centre. We need you in the room and part of the discussion.”
The conversation quickly turned to the theme of inclusive leadership. Angela Hoye made the point that seeing people as their whole selves is fundamental to good leadership. “Work-life balance sold a lot of books, but it’s not real,” she said. “We all have stuff going on, and seeing people as real people is so important. It doesn’t take a programme or policy to show up for your people.”
Jasmine Dawson echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the role of transparency and psychological safety.
“At BBC Studios, we want to reflect our global audience within our team. It’s about being thoughtful about who we bring into the business and being transparent. That includes talking about the less visible aspects of inclusivity like mental health and neurodiversity.”
Redefining leadership through empathy
Ellie Norman reflected on how her own leadership journey has changed. Having worked in highly male-dominated environments, she shared how transformative it has been to now work at a company with a gender-balanced C-suite, led by a CEO who champions equality.
“He believes in promoting transparency and having uncomfortable conversations. That allows all of us to lead by example,” she said.
Norman described her style as collaborative. “I’m definitely never the smartest person in the room,” she said, smiling. “I see myself more like a sheepdog, guiding and lifting others up rather than leading from the front.”
Amy Williams, founder and CEO of Good Loop, spoke about the responsibility and privilege of shaping company culture from the ground up. “I never knew how much I’d care about being an employer who creates happiness,” she said. “When people leave us and go on to brilliant jobs, and know we were a step on their ladder, that’s something I’m proud of.”
She also emphasized the importance of psychological safety. Referencing a recent show by comedian Nathan Fielder, she highlighted how creative thinking can help build safer, more inclusive workplaces.
“His show looked at pilots role-playing how to challenge each other safely. It’s funny, but that’s psychological safety right there—giving permission to speak up.”
Embedding inclusion in the day-to-day
The panel also tackled the troubling rollback of DEI initiatives in the US and beyond. Williams acknowledged the challenges head-on. “It’s insincere not to recognise the real risk.
Real jobs are lost for bad decisions in this space,” she said. But she argued that we need to stop framing diversity as a trend. “Let’s take it out of the headlines and put it into process documents. Celebrate that it’s not a trend.”
Williams shared a powerful example of how Good Loop is walking the talk. “After five years of developing the technology to measure the carbon footprint of ads, we’re now making it free. It’s scary as a business owner to stop charging, but it needs to be done.”
Norman added that inclusion must be a value, not a campaign. “If it’s a value, it’s part of your systems and structure. We need to commit, not just campaign.”
Culture over policy
While all agreed that policies like parental leave are critical, the consensus was that culture trumps policy.
Dawson shared an example from BBC Studios: “We have great policies on parental leave, as in, the same amount of leave entitlement is offered to the mother as the father. You can take up to 52 weeks off work, which includes up to 18 weeks of fully paid time off.
We need to ensure people feel safe enough to be authentic, to ask for help, and to be human.”
Norman agreed, stressing the importance of setting expectations clearly. “This role won’t suit everyone. Motorsport isn’t Monday to Friday. But we offer clarity and flexibility within the framework. It’s about being honest and empathetic.”
Hoye highlighted the value of being surrounded by supportive teams. “When I had to call my boss four months into the job to say I was pregnant, I was scared. But he was so excited and supportive. It means everything.”
The power of networks and allies
The discussion concluded with reflections on the value of support networks. Jasmine Dawson noted the role female networks can play in offering visibility and community, but warned against exclusivity. “Our audience is everyone. The more inclusive we are, the better.”
Angela Hoye added, “Most of my mentors have been men. It’s not just about female or male allies. I’ve also been leaning into younger allies—they teach me about TikTok and trends. We should look all around us.”
Norman said she’d never joined a formal female network, but built deep relationships through shared expertise. “I look for people who will challenge me, support me, and speak truth.”
Amy Williams shared a deeply personal story about being pregnant during last year’s Cannes, and how the Digital Leading Ladies group helped her through that difficult moment.
“I needed women so much that year. I didn’t expect it, but it made me feel so much stronger. It’s about empathy and shared experience.”
