Ahead of the Advance Women Lunch at POSSIBLE, NDA caught up with Ioanna Protogiannis, Senior Director, Measurement & Reporting Solutions at LG Ad Solutions, of LG AD Solutions, sponsors of the event
What is the biggest opportunity for women in your sector of the digital industry today?
One of the biggest opportunities for women in the digital industry today is the ability to be agile and adapt in a fast-moving environment. Success in this space isn’t about having all the answers upfront, it’s about being able to evolve quickly, collaborate effectively and bring others along with you.
Success in this environment increasingly comes down to being organised, collaborative, and able to bring multiple perspectives into the room. That mindset is a real advantage in an industry where change is constant.
There’s also a huge opportunity in mindset. Approaching challenges with positivity can shift the entire tone of a room and unlock better decision-making. In fast-paced environments, the people who help move conversations forward constructively are the ones who stand out.
What is the biggest challenge to you as a woman in the digital industry and how are you overcoming it?
The biggest challenge is letting go of perfectionism.
There’s often a pressure to feel completely prepared before speaking or showing up, whether that’s having the perfect point of view, the perfect presentation, or even just looking the part. That mindset can lead to second-guessing and, ultimately, hold you back.
Overcoming it comes down to trusting your instincts and recognising that you’re there for a reason. You don’t need to be perfect to contribute value. The shift is moving from “is this flawless?” to “is this helpful, and does it move things forward?”
For me, it’s about actively challenging that inner dialogue, backing my gut, and reminding myself that I deserve to be in the room just as much as anyone else.
What three things could employer companies do to make the digital industry better for women?
Firstly, meaningful support for health and family life is critical. This includes comprehensive health insurance that extends to families, as well as support for different family planning paths. With more people building careers and families on different timelines, these benefits play a meaningful role in whether people feel supported and able to do their best at work.
Secondly, employers should recognise that supporting employees at home directly impacts performance at work. When people feel supported in their personal lives, they show up more engaged, focused and motivated professionally.
And lastly, companies should actively create opportunities for women to step outside of their comfort zones, particularly when it comes to visibility. That could be more speaking opportunities, panel appearances or client-facing moments. Confidence is built through experience, and the more exposure women have to these environments, the more they can grow into influential voices within the industry.
What support structures and organisations are most important and effective to you as a woman in the digital industry?
Access and awareness are key.
There are some fantastic organisations and communities, such as The Female Quotient, that bring together like-minded professionals and create spaces for connection and growth. What’s important is making sure employees know these opportunities exist and can engage with them in a way that feels natural, rather than forced.
Informal networking often proves more valuable than rigid mentoring structures. Inviting colleagues or clients to events, building relationships organically and engaging when it feels relevant tends to create more meaningful connections.
It’s also important that these initiatives don’t feel exclusionary. The most effective environments are inclusive ones, where people of all genders and backgrounds collaborate. The goal should always be to elevate talent collectively, not to create divisions.
What aspect of Possible 2026/ a session / or a speaker, are you most looking forward to, and why?
What I value most about an event like Possible is the opportunity to reconnect in person and assess real progress.
Throughout the year, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day priorities and lose sight of bigger goals. Events like this act as a reset point: a chance to revisit conversations started at earlier moments in the calendar, understand what’s moved forward, and define what comes next.
They also create space for more meaningful, focused interactions. Instead of fragmented meetings, you’re having intentional conversations with key partners and clients, which lead to more productive outcomes.
There’s also something powerful about being face-to-face. It removes the overthinking that can come with written communication and allows for more authentic, immediate dialogue. That combination of accountability, connection and clarity is what makes these moments so valuable.
