Who is a female leader you look up to, and why?
In a continuation of our series celebrating Women’s History Month, we asked our teams at Comcast Advertising to get their thoughts on the women they look up to, as part of this year's WHM theme #BreakTheBias. From pioneering figures on the global stage to our extensive bench of leaders, not to mention our mothers, grandmothers and other personal connections, there’s no shortage of strong women who inspire.
Who is a female leader you look up to, and why?
"I admire Janet Christodoulou, Vice President of Effectv Engineering, who leads a team of over 100 engineers. She is a courageous leader in a field that has been traditionally dominated by men, but central to her leadership style are the needs of her team. As Effectv undergoes a major transformation to become an audience company, Janet is tasked with leading her team through unprecedented change. I also admire Barbara Cowan, VP of Talent & Inclusion at Comcast Advertising. Before the events of 2020, I appreciated Barb for her commitment & dedication to developing female leaders at Comcast Advertising. Admiration grew from seeing Barb on the front lines hosting listening sessions for employees during a time of social unrest nationwide. The task at hand was something leaders in her capacity probably never imagined they would have to do, but Barb showed up every time demonstrating remarkable empathy and grace." -Angèle Nisbett-Richards, Executive Director, Strategy, Comcast Advertising
"Heather Cox Richardson -- a clear, consistent voice for truth and justice." -Michael Dortch, Marketing Manager III, Comcast Advertising
"Marsha P. Johnson - by far one of the most impactful activists within the LGBTQIA+ community and incredibly powerful figure for black trans women. She was believed to have thrown the first brick at the Stonewall Riots, firing up the PRIDE movement and revolution." -Avery Kuiper, Senior Marketing Operations Specialist, Comcast Advertising
"Malala Yousafzai (Nobel Peace Prize laureate). Despite her own personal struggles and suffering an attack on her life at an early age, she fought for the rights of girls to an education. Today, she continues to advocate for the rights of young children and speaks out against the injustices perpetrated against children, especially in poor countries. I admire her personal strength, courage, and her gentle/unwavering grit to stand up for what she believes in." -Carmen Estopare, Senior Director, Learning & Development Engagement, Comcast Advertising
"Indra Nooyi, the former PepsiCo CEO. She reached the highest levels of business in the world while being true to who she was and committed to her values and her family." -Pooja Midha, Chief Growth Officer Comcast Advertising
"Female Tech leaders who are redefining the culture of Silicon Valley including: Katrina Lake, Founder/CEO Stich Fix, Melanie Perkins, CEO/Co-founder of Canva, and Whitney Herd, Founder/CEO of Bumble." -Paul Martecchini, VP Brand and Corporate Marketing, Comcast Advertising
"Pooja Midha, Comcast Advertising’s Chief Growth Officer." -Rick Mandler, Vice President, Growth Strategy, Comcast Advertising
"I really look up to sports media personality, Kate Fagan. She has broken the bias when it comes to women feeling like they have to battle mental health roadblocks alone and has used her platform to change that stigma. Kate motivates others to consider empathetic perspectives through her writing and activism." -Parker Navarro, Manager, Marketing Strategy, Comcast Advertising
"Indra Nooyi - One of the only 11 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. She is a first-generation Indian-American that had to assimilate to the American culture and rise through the corporate ranks. She is an inspiring leader who is leaning in to set the path for women." -Vera Cuevas, Director, Digital & Media Strategy, Comcast Advertising
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"There are so, so, so many it feels nearly impossible to name just one. Since we are talking about #breakthebias this Women’s History Month, the first woman that came to mind was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. However, with the passing of Madeleine Albright on March 23rd, it feels fitting to honor the path that she trailblazed as the first female secretary of state in U.S. history." -Terra Walker, Senior Director, Social Media and Culture Marketing, Comcast Advertising
"My mother - she knew herself, she was in touch with her identity, her areas of gap, she operated with an inclusive, kind mindset. She challenged her own thinking, and the thinking of others." -Barbara Cowan, Vice President, Talent and Inclusion, Comcast Advertising
"Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand for modeling empathy and compassionate leadership." -Tracey Kopper-Hourin, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Customer Experience, Comcast Advertising
"Condoleezza Rice - Her poise and eloquence in challenging times and her willingness to challenge group thinking when she is in the minority opinion has always made me a huge fan." -Michael Munley, Vice President, Global Client Services, FreeWheel
"Barbara Cowan, VP of Talent and Inclusion at Comcast is a female leader who leads with empathy, compassion, passion and data. She has had an enormous influence on me over the few short years that I have worked with her. I hope every woman gets to work with someone like Barb in the span of their career because she is supportive, kind and follows the company's path, but is not afraid to question current practices or suggest change. She is truly a woman who supports other women." -Calen Dallavis, Senior Manager, Training, FreeWheel
"Phoolan Devi, since childhood, she lived an unimaginably tough life. She always picked herself up and fought back with a strength that is comparable to gods. She succeeded in making an unfair society and government bend a bit." -Vanessa Grenier, Communication Associate, FreeWheel
"Jacinda Ardern, she is being praised as a ‘new kind of leader’ guiding with empathy and tolerance with the most diverse cabinet in New Zealand’s history." -Aurora Alvarez Ferreira, Senior Technical Account Manager, FreeWheel
"Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of German." -Nick Garramone, Vice President, Strategic Planning, FreeWheel
"I have had incredible female mentors and colleagues who have taught me a ton in my career (Trish Lemley formerly of Turner) and Elizabeth Hobby (formerly of Discovery) they showed me the right way to lead and weren't afraid to do things differently for the best interest of the business and people." -Matthew Katz, Senior Director Marketplace Quality, FreeWheel
Take a moment to revisit our prior posts in this series: