The LinkedIn post depicted above called out Wall Street Journal content spotlighting WPP CEO Cindy Rose, questioning the article headline: Advertising’s First Female CEO Isn’t Afraid to Fail.
The post author felt the headline was misleading. While the article clarified Rose is the first female CEO of a holding company—or single White operating company—the author believed the net impression positions Rose as the first-ever female CEO in Adland.
The author asserts Mary Wells Lawrence earned the title of first female CEO of a White advertising agency by co-founding Wells Rich Greene in 1966, and the iconic leader has been followed by countless female CEOs in Adland over the years.
Initial comments ranged from White men in agreement to White women seemingly expressing passive offense with the author.
Of course, there’s no mention of Barbara Gardner Proctor, founder of the first advertising agency owned and operated by a Black woman—a feat achieved in 1970. Ditto snubbing for Caroline R. Jones of Zebra Associates and Mingo-Jones Advertising. Carol H. Williams is a living legend. And there are many other invisible women of color throughout the history of Adland—all of whom contributed waaaay more trailblazing accomplishments to the industry than Rose.
Yet the author and commentators arguably missed a bigger issue with the WSJ headline.
That is, over 98,000 WPP drones will see their leader isn’t afraid to fail—and will likely fire thousands of them to achieve resounding failure.
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