Rethinking leadership with Angela Nutton

After decades of leadership in the media and advertising industries, Longreach Media Founding Partner and Managing Director Angela Nutton understands the importance of workplace inclusivity.

She co-founded Longreach Media with business partner John Driscoll, hoping to establish a business driven by integrity rather than corporate performance.

The turning point came after a major holding company asked her to prioritise profit over staff and clients.

“It was a step too far,” she said.

“I wasn’t going to compromise my values.”

At Longreach Media, diversity is not just a checklist – it is a core principle. Each individual’s background and experience help enrich the group’s output, an asset Ms Nutton acknowledged.

“Diversity means strength, and every decision I make is based on this outcome,” she said.

“Clients are definitely evolving in their expectations.”

Dynata’s 2025 report From Visibility to Belonging: The Evolving Role of Inclusive Advertising found more than 70 per cent of people across Australia, the UK and the US noticed when advertising featured diverse people, and more than half said it was important to see people like themselves represented.

Ms Nutton emphasised businesses needed to demonstrate genuine commitment to diversity rather than empty gestures, also highlighting how the rise of women in leadership roles was transforming industry dynamics.

“As the number of women leading agencies increases, a new perspective is brought into the mix,” she said.

Advertising Council Australia’s Create a More Inclusive Adland Diversity and Inclusion in Australian Advertising 2023 Census Results and Report tracked a steady increase in female representation across executive management and C-suite positions, rising from 46 per cent in 2021 to 54 per cent in 2023.

According to the report, female representation in creative department leadership rose from 21 per cent to 30 per cent during the same period.

Ms Nutton said women aspiring to leadership roles should define success on their own terms and embrace the risks in decision-making.

“You need to remain true to yourself – don’t try to be someone you think others expect you to be,” she said.

Looking ahead, Ms Nutton envisions a future where management reflects the gender diversity of staff to ensure equal opportunities across all levels.

Author: Vienna Wincomb is a second-year Bachelor of Global Media and Communication student at Edith Cowan University.