This year marks the five-year anniversary of the founding of Acxiom Women LEAD, a milestone we are proud and grateful to celebrate. We want to take this opportunity to share our journey, our achievements, and help other women’s employee resource groups (ERGs) progress faster.

When we first met in 2019, the three of us knew we had a shared passion for creating equity and more opportunities for women in leadership. We wanted to make a difference not only for ourselves and other women at Acxiom but for all women. We started with a simple but powerful vision: that women should have the same opportunities for career advancement, equity, and equal pay.  Our Women LEAD organization set out to provide advancement, equity, and inclusion opportunities by uniting and empowering our employees and our communities to create an environment where diversity is valued. Our goals included providing development opportunities, networking, and a support system for the advancement of women, and inspiring active allyship.

Over the last five years, we have accomplished many of our goals and are excited about what the next chapter holds for Women LEAD.  Before we look ahead, we want to take a moment to celebrate our successes to date. Acxiom Women LEAD:

• Is Acxiom’s largest ERG, with participation of 30% of employees across the globe.
• Organized and hosted more than 60 events, workshops, webinars, and mentoring sessions on topics such as leadership, communication, negotiation, personal branding, and career development.
• Partnered with other ERGs, external organizations, IPG, and community groups to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech industry and beyond.

Since 2021, representation of women in Acxiom senior leadership positions has grown by 16%, and the number of women in tech leadership positions has increased by 47%.

• Acxiom Women LEAD is the largest chapter of IPG’s Women Leadership Network. 

At IPG’s Inclusion Awards in March, Women LEAD won the “ERG Excellence Award,” which honors the ERG whose work has made the biggest difference in creating a more inclusive culture and best supported its communities around the world.  Here’s a video recap of some of the accolades.

Over the last five years, we have been honored to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of women at Acxiom, both internally and externally, through awards, newsletters, social media engagement, and new content. We are thrilled to see the impact Women LEAD has had on the lives and careers of women at Acxiom and IPG.  We have encouraged women to take on new challenges, pursue new opportunities, and we have seen them reach new heights. It has been amazing to experience this community of women supporting each other, lifting each other up, and celebrating each other’s successes. And it’s been humbling to have developed such a supportive network of allies along the way.

If you are looking to make an impact in your own organization, here are five recommendations we hope will help pave the way:

1. Inclusive Participation: Ensure you include not only senior leadership but all levels of employees in shaping your ERG goals. Develop a structure to spread out the work – this could include advisory groups and committees for specific initiatives.
2. Goals with Future Focus: Define clear and realistic goals that allow continued growth and impact over time.
3. Persistence: Encourage staying the course despite challenges, and don’t be afraid to have hard discussions.
4. Allyship: Include allies in the cause to foster a broader support group.
5. Measure Success: Measure and socialize the success of the group to inspire and motivate others. 

We know there is still a lot of work to do to achieve true equity and inclusion for women, both at Acxiom and across the world. We are aware of the challenges and barriers women face in the workplace and in society and of the statistics that show the gaps and disparities that persist in terms of representation, pay, and leadership.

Still, we are hopeful and optimistic we can continue to make a difference, together, and that each of us has the power and the responsibility to create positive change for ourselves and for others. We are excited about what Women LEAD is today: a vibrant, impactful, and inspiring group we are proud to call our own. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey and contributed to our past, current and future successes. 

We invite all of you to join us in our mission to empower women and foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, and equity.

Happy fifth anniversary, Acxiom Women LEAD!