Whitehat Agency strengthens team, appointing all-female leadership team across major verticals
Announcement posted by Whitehat Agency 30 Sep 2021
SYDNEY, 30 September 2021: Award-winning Sydney digital marketing agency, Whitehat Agency, is embracing the benefits of diversity and boosting its leadership capacity with the appointment of three female managers to lead its Google Ads, SEO and Paid Social business units. The move comes as Founder and CEO Shuey Shujab looks to bolster the strength of the agency’s offerings.
“We didn’t set out specifically to only hire women for these leadership roles, we were just looking for the best person for each position, “explained Shujab. “However, what we’re now finding is that this all-female leadership team is actually bringing benefits we didn’t predict, like greater team morale and a more inclusive work environment. And when you add in some additional cultural diversity as well, it has really made our team feel more cohesive.”
Meg Hughes, Whitehat Agency’s Google Ads Manager, is very proud to take the step up into this new leadership role and hopes to be a role model for other women in the often male-dominated digital marketing space. According to Hughes, women are under-represented in key decision-making roles across almost all industries in the Australian workplace.
“In most other professional workplaces I have experienced, males have dominated the top management positions,” explained Hughes, “which makes my experience at Whitehat Agency – with female leaders heading up every business unit – so refreshing. While there is obviously still a long way to go, I feel like Whitehat Agency is on the right path, providing opportunities for myself and other women to really step up, run our own teams and make key decisions for both the company and our clients.”
Anuja Upadhye, who migrated from India four years ago, has been appointed Whitehat Agency’s SEO Manager, where she guides and supports the busy SEO team to make strategic and data-focused decisions for clients.
“Since starting my career I have been captivated by the mix of technical and strategy that is at the core of SEO; it covers a magnitude of skills, from coding to how machine learning and algorithms work, even psychology in some sense,” said Upadhye. “I want to let other women who may feel intimidated about starting a career in SEO know that now is the time, just go for it. If you’ve got good problem-solving skills and an aptitude for technology then SEO can be a very rewarding career.”
Eeman Aftab, who adds another layer of cultural diversity to the team, having moved from Pakistan to Australia 10 years ago, is Whitehat Agency’s new Paid Social Media Manager, leading a team of social media advertising specialists.
“Working in an environment with such strong female leadership is very inspiring,” added Aftab. “I hope that our success can inspire other women on similar career journeys.”
Which female leaders do you admire?
Meg: Whitney Wolfe Herd, Founder of Bumble
“As the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire, Wolfe Herd is proving that women can take the lead in both business and everyday situations – I love the female-empowerment message inherent in the Bumble app itself, and it has also taken the tech and financial worlds by storm.”
Anuja: Kamala Harris, US Vice President and Jacinda Ardern, PM NZ
“I’ve looked up to Kamala Harris for many years, especially as a fellow woman of Indian-descent. The way she conducts herself, and the brilliant leader that she is makes me feel hopeful that she will be able to change America for the better.
I also find Jacinda Ardern inspiring - not only was she the youngest female leader of a country, she also fell pregnant and gave birth during her first term in office, and has delivered powerful speeches with her daughter on her lap. On top of this, her strong leadership during the pandemic has resulted in very few New Zealanders dying from the virus.”
Eeman: Jacinda Ardern, PM NZ, and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge
“As a mother of three young children myself, I greatly admire Jacinda Ardern and Kate Middleton, particularly their ability to represent themselves so gracefully under what must be enormous pressure. Female leaders like these have always motivated me and made me believe that women can actually do it all.”
About Whitehat Agency
Whitehat Agency is an award-winning digital marketing agency based in Sydney. Whitehat Agency specialises in SEO, PPC, Google Ads Management, Social Media Marketing, Web Design and all other digital marketing services.
Powered by creativity and driven with ambition, Whitehat Agency’s team of digital marketing specialists have delivered campaigns for some of Australia’s biggest brands.