GroupM Australia Disability Action Plan

At GroupM, our purpose is to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. Our mission in Australia is to be Better for All – the media agency network that is most representative of the rich diversity of the Australian population. This means hiring and retaining exceptional, diverse talent in Australia.

GroupM agencies Wavemaker, Mindshare and EssenceMediacom have launched a Disability Action Plan (DAP) in Australia as part of our wide-ranging Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy.

We know that people living with disability are underrepresented in our industry. In 2022, we formed our Disability Action Committee and developed this Disability Action Plan to help us build representation, accessibility and inclusion. The Disability Action plan is a measurable, action-oriented framework designed to make our business more accessible and inclusive to people living with disability.

This is the start of a long-term commitment to creating workplaces where everyone has an opportunity to thrive, learn, grow, and do amazing and impactful work. Importantly, we acknowledge that Disability is a spectrum, including both physical and intellectual disabilities. Some are invisible.

• 1 in 6 people in Australia have a disability.
• 48% of working aged (15-64) people are employed, compared with 80% of people without a disability.

In developing our access and inclusion plan we consulted widely with stakeholders including our CEO and the GroupM Executive Board, Key Disability Action Plan Allies and representatives from EssenceMediaCom, Mindshare, Wavemaker including people living with a disability, families, friends, carers and passionate individuals committed to minimising blindspots to improve inclusivity and access, plus external stakeholders including the Australian Human Rights Commission.

This Disability Action Plan is just one step to ensuring that we truly achieve our mission to be Better for All. This plan is made possible by the passion and commitment by members of GroupM’s workplace community who believe in representation, inclusivity and accessibility.

For further information please contact GroupM Chief People Officer, Scott Laird [email protected].

With thanks to EssenceMediacom client Deaf Connect, an Auslan version of the announcement can also be found here.

Our Disability Action Plan tackles a topic that deserves more airspace in the DEI arena for our industry. It has inclusivity at the heart and the potential to impact so many people for the better. It is an action plan built from a place of passion and real-life experience, with so many of our DAP committee members wanting to see change for themselves or their loved ones. Ultimately, it is our differences that make us stronger and result in better work for our clients and a more positive impact on the world. I’m excited to see the ripple effect this will have for our people, our agencies, the industry and beyond.

Aimee Buchanan GroupM Australia & New Zealand CEO