Publicis Group disciplines exec for saying gender diversity issue is ‘all over’ [Updated]
The Saatchi & Saatchi chairman recently told Business Insider that women in the ad industry don’t struggle with diversity as other sectors do. He has been put on leave of absence.
Kevin Roberts, chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi and a head coach at its parent company, Publicis Groupe, is under fire for saying that the gender diversity debate is “all over.”
In an interview with Business Insider, Roberts said gender diversity isn’t an issue in the advertising industry and that he doesn’t spend “any time” on it. He pointed to other industries, such as financial services, where he said there are “problems left, right and center.”
When asked about advertising consultant Cindy Gallop’s tweet about sexual harassment and gender diversity in the media and advertising industries, Roberts said: “I think she’s got problems that are of her own making. I think she’s making up a lot of the stuff to create a profile, and to take applause, and to get on a soap[box].”
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