Motherhood in advertising has long been an unspoken challenge – a career-defining crossroads where ambition is too often questioned, and support systems fall short. And while the industry has made progress in acknowledging the realities of working parents, tangible change is still slow, leaving many mothers to navigate the journey alone.

In this installment of Motherland in Adland, the series started by NERD’s founder Milana Karaica in celebration of women’s month, we hear from Charlotte Coughlan, managing partner at Leo Burnett. As a mother of two, Charlotte has experienced the lack of representation and support for working mums in advertising firsthand.

Her own maternity leave left her feeling disconnected and underestimated which fueled her commitment to fostering a culture where parents can thrive without compromise. Under the leadership of CEO Carly Avener, Charlotte champions initiatives like Parentland, ensuring working parents at Leo Burnett feel seen, supported, and empowered to succeed both at home and in their careers.

Charlotte shares her perspective on why representation matters, how flexibility should be a given – not a privilege – and why true equity in the industry means encouraging both parents to take leave.

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I’m a working mother of two in the zany, exhausting, but rewarding world of advertising. Unfortunately, growing up in this industry, I had few role models who were mothers to look up to. My personal experience with maternity leave was disappointing – little communication, little support, and an assumption on my behalf that motherhood meant I wasn’t ambitious anymore. I therefore know firsthand how important it is to provide dialogue throughout the entire motherhood journey, from pregnancy through to returning to work and crucially, for maintaining a career. Just because we’re mothers, doesn’t mean we’re not ambitious anymore.

What’s key to creating a better environment for working mums is representation. We’re fortunate at Leo Burnett to have Carly Avener as our CEO. She sets the tone for our culture and agenda, making sure working parents feel included and can thrive both professionally and at home. Her leadership as a single mum is an example of how top-down support can truly impact a company’s approach to work-life balance.

When a culture is right, all working parents feel empowered to work flexibly. It’s not about being in the office five days a week; it’s about being trusted to excel in what we do, all within a structure that allows us to dart home if we get the dreaded call from nursery or need to volunteer at the school disco.

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This freedom of flexibility is vital to ensuring that we’re not forced to choose between being good parents and being good professionals.

Feeling isolated and ‘the only one’ at an agency is crippling. At Leo Burnett, we’ve set up Parentland, a strong support system and network aimed at bringing parents to kids of all ages plus carers together and providing invaluable advice for navigating the realities we face. This includes expert guidance, financial advice, and even a Teams chat for solidarity and humour on the tough days. We lean on each other to better manage juggling it all.

One thing the industry needs to improve on, and we simply don’t see enough of, is encouraging both parents to take leave. It’s time for us to recognise that true equity can’t be achieved without shared responsibility.

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If partners take leave, it helps reduce the pressure on mums and can drive long-term change, even as far as reducing the gender pay gap.

We’re so lucky to be a part of this amazing industry, one where we should ALL be able to thrive – but there’s still strides to be made. With dialogue, the right support systems, freedom of flexibility, and representation at the top, mothers in particular can soar without having to compromise.