When March rolls around, social media feeds light up with shades of pink and differing “International Women’s Month” messaging. More often than not, March is the one time of year that many organizations feel compelled to highlight the inspirational women they work alongside — with surface-level recognition that fades once a post is live, or a goodies bag is handed out. In reality, this is still dismissive of the work shaping modern brands today. Across strategy, creative, operations and media, women play key roles in the marketing industry now more than ever. In fact, as of 2026, 53% of Fortune 500 CMOs are women (The Growth Syndicate, 2026).
Rather than producing a typical Women’s Month post, the Rival team took a moment to acknowledge the true challengers within the agency: women who had to break the rules before they could rewrite them and carved out space in an industry that wasn’t necessarily built with them in mind. They shared about the rules worth breaking, the conventions they’ve challenged, and how they think about building brands today.
Tori Phillips-Walmsley, Design Director (UK)
On what challenger thinking looks like in her role: “Challenger thinking isn’t just about bold ideas, it’s about questioning the assumptions behind them. In design, that means asking whether the brief, the category conventions, or even the brand system or infrastructure itself might be holding a business back.”
Paige Hoffman, Senior Consultant (US)
On a leadership quality that doesn’t get enough credit in the industry: “Transparency. Being clear and open with your team, especially when things shift or get messy, builds trust and keeps everyone aligned. It sounds simple, but it makes a huge difference in how teams operate and the quality of the work.”
Cherese Nolan, Operations Associate (SA)
On a piece of marketing advice she thinks is wrong: “‘Marketing is about convincing people.’ It’s more about understanding people and then solving their problems or meeting their needs more efficiently”.
Grace Gutierrez, Partner, Director of Delivery (UK)
On what challenger thinking looks like in her role: “Most businesses blindly replicate antiquated models that prevent authentic integration, speed and scale. My mandate at Rival is to cherry pick the best delivery operations from marketing and product services businesses and create something truly unique. Challenging the convention of typical delivery and operations models allows us to deliver outsized impact for our clients, and create the environment for our talent to deliver the best work of their careers.”
Hannah Glickenhaus, Copywriter (US)
On what challenger thinking looks like in her role: “When coming up with ideas, I ask myself: what’s the exact opposite of what’s expected in our client’s industry?”
Jess Martin Nordin, Operations Director (UK)
On what challenger thinking looks like in her role: “There is no copy-and-paste approach to this role. Challenger thinking in operations means constantly questioning whether what we’re doing still serves Rival’s mission and the team around us.”
Hadley Kaeyer, Design Associate (US)
On what challenger thinking looks like in her role: “As a designer, I’m constantly looking at what other creatives have done in the past and thinking about how I can create products that break the mold. Our job is to create something that stands out amongst the mix and give a new voice to the client’s concept.”
Alyssia Chettiar, Executive Assistant (SA)
On a leadership quality that doesn’t get enough credit in this industry: “Empathy. Leaders who consider how their requests affect their team’s time and workload often don’t get enough credit. Empathetic leadership creates more sustainable, high-performing teams by balancing ambition with support.”
Jenna Cummings, Co-Founder & Partner (UK)
On advice for women entering the industry: “You shouldn’t listen to everybody’s criticism or advice. The key is finding someone similar to you — someone who shares the values, priorities, and ways of making decisions that matter to you. People with wildly different goals or approaches might give advice that works for them but won’t work for you. Seek out those who mirror the qualities that matter most in your life and career, and take guidance from them.”
Dakota Steyn, Associate Content Strategist (SA)
On advice for women entering the industry: “Don’t make yourself easily digestible for others. There will be plenty of people, most likely men, who find you intimidating. They’ll say you’re too serious, too loud, too strong, too bold, too emotional — too much. It is not your responsibility to make someone else feel comfortable with your presence. Take up space, stand by your ideas, and remember that you don’t owe anyone justification for why you have a seat at the table.”
