The Cost of Care: Emily Jordan-Wilson on Leadership, Safety and Responsibility in Advertising

The latest emPOWER Breakfast earlier this month welcomed Emily Jordan-Wilson, founder of Feral Reps, for one of the most significant conversations the community has hosted to date.

Titled 'The Cost of Caring: Responsibility and Leadership in Adland', the session moved beyond Emily's personal story to explore a wider question facing the creative industries:

What responsibility do organisations have for the wellbeing and safety of the people representing them?

For decades, relationship-building has been central to advertising culture. New business professionals have often been expected to entertain clients, attend festivals, travel internationally and build networks in environments where alcohol, long hours and blurred social boundaries have simply been accepted as part of the job.

Emily reflected on her own experience as a young woman working in new business, sharing how a work trip abroad became one of the defining moments of her life. Rather than centring the conversation solely on what happened to her, the discussion evolved into a broader examination of leadership, workplace culture and duty of care, leading to one of the most open and powerful Q&A sessions emPOWER has hosted to date.

Women across the room began sharing experiences of their own without shame or judgement. What emerged was an honest conversation about the realities many professionals have navigated throughout their careers and, more importantly, what organisations can do differently to better protect the people they employ.

Practical suggestions included providing dedicated transport budgets or designated drivers, ensuring teams eat before evening networking begins, supplying water and snacks in hotel rooms, encouraging colleagues to travel together, and implementing regular check-ins throughout work trips, client entertainment and industry festivals.

An important consideration for employers is the strengthening of UK workplace protections around sexual harassment. The legislation places an increased emphasis on employers taking proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment before it occurs, recognising that safeguarding must form part of organisational culture rather than simply being addressed after an incident. Employers are expected to consider risks involving third parties such as clients, customers, contractors, agency workers and visitors, not solely employees. Equally significant is the strengthened protection for those reporting sexual harassment under whistleblowing legislation, reinforcing the importance of creating workplaces where people feel safe to speak up.

Alongside discussing the wider industry, Emily also reflected on her own personal journey. Through therapy, sobriety, the support of family, friends and colleagues, and years of personal work, she has rebuilt her confidence and sense of self. Professionally, after becoming a partner and co-owner of Spindle, the business was wound down to allow the partners to focus on the work they felt most passionate about. Emily has since founded Feral Reps, a business built on the principles of structure, mentoring and support—values she now shares generously by nurturing and developing emerging sales talent across the industry.

The session concluded with a deeply restorative sound meditation led by Nicky Palamarczuk of House of Butterfly, formerly of Dare and VCCP. Following such an emotional discussion, it offered attendees the opportunity to pause, reflect, release and reset before returning to the rest of their day.

As with every emPOWER Breakfast, the objective is never simply to tell a story. It is to create conversations capable of moving our industry forward.

If there was one message that resonated throughout the morning, it was this:

Leadership is not only measured by the work we produce. It is measured by how well we care for the people who create it.

Emily's courage has already inspired meaningful conversations, shifted perspectives and prompted tangible commitments to change from leaders across our community.

The emPOWER Breakfast is an independent, founder-led event series and community for people working across advertising, media and marketing, creating space for honest conversations, lived experience and meaningful connection.

Please sign up for the emPOWER Breakfast newsletter to hear about future events.