International Women’s Day is right around the corner, but one day of recognition is hardly enough to celebrate the impact of women across all aspects of our lives.
As part of our continuing series, we’re spending this week and the next spotlighting voices from across the industry who have been kind enough to share their journeys, experiences, and insights.
This time, we hear from Rachida Murray, Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Spark Foundry Australia. Originally from France and now based in Sydney, she has always been fascinated by communication and mathematics. Growing up bilingual in a polyglot family, she developed a deep appreciation for sharing ideas in different ways.
Her journey into marketing began in business school, where she discovered a discipline that offered both creativity and opportunity.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2025 is “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.” What does that mean to you professionally and personally?
What an amazing theme for 2025! For me, it perfectly encapsulates what feminism means.
Professionally, as a female leader, it’s about creating equal opportunities for everyone. There’s an unfortunate tension in the fact that, while our workforce largely has the same rights, it doesn’t always translate into the same opportunities – largely due to the systems we operate in.
For example, when there is an industry training or event scheduled at breakfast or after work. While both men and women have the right to attend, we still live in a society where women are more likely to be the primary carers for children or elderly parents, limiting their ability to participate. Our role in leadership is to advocate for equal opportunity, not just equal rights.
Women are already powerful – it’s time we acknowledge that.
When it comes to empowerment, I have a slightly different perspective. Women represent over half of the population and control more than 80% of household spending. The narrative that women need empowering feels somewhat dated. Women are already powerful – it’s time we acknowledge that.
However, I do believe it is critical to the evolution of society that we empower men to take significant time off as primary carers when they become fathers; to take a day off to look after a sick child or parent; and to handle school drop-offs and pick-ups. Empowering men also means enabling them to say no to meetings that clash with these priorities.
What first drew you to the industry? Was there a defining moment or experience that shaped your path?
I studied a business degree, focusing on languages, marketing, and finance.
As a polyglot, I was always fascinated by communications, so marketing naturally appealed to me. I’m also a bit of a nerd, and solving numerical problems gives me great satisfaction. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be able to reconcile these quite different areas of interest in a single career, until I did an internship in London for a telecommunications provider.
During that internship, I was tasked with setting up CRM systems, learning JavaScript, and establishing both SEM and SEO programs – all while using my third language. I loved it!
When I returned to Paris, my hometown, I landed a graduate role in the digital team at a little chocolate factory called Nestlé. That’s where I discovered agencies. I worked closely with some of the best in the business. The agency people were argumentative (well, French, to be honest), engaged in healthy debates, and sought data and evidence to test and learn.
It was truly a fabulous, formative experience. Reflecting on it now, I realise how much guidance I received from senior female leaders at Nestlé, Ogilvy and Publicis Groupe – mentorship that has stayed with me ever since.
Is there a person or people who inspired you professionally on your career journey?
There are so many, it’s hard to do the full list justice. Some were people I crossed paths with briefly, who offered words of wisdom in passing. Others have been formal mentors, like Adrianne Nixon (Mastercard) and Josie Brown (BWS), who generously shared their time and experiences when I first arrived in Australia. Their guidance helped me navigate unfamiliar territory, and I’m still grateful for it.
Then there are women who continue to inspire me every single day – like Imogen Hewitt (Publicis Groupe ANZ), whose intelligence, grace, empathy and ability to balance high performance with kindness in leadership is something I deeply admire.
You never know when kindness will resonate more deeply than you expect.
Many of the people who’ve influenced me probably have no idea how often I reflect on their words – even the smallest interactions can leave a lasting impression. It’s why I try to approach each day with the same warmth and thoughtfulness they showed me. You never know when kindness will resonate more deeply than you expect.
What’s a key lesson you’ve learned in your career that has shaped how you work today?
Leadership isn’t about fitting a mould – it’s about being genuine. There’s no need to try to emulate someone else’s leadership style or get caught up in behaviours that don’t resonate with you. Every day, I focus on being the best, most authentic version of myself – both at work and at home. And some days, I’m not the best version of myself. I own it, and I move on to the next day!
I’ve also learned that it’s OK to change your mind. In French, we say, “Only fools never change their minds.” There’s a common misconception that leaders should always have the answers. But the reality is, things change. Contexts shift, new information emerges, and what seemed like the right call yesterday may not be today.
True leadership is about taking accountability when you make the wrong call, being willing to adapt, and giving yourself permission to pivot – not just in business decisions, but also in what you want from your career.
I’ve also learned that it’s OK to change your mind. In French, we say, “Only fools never change their minds.”
Another key lesson is that no one achieves great things alone. Leading large, diverse teams has reinforced the importance of breaking down silos, fostering open communication and making sure people feel heard and valued. Setting a vision is important, but ensuring your team has the tools, confidence and support to deliver is what drives lasting success.
And finally, how you show up matters. Kindness, empathy and accountability aren’t just soft skills – they’re leadership essentials.
How has mentorship played a role in your career – both as someone receiving guidance and as a mentor to others? What have been your most meaningful takeaways from these relationships?
For me, mentorship has often been about navigating conflicting forces: my ambition, my drive for high performance and recognition, and my health, wellbeing and sense of self – as a woman, a mother and a leader. Having sounding boards, especially when I thought, “I can’t do this,” or felt like I was losing perspective, has been invaluable.
As a mentor today, I try to share my experiences with candour and without expectations. If what I share resonates, great. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. For me, it’s about creating an honest, judgment-free environment where people can explore their own path.
How can organisations effectively champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), especially in the face of current challenges? What specific strategies have you found effective?
I firmly believe DEI is a collective responsibility – one that requires everyone to lean in. Creating truly inclusive environments isn’t just a task for leadership or HR; it’s something that needs to be embedded into the fabric of an organisation’s culture, policies and everyday interactions.
I’m incredibly proud to be the executive sponsor for Publicis Égalité in Australia, our LGBTQI+ community group. The progress we’ve made, and continue to make, in creating a workplace where all our people can be the best and most authentic versions of themselves is something that genuinely motivates me. It’s one thing to talk about inclusion; it’s another to see individuals feel safe enough to show up fully as who they are. That’s when you know you’re making a real difference.
Creating truly inclusive environments isn’t just a task for leadership or HR; it’s something that needs to be embedded into the fabric of an organisation’s culture, policies and everyday interactions.
But talk alone isn’t enough. DEI initiatives must be properly resourced – not just with well-intentioned statements but with tangible investment in time, education and leadership accountability. Token efforts or box-ticking exercises won’t move the needle.
From my experience within Publicis Groupe, an effective DEI strategy sits on three key pillars:
Policies: These need to be more than words on paper. They should reflect modern realities – whether that’s flexible working arrangements, comprehensive parental leave policies that support all family structures or clear anti-discrimination measures.
Education: Bias, whether conscious or unconscious, doesn’t shift without awareness and education. Regular, thoughtful training programs paired with open forums for discussion are key to helping people understand different perspectives and challenge outdated thinking.
Behaviours: Culture isn’t what you say, it’s the behaviours you tolerate. You can have the best policies in the world, but if everyday interactions undermine them, your culture won’t evolve. Leaders need to model inclusive behaviours, call out exclusionary actions and create environments where everyone feels psychologically safe.
Lastly, leadership must be open to evolving. DEI work is complex and nuanced. It’s okay to get things wrong, course-correct and continuously learn.
Is there a project or initiative you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of? What made it meaningful to you?
I was on parental leave in 2020 when the so-called ‘third-party cookie apocalypse’ was first announced. Returning to work in 2021 (after months of lockdown with a newborn and homeschooling a five-year-old), I felt disconnected and out of touch.
Despite that, my team had been hard at work. I was incredibly proud of the mitigation strategies they had crafted, tested and consolidated. Together, we built a Digital Growth Opportunities framework – one that was both future-proof and effective. Over the following years, it evolved into a core part of our operations, helping clients unlock growth across digital paid, owned and commerce channels, all supported by technology.
Leadership is what happens when you’re not in the room.
While much of the heavy lifting happened during my leave, I’m still genuinely proud of this project for several reasons:
- Leadership is what happens when you’re not in the room.
- My team took the vision we developed (while I was eight months pregnant, no less) and ran with it. They navigated ambiguity, collaborated and delivered something impressive without needing me there every step of the way. That’s leadership in action, and theirs was exceptional.
- I overcame a moment of personal and professional uncertainty.
Coming back, I questioned everything: my ability, my career choices, my future as a working mum. But I proved to myself that my experience, adaptability and value still held strong. I leaned on industry friends (asking for help isn’t usually my forte) and got up to speed. Managing that self-doubt was as much a part of the journey as the work itself.
It turns out, I must have done alright.
Today, I’m the co-chair of the IAB Data Council in Australia, and I can talk about third-party cookie deprecation in my sleep.
Quick Hits:
A trend you are excited about:
I’m going to say AI. I know it’s not a ‘trend’, but it is a paradigm shift that I find equal parts exciting and terrifying – especially its implication for societal constructs and for women and girls (check out the Algorithmic Justice League).
Favorite creative campaign that has most inspired you:
Nike – You can’t stop us.
A brilliant display of diversity from a brand that empowers inclusivity in its products, not just its ads.
A quote that guides you:
“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
