What are you doing to ‘Accelerate Action’? We asked our global family of Adformers to share their thoughts on this year’s theme and explain some of the game-changing steps we’re taking to help to bring about gender parity both internally and across the industry.
Adform’s ‘change the game’ mantra isn’t just about driving innovation within digital advertising; it’s also about being at the forefront of changes in our industry. Adform takes pride in creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, where individual needs are met and people are hired based on their talent, potential, and competency.
Greta Staišiūnė, Senior UX Writer
“When I first started my career in adtech, I strived to be seen as equal to the men around me. However, as I gained more experience in the field, I realized that our differences are what truly empower us.
Working in UX, I’ve learned that embracing our womanhood gives us additional strength to advocate for accessibility and inclusivity in the products we create. At Adform, we follow a user-centric approach to product design – by unapologetically embracing our femininity, we tap into our natural empathy, leading to more human-centered and engaging designs.
I believe that companies that understand gender balance isn’t just about meeting target numbers, but about fostering empowered and successful teams, see a real impact both on company culture and business results.”
Siddhi Pitale, QA Engineer
“This year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘Accelerate Action,’ serves as a reminder that, while progress has been made, there’s still much work to be done to achieve true gender equality, especially in male-dominated fields like IT and development. Gender equality means creating an environment where everyone, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities, rights, and access to resources, free from discrimination and bias.
As a QA Engineer, I see how diversity boosts innovation and strengthens our work. Gender-balanced teams bring fresh ideas that lead to better problem-solving, decision-making, and outcomes. Companies must act now to ensure equal pay, fair hiring, and leadership opportunities for women. Externally, supporting women in STEM and providing upskilling opportunities for women will help close the gap. At Adform, we are committed to accelerating change and fostering an inclusive, diverse environment. The time for slow progress is over. It's time to act, disrupt, and accelerate change.”
Ieva Červinskaitė, Product Director
“Thanks to my father, who always included me in the “cool” activities, I loved hobbies often seen as “for boys – fishing, cars, and playing guitar. This upbringing shaped my path, leading me to study engineering, where I found myself one of only two women in my course.
I think gender equality starts in childhood, and we must take action – from parents to educators – to break biases early. That means challenging stereotypes in society and consumerism, such as marketing problem-solving toys to boys, while encouraging nurturing and caregiving-focused ones for girls. We need to inspire more girls to study STEM fields and promote workplaces that embrace balance, diversity, and collaboration, rather than following the old patterns of outdated gender norms and biases.
This Women’s Day, let’s reflect on how each of us can accelerate the change, helping to create a world where opportunities are driven by passion and potential, not defined by gender.”
Priscila Hung, Lead Graphic Designer
“For me, true gender equality means empowering the best in everyone by recognizing the complementary differences between men and women. We must create environments where both have equal opportunities – not where women are included merely to meet quotas, but because their unique skills bring invaluable contributions. Within these environments, it’s essential women are supported in balancing their professional ambitions with the distinctive responsibilities of family life, ensuring their aspirations remain intact. The pursuit of gender equality must be accelerated, yet always mindful of preserving the dignity and infinite worth of both men and women.”
Anna Wendlinger, Global Client Director
“I believe that gender equality means equal opportunities and treatment for all. That means, for example, promoting the best candidate for a job regardless of their gender. However, achieving this requires each and every one of us to start believing in ourselves. Instead of doubting yourself, step forward and stand tall. Take the opportunities that are presented to you, and don’t wait for others to jump ahead of you in the queue.
Personally, I get up each day, bring my best to the table, work for my success, and grab the opportunities to #AccelerateAction. This could be through putting myself forward to speak on stage at conferences or knowing exactly what I want for my career – outlining the steps to achieve my goal, taking those steps, and actively pushing for management support.
Then it's up to the companies to ensure they’re providing an environment that encourages and advocates for their employees. Actions to take include equal pay, equal opportunities for promotion, and support for working parents through steps such as offering part-time work at management level.”
Cansu Genişel, Platform Solutions Consultant
“For me, gender equality means creating and supporting an environment where everyone, regardless of gender, has equal access to opportunities, resources, and respect. The possibility that full gender equality won't be reached until 2158 is alarming and unacceptable. It emphasizes the need for urgent action, with privileged groups and those in power needing to be informed and proactive. Swift change is essential to dismantle inequality.
To achieve gender parity, we must promote inclusivity in decision-making, foster a culture of respect and equality, challenge gender stereotypes, and collaborate with international organizations to strengthen global efforts and ensure accountability in advancing gender equality.
When I joined Adform, I learnt that I was the first woman to join the company in the MEA region, which was a surprise to me at that time. I am glad that there was an equal opportunity and I was able to make use of this opportunity. Since then, we’ve had more women colleagues join us. I’ve also been able to make connections with wonderful and supportive colleagues, who have looked out for me and shared their experiences, which has also made me work more on being there for others.”
Lina Venckutė, Governance Lead
“For me, gender equality is a collective mindset that a person has to be appreciated for the unique value she or he creates, without any preconceived notions. It’s about allowing people to discover themselves independent of what others expect from them based on their gender.In Lithuania, we are moving the right direction with our current maternity leave policies. There are many programs encouraging women to seek careers in male-dominated fields. I think we just need more time for the personal views of people to change as well. This can only be done with positive examples, the right education, and encouragement from an early age.
We need to spread the message and educate ourselves. Fight misinformation and encourage understanding rather than a competition between genders. I hope, one day, women will feel empowered and confident, and we will be able to move away from programs designed only for women. I don’t believe we need different education to achieve great things – we need to feel safe and accepted. At Adform, I feel accepted as an equal. I am not scared to speak my mind or be authentic. I don’t feel that I need to change the game, as the game is pretty good as it is.”
Poorva Surve, Software Engineer
“For me, gender equality means recognizing every individual as a human being, with the right to live without limitations. No gender should be confined to specific roles – everyone should have the freedom to pursue their path based on their abilities and aspirations. Achieving gender parity is urgent – every delay means lost potential and a weaker society. True progress comes from inclusion, fairness, and shared opportunity. When equality is the foundation, economic, social, and political growth follow. Societies built on equality are prepared for lasting progress. Internally, organizations should continue fostering inclusive environments that provide equal opportunities. Externally, supporting initiatives that promote diverse representation and challenge gender stereotypes will help accelerate the path to gender parity.
At Adform, I’ve seen firsthand how women can thrive when given the right opportunities. Their ability to lead, stay proactive, go the extra mile, and drive a team’s success speaks volumes about their resilience and dedication. When women fully embrace the opportunities available to them, they empower and inspire others to grow stronger and shine. Adform’s guiding principles foster a conducive environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can excel and contribute effectively.”
Nina Santner, Senior Account Manager
“The meaning of gender equality to me is that it’s completely irrelevant which gender a person has, and that every person has the same chances in life. I think it’s essential that we take action to reach gender parity more quickly, especially looking at current political movements and the situation of the world. We all know that smart women can make very wise decisions and can definitely change the world for the better.
To bring about gender parity sooner, there needs to be mutual support and collaboration among women, but also between men and women. There needs to be awareness for the topic of gender inequality, and we can’t accept any kind of disrespectful behavior against women. Structures must be in place to push women and to create a safe environment where they can develop and get involved. There should also be spaces where role models are accessible to younger women – I’ve had the privilege of learning from some great ones in my career so far.
At Adform, I take into consideration the personality and skills of an individual, rather than their gender. In this way, I think I support an environment where anyone can achieve anything. And I am always willing to speak out if I see that something is not as it should be.”
Maria Juhl Christensen, SVP, IT Infrastructure & Security
“Especially as a mother to a daughter, I find it disturbing that we are looking at it taking five generations before we reach gender equality.
For me, #AccelerateAction is about being conscious of the small biases that I see in everyday life. To call them out and challenge limited thinking regarding gender differences and stereotype perception. To support women in general and ensure empowerment.
I aim to support, guide, and praise other women in their work. Because women tend to underestimate their own power and competences. Working in the male-dominated IT space, I have myself struggled with ‘feeling too female.’ Too emotional and too humble. But I have come to see that this also brings value. We need to have a focus on this, so that we can #Accelerate equality.”
Dovilė Buinickaitė, VP, Human Resources
“Do you still hear people differentiating between male and female professions and careers? I unfortunately do. A career in technology is also seen as being more for men. However, everyone uses technology so, when it comes to creating it, the contribution and involvement of both genders is very important.
I am convinced that achieving change requires the effort of every individual and organization. That is why, as an IT company, we initiated the “Women in Technology Barometer” project in Lithuania three years ago. The latest barometer shows that there remains a significant gender imbalance in IT studies – 80% of all students admitted to IT programs in Lithuania last year were men. This answers the question of why men continue to dominate IT job positions, even though the primary reason for these trends is, in fact, stereotypes. Therefore, one of the main objectives of the “Women in technology Barometer” initiative is to change stereotypical societal attitudes and debunk myths about working in IT. At the same time, it provides us with a chance to nurture potential future employees – as stereotypes diminish, more and more women will discover opportunities to pursue a career in the IT sector. I am also a huge fan and drive cooperation with the Women Go tech initiative, which navigates women towards careers in tech through mentoring, events, and community impact.
Annabelle Dudman, SVP, Commercial Excellence
“I was brought up surrounded by strong women, hearing their stories about how they were not able to have a career through lack of money for education, but also because it was not socially acceptable for women to work after marriage. I saw my Nana go on to become a judge at Crufts (a very prestigious Dog show) and my Aunty become the first-ever female Mayor of Richmond (a borough of London). I learnt that obstacles can be overcome through the power of determination & hard work.
I was very aware of the opportunities open to me that weren’t open to the older generation of women, and was determined to have a successful career and be financially independent from a very early age.
The world of work I joined was very different to how it is now; I was usually the only woman in the room. I was lucky to have many supportive male managers, but it has been the sisterhood of female peers who have been with me every step of the way and helped me succeed. I am passionate about mentoring young female talent because I know how important it is to have your cheerleaders, the tribe who “has your back.” I look at the young women in the workplace today – who are so much braver than we were, who won’t put up with the things that we had to – and I say bravo! This is what #AccelerateAction means to me. You are strong and powerful. Stand on the shoulders of those of us that came before and fly higher than we did. If you want to do it, do it. If you’re scared, do it scared.”