It was a banner 2021 for Spark Foundry CEO Sarah Kramer, whose agency won the $1 billion Meta media pitch and 15 other accounts en route to being named Ad Age’s Media Agency of the Year.
But Kramer, who was named CEO last June, has done more than just lead the agency’s return to growth over the past year. The 27-year veteran of Publicis has made it her duty to elevate more women to positions that have traditionally been held by men.
Now, more than 50 percent of Spark Foundry leaders are women, according to Kramer.
“Not only something I’m proud of but a responsibility to advocate for the right candidates and advocate for those women and for diverse employees inside these roles,” Kramer said.
Kramer has held town halls and open forums for discussions related to diversity, equality and inclusion—she established the agency’s DEI Council in 2018—as well as mental health.
“As we go through the transition of this hybrid [work] environment, my role in listening and being present and having a voice with our organization at all levels is just so important," Kramer said.
Be sure to prioritize your mental and physical well-being—when you do, you’ll thrive.
The biggest risk I’ve taken was moving our family to China for a short-term assignment as the interim CEO of Starcom. While we were all nervous about the change, it ended up being one of the best experiences for our family and for each of us individually.
I would be spending more time in Iowa with my 90-year-old parents. I live in NYC, and my schedule doesn’t allow me to go home as much as I would like. I miss them dearly and would love to be there for them in person more often.
There needs to be more mentorship for women and people of color—especially on the topic of how to establish a bold vision and see it through. Getting outside of your comfort zone to stretch the boundaries of what you can do is so important, and I think we could do more to help enable it.
