CHICAGO — Emerald’s Executive Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer, Ren Akinci, will be speaking at South by Southwest® (SXSW) in a session titled “Executive Moms: On Shattering Old & Outdated Workplace Myths.”
The session was inspired by an episode of Advertising Week’s “Great Minds: People & Culture” podcast, which Akinci hosts, where she spoke with Rebecca Coleman, North America CEO at We Are Social, about motherhood and career advancement.
Click here to listen to the podcast.
For the SXSW session, the two are also joined by Heather Cutter, Chief Growth Officer of Good Culture, and Marly Ellis, Global Director of Brand, Social and Influencer Marketing of YouTube, to delve into the misconceptions surrounding motherhood and skill building, and how skills developed through parenting including empathy, time management, adaptability and problem-solving are essential for career advancement.
“We’ll be on stage discussing what it truly means to be an executive mom and why the notion that motherhood is a career break needs to be dismantled,” Akinci said. “Motherhood isn’t just relevant to parenting—it cultivates leadership skills that directly translate into the workplace.”
But even those who aren’t mothers can find takeaways from the session.
“When you recognize and empower people to leverage their skills, you see that valuable experience comes from many life circumstances,” Akinci said. “Caring for an aging parent or managing other personal responsibilities can also build critical skills that translate into the workplace. Life itself teaches resilience, adaptability, and crisis management. We’re constantly navigating challenges, and those experiences shape our ability to lead. If more people understood that these so-called ‘soft skills’—like agility, problem-solving, and perseverance—are just as valuable as technical skills, they would better appreciate the strengths they bring to their careers. While technical skills can be taught, the ability to navigate uncertainty and bounce back is what truly sets professionals apart.”
Related. The Trade Show Industry Focuses on Workforce Development; Organizations Share Their Ongoing Efforts
Spreading the Word about Opportunities at Emerald
“It’s really nice to be able to represent Emerald and Advertising Week in this capacity,” Akinci said. “As the Head of People, I think it’s important for people who are considering careers at our companies and at our brands to know that we care about belonging at Emerald. We are majority female in our organization including senior levels and above. We really encourage diverse opinions. We don’t have college-degree requirements, for example, because we’re open to people’s different experiences, whether it’s professional or life experiences. I’m hoping that us being there will encourage people to consider Emerald and Advertising Week, and all of our other brands, as a career path for them.”
Session Details
The session will take place at the Austin Marriott Downtown on March 8 from 11:30-12:30 p.m. in Waller Ballroom AB.
Akinci encourages any SXSW attendee that’s interested in looking at gaps in resumes as it relates to caregiving as a plus, rather than a minus, to attend the session and be part of the conversation.
“I’d would love to meet people who are maybe considering skills-based hiring, considering changing the way that they’re looking at resumes to come into the session or find me at SXSW.”
You can reach Ren Akinci at Ren.Akinci@emeraldx.com.
Want more content like this? Subscribe to Trade Show Executive’s weekly newsletter for the hottest news, case studies and thought leadership in the industry.
