Women hold just 16% of leadership roles across VFX and animation. But what happens to those who do reach the top, and are they genuinely free to lead on their own terms?
In this episode of The ACCESS:VFX Podcast, hosts Simon and Nene are joined by Tanya Ferguson, Executive Producer at Untold Studios; Marta Carbonell Amela, Director and Creative Director at Zauberberg Productions; Sophie Bell, Managing Director at Toast; and Sharon King, Producer, Story Producer and Development Producer at Awesome Productions.
Together, they explore the different rules women can face across VFX, advertising, television and the wider creative industries. Why are confidence and ambition celebrated in male leaders but so often interpreted as aggression, arrogance or difficulty in women? Do women still feel pressure to soften their voices, seek permission or make themselves smaller before their authority is accepted?
The conversation also examines how race, culture, accent and parenthood shape the experience of leadership. Tanya and Sharon discuss the additional calculations Black women are forced to make in professional spaces, while Marta reflects on navigating language, identity and belonging after moving from Spain to the UK. Sophie shares why stepping into leadership meant learning to stop asking for permission, and why shared parental responsibility remains critical to women’s progression.
This is an honest conversation about power, representation, positive action, allyship and the importance of seeing people like yourself in senior positions. It also challenges the idea that successful leaders must be the boldest or loudest people in the room, making the case instead for kindness, listening, empathy, authenticity and leadership built around people.
Women in the creative industries do not need to be fixed. They need opportunity, sponsorship, shared responsibility... and, as Tanya puts it, more women!
