Changing Perspectives... 
on Inclusion

Harinder: Growing up, I was surrounded by ambitious and competitive people. This environment had a significant impact on me. Whether it was trying to win every game of football, getting into the best university or climbing to the next rung of the advertising ladder, my peers were always striving for the best. Seeing your family work long hours in manual labour jobs while navigating hostile environments, forces ambition. I wanted to succeed to keep up and honour the hard work my family had gone through. University and early career were hence dominated by a desire to always be ‘winning’. Good grades and promotions were milestones of self-worth. What shaped me back then was a definition of success based on winning and proving myself.

Ten years on, my perspective has changed. I still consider myself ambitious. However, my ambition is less focused on accolades and more on fulfilment. In my personal life, my fulfilment comes from hobbies, family and friends and prioritising health. At work, fulfilment comes from creating quality work and building great relationships. I have redefined success to come from contentment, not competition, shifting my goals positively. So now, my priorities are shaped by things that fulfill me holistically.

Nisha: I began my career when brown faces were rare and diversity was absent from conversations. As an Indian Australian, I instinctively minimised markers of difference, focusing on assimilation to fit corporate norms. At the time, success felt tied to blending in rather than standing out.

The industry has since evolved, placing emphasis on multiculturalism and inclusion, which has changed how I show up at work. Instead of suppressing parts of my identity, I draw on them, bringing together my experiences as an Indian Australian and as a parent to inform how I think, lead, and contribute.

Joining the inaugural MFA DE&I Council marked a key turning point. It helped me move from an inward focus on fitting into an outward focus on impact. I began to think critically about how I could influence equitable workplace practices and help shape client strategies that better reflect the diversity of the audiences we serve. My mindset has shifted from self-preservation to purposeful contribution, grounded in the belief that representation, combined with action, can drive meaningful change.

When have you felt proud of who you are at work?

Harinder: For those of us coming from migrant backgrounds, assimilation is implicitly drilled into our psyche, where the need to fly under the radar is second nature. So during Diwali, when those of us from South Asian backgrounds wore traditional clothes to work and served the food of our ancestors to our colleagues, it felt like a seminal moment.

Among people of colour, particularly in diaspora communities, there can be a tendency to tone down our celebrations. On Diwali at Dentsu, we didn’t feel this. I donned a Punjabi Kurta and Phulkari like the Maharajas and freedom fighters that came before me and honoured their legacy by moving with comfort and confidence in an environment that wasn’t built for us.

All parts of India were represented, from Delhi to Amritsar. Telangana to Odisha. We wore Dupattas, Saris and Kurtas. We shared Biryani and Gulab Jamun with our colleagues and celebrated our culture together. The aromatic flavours and colours of the motherland engulfed our Cremorne office, and we felt a pride that came from not only surviving away from home but thriving too. As we champion such events we foster a true sense of belonging.

Nisha: Early in my career, I focused on fitting into workplace culture, aware of the lack of diversity compared to the multicultural university environments I had left behind. While proud to be Indian Australian, I kept those identities separate, living what felt like two parallel lives. Within the Indian community, I was a Bharatanatyam dancer, fluent Tamil speaker, and lover of spice. At work, I was simply a planner-buyer defined by my agency and clients. It often felt incongruous to see celebrations like Easter and Christmas embraced so openly while the cultural moments that shaped my identity went largely unrecognised.

It wasn’t until a decade later that I experienced the pride of integrating these identities. In 2012, my sister and I organised a Bharatanatyam performance to raise funds for Oxfam. The response from the media community was both surprising and deeply encouraging. My agency’s managing director supported the initiative, colleagues attended, and media partners offered sponsorship. That moment revealed an industry capable of genuine curiosity and openness.

Looking back, it marked a turning point. It broadened my sense of belonging at work and shaped my commitment to inclusion. Today, I am proud to foster environments where diverse identities are valued and celebrated.