New research exposes how female CEOs are handed the hardest jobs, and the toughest headlines - Medianet

1 Jul 2025 7:00 AM

New research from Medianet Insights has revealed a stark trend in Australian corporate leadership. Despite making up just 8% of ASX 300 CEOs, women leaders faced disproportionate media scrutiny once in the role.

The report, based on the analysis of more than 15,000 media mentions from January to June 2025, shows that female CEOs attracted significantly higher media attention than their male counterparts at struggling brands. For example, Vanessa Hudson (Qantas) and Amanda Bardwell (Woolworths) amassed over 60% of media mentions for CEOs of Australia’s least trusted brands, while male leaders at similar organisations stayed out of the spotlight. In contrast, leaders at Australia’s most trusted brands, like Bunnings’ Mike Schneider, kept a lower profile and avoided negative headlines.

The findings point to what researchers call the “glass cliff” — where women are handed the reins during periods of reputational risk and are then held to harsher public standards. This dynamic was seen in industries ranging from aviation to retail to energy.

Medianet’s analysis also highlights the risks linked to brand reputation today with Profiterring, Greenwashing and Cyber security leading in media mentions. 

Jacquie Hanna, Head of Insights at Medianet Insights, said: “These findings should prompt every board and comms team to look carefully at how they support leaders, especially women, as they navigate complex media environments.”

Amrita Sidhu, Managing Director at Medianet said:
"The findings in this report underscore the critical importance of a proactive and sophisticated media strategy for today's CEOs. It's no longer enough to simply react; leaders need to anticipate risks and ensure their communications are deliberate and impactful, particularly when navigating high-stakes situations."

Download full report here.

Key Facts:

- The study analysed more than 15,000 media mentions

- Women consistently dominated media coverage during periods of organisational crisis.

- Vanessa Hudson (Qantas) and Amanda Bardwell (Woolworths) amassed over 60% of media mentions for CEOs of Australia’s least trusted brands, while male leaders at similar organisations stayed out of the spotlight.

- Profiterring, Greenwashing and Cyber security led in media mentions as reputational risks

About us:

About Medianet

Medianet, a division of Mediality, is a leading PR platform and media intelligence business servicing both the media and public relations industries with press release distribution, media contacts, media monitoring and media analysis. Medianet is an accredited member of global industry peak bodies including International Association of Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) and FIBEP World Media Intelligence Congress.

 

About Medianet Insights

Medianet Insights is Medianet’s media analysis and insights unit delivering human-led, award-winning media analysis to a range of organisations including government, higher education, ASX100 and not-for-profit organisations.

 

Contact details:

Jacquie Hanna - Head of Insights at Medianet Insights

[email protected]

 

Amrita Sidhu - Managing Director, Medianet

[email protected]

Mercedes Carrin - Head of Marketing, Medianet

[email protected]

0430729397

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