GroupM × Amaze — A-Plus Inclusion

GroupM's Australian agencies — EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker — partnered with autism organisation Amaze to drive neurodiverse workplace inclusion, piloting Amaze's A-Plus Inclusion program: an education initiative designed with autistic people. The rollout began during Neurodiversity Celebration Week at GroupM's Melbourne campus.

As an autistic advocate and an Amaze advisory board member, I helped connect the two organisations and championed the inclusive hiring initiative inside the agency. Being open about my neurodiversity at GroupM helped me, and others, feel safe and welcomed — and that experience shaped how the program was introduced.

What it delivered

• Progress on GroupM's 16-point Disability Action Plan, launched in 2023 under its Better For All initiative — seven actions complete and five in progress at the time of the partnership.
• A pilot of the A-Plus Inclusion program across GroupM's agencies, starting at the Melbourne campus.
• A neurodiversity training rollout, with all AUNZ managers trained on managing neurodiverse staff better.

Why it matters

One in six Australians has a disability, yet only 48 per cent of working-aged people with disability are employed, against 80 per cent of those without. Closing that gap takes structural change inside employers — which is exactly what a partnership between a media holding group and an autism organisation can deliver.