Women Of Influence 2025: Publicis Groupe’s Jennifer Fischer

Jennifer Fischer is the Chief Innovation and Growth Officer for the MENA at global ad giant Publicis Groupe, a role that she essentially created and built a vision for from scratch. From Apple to IKEA, Coca-Cola to NEOM, Expo 2020 to Visa, Samsung and Nestlé, Fischer’s journey has spanned brands of every scale—though the path wasn’t without obstacles.

“When I entered the industry, senior leadership was overwhelmingly male, and I was often the sole woman in the room,” Fischer recalls. “Today’s leadership landscape, marked by a new generation and mindset of leaders, is far more balanced, professional and ethical. This cohort, which includes women but is not limited to them, has dismantled opaque ‘old-boy’ networks, replacing authoritarian practices with transparency, talent-centric strategies, and values-driven decision-making.”

For her part, Fischer is all about paying it forward, be it by mentoring individual talents across the Publicis network or by leading sessions at different forums like the Young Lynx Academy or the Marketing Society curriculum. By sharing her insights, Fischer hopes to help young women—and all emerging leaders— shape their own vision of what modern, inclusive leadership can look like.

As Fischer put it: “Visible women leaders don’t just inspire by example; they actively invest in the next generation.”

Lessons Learned: Q&A with Jennifer Fischer 

Looking back on your journey, if there is one piece of advice you’d give yourself before you embarked on your career, what would that be? Additionally, if you could go back in time and tell yourself something that you should avoid or simply not do, what would that be?  

Lean into discomfort. Whenever a project feels scary, whether it’s a role you don’t yet feel ready for or a challenge that stretches your skillset, that’s exactly the opportunity to pursue. Taking on what frightens you delivers the steepest learning curves, keeps your work exciting and ensures you never grow complacent. 

Don’t let “not feeling ready” become an excuse to stay in your comfort zone. Playing it safe may feel secure, but it keeps you static. Treat fear as a signal, not a stop sign, embrace it, own the challenge, and make continuous learning the heartbeat of your career.  

Pictured in the lead image is Jennifer Fischer, the Chief Innovation and Growth Officer at Publicis Groupe. Courtesy of Publicis Groupe.

Jennifer Fischer was one of Inc. Arabia's Women of Influence 2025, a showcase of 30 women rewriting the rules of business in the MENA region. For the full list, please click here.