While this industry is given to pendulum swings, I'd argue we should give greater consideration to hiring those who come armed with a good dose of EQ.

Not at the expense of technical skills or experience, but these two tempered with due recognition of Emotional Intelligence enables the opportunity to create stronger businesses through higher performing teams.

EQ at its simplest is the balance between skills and personality and is the greatest enabler of building and driving successful teams and the ability to be agile and responsive. At which point I revert to the list from the WEF and propose that Emotional Intelligence is actually how you succeed with people management and collaboration. In which case, EQ should realistically be elevated to 4th position.

We are operating in the 4th industrial revolution. We are spending time examining how, when, where and why to accommodate AI, machine learning, virtual reality, enhanced robotics et al.  Heck, Cannes will be creating awards for them all in some capacity.  But none of it will amount to anything significant if we don’t have well rounded  people to apply their well honed skills and ensure these skills include, by design, an excellent representation of EQ.

Perhaps the gender concern would be more naturally nullified if EQ was universally sought - that is not to say that males are not high EQ players, I work with a number of outstanding examples.  But it might help get the balance right, faster.

Marketing, media, creativity, innovation, measurement are all active participants in this current revolution. But we should be the sector that thrives first and foremost because of the people enabling and shaping it. Talent is the critical factor and EQ is a critical talent.