Ad Exec's Comments Anger Women in Workplace

Advertising executive Neil French has resigned from the WPP Group after his controverisal, and many say offensive, comments about women in the workplace caused a stir.

At a conference in Toronto, French reportedly said "women do not make it to the top because they don't deserve to," and elaborated by saying women are prone to "go suckle something" -- apparently referring to having children.

At the Kaplan Thaler ad agency, which is owned and operated by women, French's suggestion that motherhood is incompatible with professional achievement is proven false every day.

"It's absolutely insane and ridiculous in this day and age of technology [to suggest] that we can't multi-task. We do it and do it well," says Linda Kaplan Thaler, chief executive officer and chief creative officer of the agency.

Kaplan Thaler has created some of advertising's most memorable campaigns from the Aflac ads to Herbal Essence. She's also raised two children, which she says helps, not hurts, her creativity.

"Women know best about how to appeal [to] consumers because most consumers are women and kids, and we go home to our focus groups every day," she says.

But there is no getting around the uncomfortable fact that in many industries -- not just advertising -- progress has been painfully slow.

Only 5 percent of the top jobs and 8 percent of the highest titles at Fortune 500 companies are held by women. And in 20 industries recently surveyed, women earned less money than men in every single one.

Advocates say women are still fighting the assumption that they're less committed to their jobs than men.

"The smart companies realize that a woman is not going to be pregnant for very long, she's not going to have children for very long, and she's always going to have her creative talent," says Betty Spence, of the National Association of Female Executives.

Working women on Madison Avenue in New York -- the home of the advertising industry -- were outraged by French's comments.

"He's not met me," said one woman. "I think it's a ridiculous comment and I think he needs to come out of his cage."