WE ARE
A global communications agency built to grow brands through
Our approach to media is underpinned by a simple reality – advertising avoidance behaviours will continue to accelerate as new platforms and technologies emerge. This will result in the continued deterioration of paid media effectiveness over time as brands struggle with the pace they need to stay relevant.
We believe that the speed at which a brand interprets – and responds to – cultural data signals to improve its relevance with consumers is the key to success.
We call this Cultural VelocityTM.
What hasn’t changed in this fresh approach is our promise to deliver transformative business results. We do this by interrogating data and customer insights, stewarding your investments to drive efficiencies and savings with the utmost transparency.
- Why?
- EMOTION
- VALUE
- LOYALTY
We are proud to call the following culture-driving brands our partners around the world.
We are proud to call the following culture-driving brands our partners around the world.
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Dimitri Maex
Global CEO
Dimitri was named Global CEO of Initiative in April 2022. With his extensive experience in managing both creative and digital media agencies, his leadership has supercharged Initiative’s offering to grow brands through CulturalVelocityTM. He is a published author with a background in data analytics and a passion for building diverse teams. Dimitri has over 20+ years’ experience on B2B brands such as IBM, SAP, Cisco, UPS and Dupont to name a few. Originally from Belgium, Dimitri speaks four languages and has lived and worked in India, the UK and the US.
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Will Spence
Global Chief Operating Officer
Will leads the Initiative global client management team, implementing his new vision for a more data informed and empathetic style of leadership as our agency product offering becomes more technical and the world around us more complex. Will joined the IPG network in 2011 at UM Australia, working his way through different client and national leadership roles, before returning to London to lead growth and regional client assignments for Mediabrands EMEA, and latterly global assignments. As Chief Operating Officer, Will also takes responsibility for the agency operations – in an increasingly consolidated world, delivering on our vision of a seamless network experience for our clients, and building out more effective ways of working to elevate the Initiative agency product.
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Dan Tedesco
Global CFO
Dan leads the financial operations for the global Initiative network. Dan has held various senior financial positions within the wider IPG Mediabrands group across EMEA, UK and Australia since joining IPG Mediabrands in 2011. Prior to joining IPG, Dan has worked in Chartered Accounting as well as holding financial leadership roles within Omnicom Group Australia. Throughout his career, Dan has spent significant time working closely with executive leadership teams on key operations and strategic matters, delivering commercial solutions to grow businesses and deliver operational excellence. When away from work Dan enjoys spending time with his young family and is an avid long-distance runner.
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Katy Varner
Global Chief Analytics Officer
Katy leads our analytics practice and is responsible for building client partnerships that break new ground with data-driven approaches to reaching business goals and innovative analytics solutions. Katy has applied this thinking to a wide range of client verticals including telecom, pharma, entertainment, financial services, and e-commerce. She has been with Initiative since 2014 and her approach is informed by a statistics-led background from her time as a Psychology PhD candidate. A Female Frontier Award winner, Katy has worked on award-winning campaigns across the Initiative portfolio. As a leader, her focus is on creating a global community of analytics practitioners who embrace their role as the foundation of Initiative’s approach to media & our clients’ businesses.
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Jonathan Rigby
Global Chief Strategy Officer
Jonathan leads the strategy practice and is responsible for the application of precision marketing strategies for global clients at Initiative. With teams located around the world, Jonathan is responsible for implementing marketing strategies that remove the barriers in the consumer journey, activate media to direct the attention of each brand's most valuable consumers and build a content plan that drives engagement across the Initiative portfolio. Prior to joining Initiative back in December 2019, Jonathan led the strategy capability at Digitas across the New York and Atlanta Regions for clients like American Express, Audible, Under Armour and Delta Airlines. Prior to this he led engagement strategy at Ogilvy, New York. Having started his career as part of the WPP Fellowship program, Jonathan gained a global and multi-disciplinary perspective on the industry from quantitative research and brand tracking at Millward Brown in London, brand strategy at Ogilvy in Hong Kong, and comms and media strategy at Wavemaker (formerly MEC) in NYC, a journey that immersed him in the worlds of hospitality, pharma and financial services.
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Stephanie Solomon
Global Chief Talent Officer
Stephanie leads Human Resources for the global network. She has been with Inititiave since 2013, ensuring best practises while the agency continues to grow, expand and hire incredible talent.
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David Stopforth
Global Chief Communications Design Officer
David leads Communications Design, the team tasked with developing integrated plans that bring Cultural Branding ideas to life across all media types. Prior to Initiative, David led media and communications planning at media and full service creative agencies, working for a range of high profile clients including JPMorgan Chase, H&M North America, Delta Airlines PUMA, Adidas and Nike. David has also spent time on the client side of the business as Head of Global Media at Reebok International.
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Sarah Robertson
Global President, RUFUS Amazon
Sarah leads Rufus, Initiative’s Amazon-dedicated team, for the U.S. and select global regions. Sarah is thrilled to lead and inspire a 160+ person team dedicated to working with one of the most innovative and fast-growing companies in the world. Her goal is to apply the best of Initiative’s trail-blazing spirit – from data-driven solutions to groundbreaking creative activations to unparalleled media value – to the Amazon partnership. She takes pride in making Rufus a great place to work, helping her team realize personal growth and contribute to an inclusive culture. Sarah enjoys LA life with her husband, two daughters, and a growing pack of dogs.
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Paolo Sarno
Global Chief Growth Officer
Paolo leads the agency’s strategy and operations across New Business, Organic Growth and Marketing. Prior to his current role, he was IPG Mediabrands Chief of Staff for three years, where he managed key global Business Operations in conjunction with the Global CEO & Executive Leadership team across all Mediabrands agencies and specialty business units. Prior to that, he led Global New Business efforts at both Mediabrands & UM Worldwide, winning marque global clients and major retentions including Amazon, Spotify, Sony Pictures, Mattel, Coach, and Hulu. Paolo is originally from Italy and Peru, and spends his free time with his dog Bruna and on the tennis courts.
People are the true product of our agency. At Initiative, we create diverse and inclusive teams that are representative of the world around us, supported by a well-defined and strong culture.
That culture is one of empowerment. Everyone in the company has a voice and a role in developing our values and behaviours. Our culture extends into the way we recruit, train and develop our people, to ensure the best possible talent for our client partners.
CLICK HERE
People are the true product of our agency. At Initiative, we create diverse and inclusive teams that are representative of the world around us, supported by a well-defined and strong culture.
That culture is one of empowerment. Everyone in the company has a voice and a role in developing our values and behaviours. Our culture extends into the way we recruit, train and develop our people, to ensure the best possible talent for our client partners.
CLICK HERE
