Initiative has elevated Danielle (Elle) Galipienzo to head of impact, leading the media agency's purpose-led consulting division.
The announcement comes as the department expands from serving only pro-bono partners to all clients.
Galipienzo, who will also retain her current role of client director, replaces Jason Maggs who during his tenure at Initiative mentored her to step into the role following his departure late last year.
Galipienzo is now responsible for scoping opportunities where Initiative can positively amplify the impactful work employees, clients, media partners, NFPs and other businesses are doing, as well as create impact campaigns from the ground up.
Sam Geer, national managing director, Initiative said Elle is a natural choice for the role and one of those rare breeds who puts purpose at the core of everything she does.
“Work that has purpose and creates a positive cultural impact has always been central to our ambition as an agency and one of the driving factors in the award recognition we have received in recent years both locally and globally. We are now at a stage where we believe our credentials in this space are unrivalled and it’s time to formalise the offering into something existing and new clients can benefit from," Geer said.
“Elle is critical to that evolution, as a genuine market-leader in the space of impact, her experience and passion make her the perfect option to lead our Impact division into its next chapter of growth and doing good.”
Recent research indicate that consumers continue to hold business accountable for taking a stand on issues with up to 54% of consumers saying they had stopped buying from a company due to its public position on an issue, and 80% of consumers saying they prefer brands that align with their values.
“With these statistics on the table, it is even more imperative that our clients’ businesses consider their impact and how that’s communicated to consumers, given their ever-more-aggressive sales targets,” Geer said.
“There is a more prominent responsibility for both organisations and brands to commit to behaving with impact, and Elle will lead the way for Initiative in this space.”
Galipienzo said her passion for driving positive change for others is what motivates her to push boundaries in ways that will make Initiative and its clients stand out from the pack.
“We are in a unique position in our industry thanks to the resources, skills, and influence that we have," Galipienzo said.
"This new role will help me do my best work where I can effectively drive change in culture, for our clients and the industry. I can’t wait to make an impact!”
Galipienzo has been integral in working alongside Initiative’s long-term pro-bono clients nationally including Gotcha4Life, HeartKids, Cancer Chicks, Pinnacle Foundation and Shooting Stars.
“My first target will be to re-focus our people to look beyond just being involved in various charitable initiatives and campaigns, and to share our knowledge and expertise outside the four walls of our agency and lead the industry with purpose-led work,” Galipienzo said.
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