Initiative Sydney has announced two senior hires to strengthen the agency’s client leadership and digital development capabilities.

Julie Schougaard joins Initiative as client director. She will join the agency from OMD where she works on Telstra, developing and managing the telco’s partnerships across its brand, sponsorship and loyalty portfolios. The Telstra partnerships included the AFL, NRL and The Australian Ballet. Previous to OMD she was brand manager of strategic partnerships and brand platforms at one of Denmark’s major telecommunications companies. She starts work at Initiative on March 9 and will report to client partner Damien Terakes.

Joe Perkins will join Initiative as digital client director. He has more than eight years of experience in the industry working at Mediacom, The Sound Campaign and most recently at MEC, where he has been leading digital planning for clients including Alliance, Singapore Airlines and Tiger Airlines.

“Both Joe and Julie bring great experience and digital skills to the agency,” said Initiative Australia CEO Lee Leggett. “We are excited about the contribution they will make and look forward to them starting here in Sydney.”

Joe Perkins said: “I was very attracted to the Initiative opportunity for two main reasons. First is the rigor the agency has in place around data management and attribution. The second is the integrated work the agency teams share with other communications disciplines within the IPG Mediabrands group. It is a very holistic communications environment.”

Perkins starts work on February 23 and will report to client partner Andrew Lamb.