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Initiative
Team PROFILE
Agency Type
Media
Ownership
Omnicom Media
tagline
The Cultural Experience Agency
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Jo McAlister
CEO
Thomas Dodd
Chief strategy officer
Paige Wheaton
National managing director
Emma Greenhalgh
National head of communications design
Luke Carmichael
Managing partner, Sydney
Mikayla Ellis
Managing partner, Sydney
Ali Coysh
National head of strategy
Samantha Smith
National head of marketing
Mychal Whittle
Agency business partner
Paige English
Head of Perth
Key Stats
Offices
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth
Headcount
340+
Gender Balance Staff
M: 35.5%
F: 64.5%
Gender Balance Leaders
M: 33%
F: 67%
RECMA Compitches
A
RECMA Qualitative Evaluation
Good
Client book
Client Wins
9
Client Losses
3
Client retentions/extensions
2
Largest clients
IAG
WA Government
Officeworks
Trophy Cabinet
Cairns Crocodiles
MFA Awards
Agency Scorecards report
Initiative entered 2025 after one of the tumultuous periods in the agency’s history.
In 2024, it underwent a significant leadership transition and lost two of its largest clients, Amazon and Lego, in global reviews.
The agency needed to go through a period of soul searching and headhunting.
In November 2024, it landed Jo McAlister as its new CEO. It would prove an inspired choice. The agency, like its former IPG stablemate UM, would join Omnicom in late 2025.
McAlister rebuilt Initiative’s leadership team, primarily by promoting from within, while sharpening its strategy and account leadership teams across major clients.
Her focus on people and culture included initiatives such as Market Leadership Days, Quarterly Celebrations and Agency Wonder Walls, which improved connection, engagement and belief across the business nationally.
McAlister is also an advocate for flexible working and “leaving loudly”, where she fosters a family-first environment reflected in the high number of working mothers across the business.
Initiative also evolved its strategic positioning with the launch of ‘The Cultural Experience Agency’, which it said redefines growth by balancing brand fame and performance.
The results of this reboot are impressive. Initiative won more than $70 million in new media billings, winning Volvo, Netflix, 3M, Pizza Hut, HelloFresh, Aspen Pharmacare, Ear Science and Patek Philippe.
It also defended two important clients in Repco and Goodman Fielder, while losing one major client in Bunnings, which moved to PHD. It also lost two smaller clients, one as part of a global review.
Client satisfaction scores were also high. The agency’s TRR was 8/10 nationally and the Sydney office produced an 8.55 score and was named the happiest agency in market in late 2024, according to Media I.
Client work landed the agency a Cairns Crocodile Award and MFA Award. B&T enjoyed its collaboration with Special and Cricket Australia to create the ‘Unmissable First Over’ for the Ashes.
Midway thought 2026 and outside the assessment period for this Agency Scorecard, McAlister left Initiative for a role at News Corp, leaving the agency in a much better place than when stepping into the CEO role.
After a tumultuous 2024, Initiative bounced back in 2025, building strong momentum heading into 2026.
As The Chemical Brothers would put it, “The time has come to Galvanize”.
Hightlights reel
Sanitarium: 'Strava Partnership'
Initiative identified that exercise is a social ritual but run clubs across Australia are highly fragmented.
By partnering with Strava, Initiative unified these communities into one national challenge, using media, creator content, outdoor and on-the-ground activations to connect everyday exercisers and reposition UP&GO Protein beyond hardcore gym users.
The campaign received 29,274 Australian participants with a completion rate of 78 per cent.
It turned fragmented local fitness communities into a connected, national movement, driving huge participation and repositioning UP&GO as an accessible, everyday energy brand.
Hightlights reel
WA Government: 'Scitech'
Initiative identified that while awareness of Scitech was high, visitation had stalled.
With limited budget, the agency flipped the strategy, targeting kids instead of parents by tapping into “pester power”, using media and immersive experiences to spark demand directly and drive family visits.
The campaign achieved record-breaking visitation across the year; January 2026 was the highest monthly visitation since January 1995; and membership growth: +5 per cent (Kids) and +3 per cent (Families) YoY. School excursions were up 18 per cent YoY.
A smart, insight-led media approach that turned kids into the growth engine, transforming demand and delivering sustained visitation growth.
Initiative's take on 2025
In the face of unprecedented industry change driven by two of the world’s biggest Hold Cos coming together, the team demonstrated exceptional resilience and remained laser-focused on delivering strong growth for both our clients and our people.
We saw a year of growth during a turbulent time, winning eight new clients including: Volvo, Netflix and 3M (to name a few) and converted five of six core pitches during a period of significant change. Our TRR remained strong at 8/10, reflecting the trust and strength of our client partnerships.
Guided by our Cultural Experience mindset, we continue to deliver work that drives both brand and performance outcomes; while building a culture our people are proud to be part of.
Most importantly, this year has reinforced the power of our people. Their talent, commitment and momentum position Initiative strongly for continued success.
Julian Monty, senior investment director;
Molly Trumble, client comms design director
Julian and Molly have stepped up in their respective markets (Sydney and Perth) to lead their teams through challenging periods with such passion, enthusiasm and empathy.
The pair demonstrated how to deliver the utmost in investment & client partnership respectively, and have shown up when things are incredibly challenging.
Their leadership and cultural impact is tangible; they’re seen to be highly trusted and respected – a go to person across all levels of our business, they elevate those around them and create a high performing environment for our teams to thrive within.
If we were a band, we'd be...
Chemical Broethers
Pushing constant experimentation to create bold, immersive experiences where art, technology and culture collide.
Initiative's
B&T's Agency Score
7.8
Previous season: 7.5
Critic's Comment
“Initiative reassembled the band and found its groove in an eye-catching comeback tour for the Cultural Experience Agency.”