Initiative has announced Danielle (Elle) Galipienzo has taken on the additional role of head of impact leading Initiative’s purpose-led consulting division. The announcement comes as the agency enters its next evolutionary stage for the department, expanding from pro-bono partners only to include paid services and impact consulting open to all clients. Galipienzo will also retain her current role of client director.
Galipienzo replaces Jason Maggs who during his tenure at Initiative mentored her to step into the role following his departure late last year.
As head of impact, Galipienzo is responsible for scoping opportunities where Initiative can play an active role helping employees, clients, media partners, NFPs and other businesses positively amplify the impactful work they’re doing, as well as create impact campaigns from the ground up, supporting by a team across Initiative nationally.
Sam Geer, national managing director, Initiative said Elle is one of those rare breeds who puts purpose at the core of everything she does and she is a natural choice for the role.
“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.
“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 statistics and research indicate that consumers continue to hold business accountable for taking a stand on issues with up to 54 per cent of consumers saying they had stopped buying from a company due to its public position on an issue, and 80 per cent 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,” said Geer. “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 of her new role: “My passion for driving positive change for others is what motivates me to deliver on great work, and push boundaries in ways that will make Initiative and its clients stand out from the pack. This new evolution of our Impact division will enable us to collaborate with our clients and partners and create accelerated change at scale for people and communities in need.
“We are in a unique position in our industry thanks to the resources, skills, and influence that we have. 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, to strategize, negotiate pro-bono ad space and run their campaigns. She has also held a key role in driving People+Culture initiatives for the agency such as launching and leading the wellbeing program and Care Committee plus she has been widely recognised for her purpose driven work and contribution to industry including being named 2022 UnLtd Ambassador for Good and running Mental Health First Aid training for both internal and external parties.
“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, initiatives and policies that will lead to positive business and societal change,” Galipienzo concluded.
