IPG Mediabrands Australia has appointed Jo McAlister as the new CEO of Initiative Australia.
McAlister’s appointment heralds a “new era of leadership” enabling the agency to grow, foster innovation and uphold its ambition to deliver exceptional client results.
McAlister succeeds Melissa Fein who left the agency earlier this year to join Accenture Song’s nascent media division. McAlister will announce her expanded leadership team shortly.
Read more: Initiative’s Fein, Geer, Colter To Depart For Accenture Song
Mark Coad, CEO of IPG Mediabrands Australia, said from the outset that he committed to carefully canvassing the industry nationally and globally to find the best person for this pivotal role. This made it all the more gratifying to have found the ideal person already firmly ensconced at the agency.
Coad said: “Jo is a highly regarded leader with a strong people-first leadership style, a track record of managing large clients in complex market categories and proven success in data and technology-driven media innovation and marketing. She not only knows Initiative from the inside out – its people, its culture and its clients – but she also has a strong vision for the agency’s future and is eager to set the agenda to drive the next era of Initiative.
“The agency has dug deep this year to solidify its positioning as the cultural experience agency, with award-winning work clients across multiple markets. Jo has driven the new direction which makes me even more delighted to see her take on this key role, and I look forward to working alongside her and building on Initiative’s longstanding success.”
McAlister first joined IPG more than five years ago leading Rufus (Powered by Initiative) to support Amazon as a new market entrant to achieve significant sustained sales growth, before taking on the role of managing director of Initiative Sydney in 2019.
Under her watch, the Sydney office has won and retained a plethora of key clients, including Sanitarium, Fantastic Furniture, Pernod Ricard, Goodman Fielder, Salesforce, and IAG. Prior to IPG, McAlister held several senior client-side marketing positions at Foxtel, NBCS, SBS, and Seven, the most recent as Content Marketing Director at Foxtel, where she helped produce Cannes Lion-winning work on the final series of Game of Thrones.
Throughout her media and client-side career, McAlister has been recognised for her commitment to building strong, high-performing teams. Her experience as a former client uniquely positions her to navigate client challenges, which has shaped her approach as a trusted partner and leader. She is known for challenging the status quo to deliver more effective solutions for clients, driving sustainable growth and better consumer experiences.
McAlister said: “I am honoured to take on this important role and excited about what the future holds for Initiative, our incredibly talented team and our driven clients. I have experienced first-hand the culture of innovation and collaboration that leads to exceptional client work, and I look forward to building on that with my colleagues, collaborating with our many industry partners, and driving significant outcomes for our loyal clients. With my previous client experience I know how to think like a client which underpins my approach and leadership style.
“I would also like to acknowledge Initiative’s previous leadership team whom I collaborated closely with for nearly five years, they have left a strong and solid foundation for me to build a new era for the agency. I cannot wait to get started as I am bursting with ideas and new initiatives.”
Coad concluded: “As an agency Initiative often says to its team that they will do the best work of their career at Initiative, and as a result their career will flourish; this mantra has proven true for Jo.”
