Dentsu International has hired industry diversity veteran Kai Weidie as its first SVP of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for media operations in America.
Weidie will lead diversity initiatives across Dentsu’s media agencies, including Carat, iProspect, Dentsu X, 360i and Amplifi, with an emphasis on increasing diversity in the holding company’s talent pool and introducing more support for minority new hires. She will also collaborate with agency teams to create more inclusive client campaigns.
Prior to Weidie’s appointment she was with Bloomberg, where she was diversity and client partner. She previously served as McCann New York’s director of diversity and engagement, and as the director of Mosaic Center and education services for the American Advertising Federation.
Weidie will report to Doug Rozen, CEO for Dentsu Media Americas, and Christena Pyle, chief equity officer for Dentsu Americas.
The CEO said: “Championing meaningful progress with and for our people, our clients and the industry is at the core of everything we do. As we continue our pursuit to make real change in media, Kai’s experience challenging the status quo and tackling inclusion issues head-on in advertising will lead us into an equitable future like never before.”
Weidie in an interview said she accepted the role at Dentsu because the company is taking a new directive to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Her words: “It was really important to me that I work with an organization that’s nimble and really ready to take a fresh approach.”
Dentsu Americas also released its first diversity, equity and inclusion report, which described the company’s diversity initiatives and provided transparency into the agency’s talent demographics.
Source: Marketingedge.ng