Initiative, GroupM name new Chief People Officers

News 18 Nov 2021 - 2 min read

Initiative, GroupM name new Chief People Officers

By Sam Buckingham-Jones - Senior Writer

Incoming CPOs Erin Jakubans and Scott Laird.

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Tags: Initiative GroupM Talent

Initiative has hired a new Chief People Officer, Erin Jakubans, with the specific objective to grow and retain the best people it can get. Current CPO Scott Laird has taken the corresponding role at GroupM.

What you need to know:

Initiative has named a new Chief People Officer, Erin Jakubans, to replace Scott Laird, who leaves in January to join GroupM.
Jakubans joins from a Dubai-based role as Head of HR, UAE, for global law firm Baker McKenzie.

Initiative has named former Erin Jakubans to the role of Chief People Officer, beginning on February 1.

A former Dubai-based UAE Head of Human Resources for global law firm Baker McKenzie, Jakubans has also worked in senior HR roles for GroupM and Omnicom Media Group.

She will replace former Chief People Officer Scott Laird, who has resigned and will joined GroupM as Chief People Officer in the early new year.

Laird is the first major hire by GroupM CEO Aimee Buchanan, who joined the WPP-owned media agency in July. He replaces Cindy Grass, who is stepping down to pursue new opportunities. Laird will lead people and culture and work with HR leads at Mindshare, MediaCom, Wavemaker and Essence.

The changes come as the industry – nationwide – grapples with a talent shortage. One recent IAB report estimated 10 per cent of digital advertising jobs were currently vacant.