Published on: September 28, 2026
Initiative has elevated Elle Galipienzo to the newly expanded position of Head of Impact, marking the next step in her more than nine-year career with the agency.
Galipienzo moves into the role after 18 months as Group Business Director. During her time at Initiative, she has worked across several major client relationships, including IAG, Pernod Ricard and Goodman Fielder.
As Head of Impact, Galipienzo will dedicate her focus to expanding Initiative’s impact capabilities across its client portfolio. The agency said the move reflects growing demand for strategies and campaigns that combine business performance with positive outcomes for society.
Galipienzo has been closely involved in building Initiative’s impact offering, contributing to initiatives including NRMA’s Help Our Highway, Beyond 3%, Boys Do Cry and Make Awkward Awesome.
Initiative Chief Strategy Officer Tom Dodd said Galipienzo’s ability to connect impact thinking with wider business priorities made her well suited to the expanded position.
“What makes Elle so unique is her ability to see the role impact can play across a client’s entire business and turn that ambition into something tangible,” he said.
“Over nine years at Initiative, she has built a formidable reputation in this space, not just for the quality of her thinking, but for her ability to translate it into work that influences behaviour, shapes culture and informs business decisions.
“Formalising this role is recognition of the contribution Elle already makes and gives her the platform to bring that expertise and influence more broadly across our clients and our organisation.”
Galipienzo said the role would centre on helping brands embed impact into their wider business strategies rather than treating purpose as a separate consideration.
“I have always believed purpose works best when it is integrated into how organisations operate, not positioned as an add-on,” she said.
“The opportunity for brands today is to connect commercial success with meaningful outcomes for people and communities.”
She also highlighted the role media agencies can play in influencing culture and behaviour while remaining focused on business outcomes.
“There is a strong appetite already from our growing client base that will step-change how we work with our clients, partners and communities, and influence how our brands show up in the most creative way,” Galipienzo said.
Alongside her agency responsibilities, Galipienzo is a member of the MFA DE&I Council and has established herself as a prominent contributor to conversations around purpose-led media and behaviour change.
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