VMLY&R COMMERCE Promotes Elke van Tienen to Global Head of People

VMLY&R COMMERCE, announces the promotion of Elke van Tienen, chief people officer (EMEA) to global head of people with immediate effect. Elke joins the VMLY&R COMMERCE global executive committee and remains UK based.

The new appointment is the latest in a series of moves by VMLY&R COMMERCE CEO Beth Ann as the new company innovates and scales its delivery of end-to-end creative commerce solutions globally.

“Culture, diversity and inclusion have always been at the heart of our business and our talent is critical to helping our clients flourish. What the pandemic hasn’t changed is that people, wherever they work, want to feel connected and engaged. They want to collaborate closely and innovate with agility and speed. Elke’s exceptional expertise in creating empathetic, people-first initiatives, along with her intuitive empathy, make her perfect casting to this global role,” said Beth Ann Kaminkow, global CEO, VMLY&R COMMERCE.

Elke van Tienen comments: “This year has brought about a renewed focus on the human element of talent management. I am excited to work with the team to set the global agenda on the future of work and employee experience where well-being is top priority. Our commitment remains to inspire our people to bring their best and authentic self to work. This requires a real focus on fostering a culture where everyone feels supported and a sense of belonging as we drive true-value and business impact across the organisation.”

Under Elke’s leadership, Geometry [now VMLY&R COMMERCE] has won recognition for focus on learning and well-being, landing IPA Continued Professional Development (CPD) Gold Accreditation two years running and has been listed as a top 10 employer in the Outstanding Employer category as part of The Ethnicity Awards 2020.

With over 15 years’ experience as a talent professional, Elke has created and delivered talent initiatives through critical phases of agency transformation while cultivating open and inclusive cultures. Recent initiatives include: ‘The Incubator’: work experience program offering students from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to operate as a mini agency; #CreativeComeBack, in partnership with Creative Equals, a returners program fast-tracking women back into the creative industry; and, ‘Pitch Your Passion’, the quarterly contest that spotlights employees inspirational side-hustles.