Ghermay to Define and Lead Global Cultural Efforts Across Agency Network, Rooted in Equity & Excellence in Newly Created Role
Business Wire NEW YORK — September 9, 2020
IPG Mediabrands today announced the appointment of Hermon Ghermay as its first-ever Global Chief Culture Officer. In this newly created role, Ghermay will oversee the agency network’s cultural efforts including overseeing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) strategy, planning, and execution, and will hold global, regional and local leadership accountable to the company’s diversity commitments and goals. As a core part of her role, she will also lead Mediabrands’ Learning & Development efforts, globally, to ensure that personal and professional development efforts are unified. Ghermay will partner closely with the global leadership team to drive Mediabrands’ culture forward, and will report directly to Global CEO, Daryl Lee.
Ghermay’s appointment marks a critical move by Mediabrands to challenge its company culture to be more grounded in both equity and excellence, to be even more representative and inclusive, more innovative in building new paths for learning and development, and more adaptive to the demands of the fast-evolving media industry. In addition, Ghermay will be responsible for creating more connection and collaboration across the network globally.
“Curious, connected and high-achieving, Hermon reflects all the best attributes and values of our empowered global culture here at Mediabrands,” said Daryl Lee, Global CEO, Mediabrands. “Culture is often a motivation for why people join our company, but a strong culture always has room to grow and be better. Hermon will help make Mediabrands a place where everyone can flourish and thrive, and a community which attracts and retains the best talent. We look forward to seeing the positive impact she will have on our community and industry at large.”
An Eritrean immigrant and Harvard graduate, Ghermay is an accomplished leader and industry advisor who has spent her career building strong team cultures that enrich team members and drive business results. Her experience spans agency leadership, executive recruitment, and talent consultancy. Ghermay began her career at renowned agency brands including Leo Burnett, Deutsch LA, and Goodby Silverstein & Partners. She was most recently a Director at executive search firm Grace Blue, where she managed a diverse portfolio of senior leadership searches on the brand and agency sides. She currently sits on the Directors Council of the VCU Brandcenter, the premier graduate school for advertising and communications, and is the lead Director on Education and Pedagogy for the Council.
“Culture is the operating system of an organization, and now more than ever we must look at what’s happening at the intersection of identity and corporate culture and ensure that we’re creating an environment where people feel seen, heard, and supported,” said Ghermay. “This takes commitment, belief, and tenacity, all qualities that I’ve found in Daryl and the leadership team at Mediabrands. I’m thrilled to join a company full of incredible talent that prioritizes its people and culture and is truly invested in their collective and individual successes.”
