Strategic creative shop Swift has announced that it is repositioning its chief operations officer and 10-year vet of the agency, Maren Elliott, into a new role as chief talent officer. She will now be responsible for overseeing retention, recruitment and employee development strategies.
“I want Swift to be a place where employees feel supported to bring their best selves through our doors every day and, in turn, do amazing work,” Elliott said in a statement. “We’re committed to helping employees achieve meaningful ways to grow and contribute.”
Elliott, who got her start in talent acquisition, said she believes Swift’s employees are the heart of the agency so she will be focused on providing growth opportunities for them, as well as fostering a supportive work environment. The agency said, with the new role of chief talent officer, it is placing a higher importance on recruiting and development—Elliott will act as a dedicated advocate for employees at the c-suite level.
Paul Wille takes over as chief operations officer
Paul Wille, formerly chief performance officer and president, will move into Elliott’s previous position as chief operations officer. One of his main goals, along with managing and growing business, will be to minimize employees’ administrative duties so they have more time to focus on “producing great work,” according to Swift.
“Our business is in constant change,” Wille said in a statement. “We need to anticipate, plan and invest accordingly to drive healthy culture that leads to client and employee satisfaction. It’s a complex challenge but we’ll define and analyze the problems, just like we do when developing brand strategy and campaigns for clients.”
Elliott and Wille will work together to strengthen Swift’s “internal and external collaboration,” according to the agency. Swift’s clients include Nestle, Starbucks, Google, YouTube and Adidas.