Last Friday, agency trade association the 4A’s announced that it had hired Keesha Jean-Baptiste to fill the newly created role of SVP and leader of the Talent Engagement and Inclusion practice.
Jean-Baptiste joins the group from Wieden+Kennedy after spending more than six years in that organization’s Portland headquarters, where she led recruiting efforts and more recently served as head of human resources.
For the new job she will relocate to New York, where she started her agency career nearly 20 years ago. Primary responsibilities for the position include running the org’s various diversity programs like the 4A’s Foundation and the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP), from which Jean-Baptiste graduated.
“Keesha has demonstrated a passion for corporate culture and talent development as well as a deep understanding of how focusing on these issues can drive growth in our industry,” read the statement from 4A’s new president and CEO Marla Kaplowitz. “Her modern and innovative take on a critical function is important for the future-forward thinking we believe is necessary to ensure our members continue to grow their businesses.”
Prior to joining Wieden+Kennedy in 2011, Jean-Baptiste worked in accounts at Wunderman and spent more than a decade within the DigitasLBi organization, rising to the level of VP, group director of HR in New York.