VaynerX, Gary Vaynerchuk’s marketing and communications parent company, has appointed Vanessa Vining as its first chief diversity officer. In the role, Vining will report to Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia, and will lead the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts globally across the group of companies.
With a focus on developing a global diversity, equity and inclusion framework, employee recruitment and retention, training and education and supplier diversity, Vining will partner with chief heart officer, Claude Silver.
“Today, diversity, equity and inclusion sits at the center of our clients’ business. We have an opportunity to create a center of belonging and equality for our people, while becoming the destination where everyone wants to work,” said Vining in a statement. “But through this journey we also become more culturally aware of business partners. I am excited to be part of cultivating global change at VaynerX. Gary truly understands that humanity must permeate the DNA of every company—that’s what attracted me to VaynerX.”
Vining was most recently senior director, cross-cultural strategy and head of diversity, equity and inclusion at Hearts & Sciences—where she led the agency’s first DEI committee, “Change of Hearts”—and was an Open Sponsor for Omnicom’s first Black Employee Resource Group, “Black Together.” Vining was also a part of the team that developed OMG’s “Diverse Creators Network,” a cross-platform planning and activation system that specifically targets minority-owned and diverse publishers and content creators.
“At VaynerX, we are placing a great emphasis on fostering a culture that is diverse and inclusive, and the hiring of our first chief diversity officer is an integral part of this,” said Vaynerchuk in a statement.