Initiative Australia has expanded its leadership team with two new appointments: Mikayla Ellis as Managing Partner, Sydney, and Samantha Smith as National Head of Marketing. The hires follow the recent promotion of Paige Wheaton from Chief Investment Officer to National Managing Director.
Ellis joins from Zenith, where she was Client Partner. Before that, she spent eight years at Omnicom, including senior leadership roles at Hearts & Science. She will lead the Sydney market and oversee key clients, including HelloFresh, Sanitarium, and Netflix.
Ellis has more than 17 years of experience across complex brands, managing large teams, and delivering commercial growth. Initiative Australia said will be responsible for strengthening client partnerships and leading the Sydney market.
Smith was previously Head of Brand at Hearts & Science, part of Omnicom Media, where she spent more than four years. In her new role, she will be responsible for strengthening Initiative’s position in market and shaping its growth narrative, said the agency.
Her appointment supports the agency’s focus on improving visibility, strengthening client relationships, and driving new business growth, according to the release.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Initiative and working alongside such a smart, passionate team. I’ve long admired the agency’s strategic thinking, strong culture and ambition, and I’m looking forward to partnering closely with the Sydney team to further strengthen client relationships, build capability and support the next phase of the agency’s growth,” said Ellis.
Wheaton added: “Sam’s appointment reflects our ambition to strengthen Initiative’s voice in the industry – strengthening how we show up, building a more visible and differentiated brand. Both hires are central to how we attract new clients, deepen client partnerships and drive sustainable growth.”
