F.Y.I.

UM creates director of people and wellbeing role, appoints Jessica Paige Ross

UM, one of IPG Mediabrands’ media agencies, has created a new role, the director of people and wellbeing, and appointed Jessica Paige Ross who has previously held roles in the US, including with Target, Eventbrite and LivingSocial.

Ross: Will address people’s wellbeing at work

The announcement:

Jessica Paige Ross has joined UM Australia as Director of People and Wellbeing, a new position at UM. She has steered people development programs for businesses including Silicon Valley start-ups such as Eventbrite, as well as large-scale retailer Target USA.

Ross will be focusing on people development programs for UM, with a particular emphasis on initiatives that address people’s well-being at work. Wellbeing touch points will be critical in how UM embraces the rapid evolution of the media industry and that people become recognised for their professional and personal skills, as well as their smart approach to work and home-life balances.

“Our industry is vibrant, dynamic, emotive and challenging,” said UM Australia CEO Fiona Johnston. “Looking after people’s futures is not just the job they have, the role they play or a decent PDP. All those things are vital, but it is also about how they exist in the space that is ‘work’. Both the location they reside in and the initiatives they employ to stay happy, healthy and resilient”. We can’t do it all, but we can encourage people to put their wellbeing first and we can ensure that culturally there is always ‘permission’ to do so.”

Ross has spent the majority of her professional career in California, most recently consulting to technology businesses on designing long lasting employee experiences at all stages of the employee journey. She worked with daily-deal platform LivingSocial, which in its major growth phase was engaging 40 to 60 new employees per week. She also managed global people programs for rapidly growing on-line ticketing platform Eventbrite and she is also a former executive team leader in human resources for US retailer Target.

Ross said; “My philosophy is that behind every business metric there is a person with a story and passion to become the best version of themselves. Behind every brand is a team of people working hard to bring their collective visions to life. I am thrilled to offer my expertise to UM as a dynamic, inclusive and creative business.”

Johnston added, “Over the coming months we will be working more and more in the space of wellbeing, under our value of ‘goodness’ and with a human belief that we are only as good as we feel, and we only feel as good as we allow ourselves to be.”

She added, “Jess as our Director of People and Wellbeing is completely central to our future. It’s the same UM, just better for us all.”

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