ecommerce division of VMLY&R promotes Elke van Tienen to Global Head of People

Elke van Tienen, Global Head of People, VMLY&R COMMERCE

VMLY&R COMMERCE has announced the promotion of Elke van Tienen, Chief People Officer, EMEA, to Global Head of People with immediate effect. Elke joins the VMLY&R COMMERCE Global Executive Committee and remains based in UK.

The new appointment is the latest in a series of moves by VMLY&R COMMERCE CEO Beth Ann as the new company innovates and scales its delivery of end-to-end creative commerce solutions globally.

Under Tienen’s leadership, Geometry, now VMLY&R COMMERCE, has won recognition for focus on learning and well-being, landing IPA Continued Professional Development, CPD, Gold Accreditation two years running and has been listed as a top 10 employer in the Outstanding Employer category as part of The Ethnicity Awards 2020.

With over 15 years’ experience as a talent professional, Tienen has created and delivered talent initiatives through critical phases of agency transformation while cultivating open and inclusive cultures.

Elke van Tienen, Global Head of People, VMLY&R COMMERCE
Elke van Tienen, Global Head of People, VMLY&R COMMERCE.

A distinct company within the VMLY&R family, VMLY&R COMMERCE officially launched on Jan 1, 2021 bringing together the scale, expertise, and commerce talent of WPP agencies Geometry and VMLY&R. Tienen will work in collaboration with VMLY&R Global Chief People Officer Ronnie Felder to create a connected culture and employee experience that harnesses the strengths of the company’s 12,000 people worldwide.

“Culture, diversity and inclusion have always been at the heart of our business and our talent is critical to helping our clients flourish. What the pandemic hasn’t changed is that people, wherever they work, want to feel connected and engaged. They want to collaborate closely and innovate with agility and speed. Elke’s exceptional expertise in creating empathetic, people-first initiatives, along with her intuitive empathy, make her perfect casting to this global role,” said Beth Ann Kaminkow, Global CEO, VMLY&R COMMERCE.

Elke van Tienen commented, “This year has brought about a renewed focus on the human element of talent management. I am excited to work with the team to set the global agenda on the future of work and employee experience where well-being is top priority.  Our commitment remains to inspire our people to bring their best and authentic self to work. This requires a real focus on fostering a culture where everyone feels supported and a sense of belonging as we drive true-value and business impact across the organisation.”