Interpublic Group names Channing Martin global chief diversity, social impact officer

Interpublic Group has hired Channing Martin as global chief diversity and social impact officer, effective immediately. 

Reporting to IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky, Martin will lead strategy on all diversity-related matters and expand the company’s equity and inclusion practices. The role includes the continued diversification of IPG’s senior ranks and talent pipeline and collaboration with Interpublic’s agency brands, CEOs and DE&I leadership community. 

She will also work closely with IPG’s integrated environmental, social and governance team to advance social impact strategies and practices. 

Martin could not be immediately reached for comment. 

Martin will replace Heide Gardner, who retired from her position as global culture officer on Tuesday. Gardner was the holding company’s chief diversity and inclusion officer for nearly 20 years. 

Martin was most recently chief diversity and social responsibility officer at business software and services company CSG. Prior to that, she was diversity and inclusion manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, strategic planner and diversity lead for the State Department and diversity recruitment and assessment manager for the federal Office of Personnel Management. 

The PR firms in IPG’s Specialized Communications and Experiential Solutions segment registered high-single-digit growth on an organic basis in Q1, according to Andy Polansky, Dxtra CEO and Weber Shandwick executive chairman.

In October 2020, IPG overhauled its Constituency Management Group operating unit and relaunched it as IPG Dxtra. The PR firms in Dxtra are Weber Shandwick, Golin, DeVries Global, Current Global, Rogers & Cowan/PMK, ReviveHealth and United Minds.