Omnicom agency RAPP Worldwide said Monday it has promoted Devin O’Loughlin to global chief diversity, equity, inclusion and communications manager, a new role at the agency created with the political and social upheaval of 2020 in mind.
O’Loughlin will bring her experience as co-founder of OPEN Pride, part of Omnicom’s people engagement network focused on diversity and inclusion efforts for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as a member of the Omnicom OPEN Board, to the role.
While O’Loughlin had been leading DE&I responsibilities in the agency over the last several years, there wasn’t a specific role designated to lead the charge.
In her new position, O’Loughlin will work closely with HR to ensure agency practices are inclusive, in everything from reviewing job description language to creating standards around recruiting. She has already begun conducting interviews across RAPP’s network to better understand employee needs.
“Recruiting and cracking the nut of retention and engagement for the BIPOC community needs to be figured out,” she said.
O’Loughlin’s primary focus for 2021 will be to “nail the sponsorship, championship, mentorship” of BIPOC employees, as well as “the underpinning training of these employees.” All of this falls under recruitment.
After she completes employee interviews across RAPP’s network, O’Loughlin plans to craft recommendations of how the agency can improve its processes next year.
The effort doesn’t stop at RAPP’s offices. O’Loughlin will also take a close look at how the agency selects and works with vendors, holding partners accountable to its own standards of DE&I. That will hold RAPP accountable to practice what it preaches.
Long term, O’Loughlin will explore how its approach to DE&I in the U.S. can be applied to other markets, while recognizing the nuances of diversity in local cultures.
“DE&I is not a one-size-fits-all proposition,” she said.
