General Information

Position Title: EVP, People, Talent & Upskilling
Practice Area: Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Category: Exempt
Location: New York/Hybrid
Date: June 2025
Salary: $250,000

APPLY

Position Overview

This position has a critical role in driving one of the central pillars of the 4As – Talent. Together with the two other pillars of Advocacy and Impact, everything we do from a talent perspective should be under the leadership of this role.

This role will have three strategic aims:

  • Be a connector across the 4As and the 4As Foundation for all things People, Talent and Upskilling
  • Be connected to the wider agency talent and HR community to understand the changing and diverse needs of the industry. Provide counsel and use this insight as input into the initiatives the team should focus on.
  • Develop and lead a strategic ecosystem of always-on activity that brings people, talent and upskilling to life for members and partners. Our goal is to inspire envy among non-members by showcasing the unparalleled value and growth the 4As offers.

This role is in charge of creating an ecosystem. By ecosystem we mean a mapping of activities and engagement inclusive but not limited to the following: learning initiatives, talent programs (e.g. MAIP and Vanguard), curricular innovation, member counsel and advice, talent insight, sponsorship and partnerships, professional development, active and visible thought leadership, scholarships, educational lobbying, etc.

To deliver on this there will need to be several collaborations in place including but not limited to:

  • Leading the 4As Foundation
  • Working with our 4As Government Relations & Sustainability team
  • Working with our 4As Membership Engagement & Development team

The People, Talent and Upskilling leader will work across the 4As organization as well setting the trajectory for the 4As Foundation.

Through their work, they will drive industry impact by advocating and pushing for inclusive teams that thrive and succeed in our industry.

We are looking for a natural integrator leader with a high strategic bar to reset the value creation of this team.

Qualities essential to thrive in this role:

  • Strategic leader
  • A community builder
  • Deep passion for inclusive people and talent strategy
  • Exceptional integrity and leadership skills coupled with organizational strengths
  • Respected industry knowledge in advertising and marketing communications
  • Compelling public speaker and writer of thought leadership
  • Strong financial acumen to manage budget and deliverables
  • Product growth and marketing experience
  • Must be confident in developing and representing the 4AS voice for all things People, Talent and Upskilling related
  • Experience with press

Career Opportunities and impact for the person taking on this role:

  • Grow your personal brand leveraging the breadth and influence of the 4As and 4As Foundation
  • Strengthen your leadership and financial management skills
  • Expand your network and connections in the advertising and marketing industry
  • Be synonymous for the future of talent in our industry from a business and policy point of view

Position Responsibilities

Evolve and grow the Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions practice area across the Talent & Learning Solutions and 4As Foundation teams to deliver on member and industry needs.

People Solutions:

  • Track the mapping of people entering the industry 
  • Understand – always on – people investment across the industry 
  • Track and develop POV on the role of human vs / with machines in the industry 
  • Track the changing nature of team formations, roles and structure across the industry 

Talent Solutions:

  • Build relationships and develop credibility with senior level talent leaders at member agencies; become the Talent “go-to” resource (knowledge is currency)
  • Serve as liaison to member agencies on inclusive cultures and practices
  • Provide thought leadership on talent trends and best practices through papers (including guidance), PR & op-eds, and speaking engagements 
  • Assess and develop relationships with professional consultants in the areas of talent and inclusion, who can assist member agencies
  • Collaborate with the Business Intelligence & Insight team to collect and analyze employment data, and lead relevant survey and industry benchmark efforts
  • Lead the 4As Chief Talent & People Officer (CTPO) Committee with designated Chairperson; provide strategic input and drive key actions and deliverables
  • Oversee four regional HR Committees (with Director, Agency HR & Talent Solutions) partnering with the regional representatives of the 4As Member Engagement & Development team
  • Lead programming efforts for annual Advancing Talent  Conference, partnering with MarComms & Events and Partnerships teams
  • Contribute to the overall association’s revenue growth through retention and new membership, conference attendance and sponsorship, and training/education programs

Upskilling Solutions: 

  • Support SVP, Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions to lead the organizational response to member and partner needs regarding learning and development
  • Guide and support member agencies with professional development and learning for employees through bespoke content and partnerships via the Learning Institute
  • Ensure the team consistently identifies areas for innovation and refinement (includes curricula, suppliers/partners, formats, etc.)·  
  • Evaluate all industry shifts and hot topics through a training lens with the goal of delivering leading industry training of skills for agencies’ evolving needs
  • Provide counsel as well as partnering to assess and evolve the Foundation learning programs 
  • Identify relevant and timely thought topics to translate into training materials and/or content for the industry
  • Work with the 4As ELT to agree on strategies to drive maximum uptake and revenue realization from learning material 
  • Oversee budget and CRM tracking (via Sales Cloud) of sales deliverables with the team
  • Support the SVP, Talent & Learning Solutions in the development of a  learning product portfolio 
  • Oversee development and execution of product marketing and detailed growth plans, CRM campaigns and performance data 

4As Foundation:

  • Set the strategic plan for the 4As foundation and its operational focus 
  • Oversee the 4As Foundation day to day team and operations 
  • Engage the 4As Foundation board in order to achieve the objectives of the Foundation’s objectives and cement its positioning 
  • Ensure continued connectivity of the Foundation to the wider activities of the 4As – looking for opportunity to further integration 
  • Oversee partnerships, platforms, technology and all capabilities needed to enable the Foundation 
  • Partner with Finance to manage the budget, including but not limited to, income, pricing approach, staff costs, third-party expenses and related
  • Build awareness of the advertising and marketing communications industry among relevant constituencies and organizations (e.g. AEF) through broad outreach, marketing and communications
  • Effectively manage the 4As Foundation Board of Directors, including but not limited to, understanding the Bylaws and committee structure, building relationships with all Board Members and partner with the 4As Foundation Board Executive Committee to align on the strategic plan and efforts 
  • Ensure there is a clear operational agenda of the 4As Foundation Board 
  • Diversify funding streams to grow the Foundation’s resources, including but not limited to, sponsorships, direct/indirect fundraising campaigns, and grants
  • Lead the Talent Inclusion  Committee, with designated Chairperson; provide strategic input and drive key actions and deliverables

Ecosystem Development:  

  • To expand on the points above 
    • Partners 
    • Educational lobbying 
    • Sponsors 
    • Thought leaders 
    • Research 
    • Talent programme development – Maip & Vanguard 
    • Scholarship programme development 
    • Curricular innovation 
    • Member engagement (CPO & HR) 

4As Leadership Role:  

  • As an active member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), collaborate and partner on organizational goals and priorities with colleagues and help in the successful execution of key initiatives
  • Be accountable to annual business planning, defining practice area goals, priorities, and oversee implementation throughout the year
  • Oversee and provide leadership and guidance to direct reports (5) including their growth and professional development:
    • SVP, Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions
    • VP, Partnerships & Growth
    • Director, Programs 
    • Director, Agency HR & Talent Solutions
    • Coordinator, Project Management (shared responsibility with EVP, Media, Tech & Data)
  • Mentor and coach direct reports via regular candid feedback and performance reviews linked to KPIs (twice annually)

Position Requirements

  • Significant experience in Talent and Inclusion,  including senior roles at advertising/ marketing communications agencies
  • Results-driven orientation with a demonstrated ability to develop strategies, plans, research and programs for talent –  spanning career management, inclusion, learning and development
  • Significant business experience across growth marketing, business operations and P&L management
  • Strong initiative, leadership and interpersonal skills, including ability to collaborate with a wide range of professionals and staff 
  • Ability to be accountable to deliverables, financial goals and established performance KPIs
  • Experience identifying revenue opportunities (e.g. sponsorships and partnerships) and managing practice area budget
  • Financial planning and budget management acumen with strong analytical skills; ability to effectively collect, analyze, evaluate and prepare financial data including accurate forecasting
  • Natural ability to initiate partnerships and collaboration within the 4As, member agencies and industry partners building on existing strong connections and relationships
  • Strong communication skills including excellent writing skills with the ability to author documents on behalf of the 4As, and stellar presentation skills including public speaking (industry events; press)
  • Leader who can identify opportunities and address challenges through problem solving
  • Comfortable working both independently and within a team
  • Leadership experience managing a team: diplomatic, fair and inspiring to staff
  • Heightened interest, passion, and curiosity in the industry overall
  • Knowledge and experience with 501(c ))(3) nonprofit organizations 
  • Ability to exercise confidentiality and complete discretion

APPLY

About the 4As

A 501(c )(6) non-profit association

We focus on core values of Passion, Agility, Curiosity and Collaboration as we partner together to support and champion 4As members to help their business thrive as we also strive to move the industry forward.

  •       Great team with strong mission and energy
  •       Summer Fridays
  •       Week off between Christmas & New Year Holidays
  •       Enviable work/life integration
  •       Volunteer Days

What We Do:

Our mission is to empower and equip our members to confidently navigate the ever-changing ecosystem of the agency world. We ensure they remain relevant, are positioned to compete, and have the resources to thrive and grow. Our promise to our members? We aim to be an indispensable resource that is as accessible as their own agency team.

We are dedicated to, and vested in, our members’ success, just as they are dedicated to helping brands create, distribute, and measure effective and insightful advertising and marketing. And we champion the infinite power of creativity and value agencies bring in driving business growth and powerful cultural change. The 4As drives business.  With a focus on advocacy, talent, and impact, we provide community, thought leadership, research, guidance and best-in-class training that enable agencies to innovate, evolve and grow.

 The 4As was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower and equip our members to confidently navigate the ever-changing ecosystem of the agency world. We ensure they remain relevant, are positioned to compete, and have the resources to thrive and grow. With a focus on advocacy, talent and creating impact, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4As includes the 4As Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; and the 4As Foundation, which advocates for and connects rising talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry.

 The 4As is an equal opportunity employer.  We are committed to a work environment that supports, inspires and respects all individuals and in which personnel policies are applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic origin, military service status, citizenship or other protected characteristic.