• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, July 11, 2017

Initiative, the Interpublic Group media agency, has named Christian Fedorczuk as president of its West Coast operations. It is based in Los Angeles and includes a San Diego office. He will join the agency later in July and report to U.S. CEO Amy Armstrong. 

Fedorczuk was previously EVP/managing director, West Coast at Vizeum, part of Dentsu Aegis Network, a post he assumed in 2014. He was responsible for building the region and oversaw the network’s global relationship with 21st Century Fox. 

Prior to Vizeum, Fedorczuk was global managing partner at its sibling agency Carat, where he managed the shop’s relationship with Mondelez across Europe and APAC. Earlier, he served at OMD. 

Initiative said the appointment was the capstone on its effort to shift its brand positioning to what it calls “cultural branding and communications design.” 

“To be a culturally focused communications agency that can take advantage of the changes in our industry, we need fearless, entrepreneurial leaders who understand the nuances of culture,” stated Mat Baxter, Global CEO of Initiative. 

Added Fedorczuk: “Tech and a new creative class continue to disrupt business models. How culture reverberates among people is changing, and that fundamentally challenges our work for brands. Initiative has a distinct vision to navigate the way we think about the interplay of audiences, content and channels. It creates opportunity for our clients, for our talent, for us.”

Earlier this year, Baxter began reshuffling the agency's senior management team, naming Armstrong U.S. CEO, while Kris Magel shifted to East Coast president and Chris Actis joined as Midwest president.