Publicis Groupe has filled its chief diversity officer role in the U.S. and unveiled a new DEI strategy, after Geraldine White was removed from the position at the end of last year.

Tiffany Edwards has been promoted to the role of chief impact and equity officer in the U.S., according to an internal memo to leadership from Agathe Bousquet, Publicis Groupe executive committee member, and CEO of Leo and Publicis Groupe France, obtained by ADWEEK.

Edwards, who was previously evp, integrated growth and business acceleration at Publicis Creative U.S, will “lead the work being done by our teams there on this front, and ensure that our equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts truly sit within our business practices,” according to the memo.

In addition, Publicis will establish a U.S. impact and equity council, chaired by chief inclusion experience officer Renetta McCann. The council will work to unite the company’s DEI and talent leads to “scale existing tools, approaches, and learning to reinforce business impact for clients.”

Additionally, Leila Grison, head of DEI for Publicis France, has been appointed managing director of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, ahead of the forum’s 20th anniversary.

The memo, which went out to top leadership in the company on Tuesday, outlines how Publicis is shifting its approach to DEI to ensure capabilities, leadership, and talent are embedded throughout all of its agencies and teams, versus operating as a siloed corporate function within the Groupe.

It comes after White’s exit and a small number of cuts to her team sparked speculation that Publicis was walking back its commitment to DEI, amid cultural backlash. White was hired as U.S. chief diversity officer in 2021, and she continues to consult for the holding company on DEI efforts as it transitions to Edwards.

Prior to joining Publicis in July, Edwards was global head of DEI at Droga5. She was also the education and diversity director of The One Club, and foundation and inclusion manager of the Advertising Club of New York. She has been honored as an Adcolor rising star and has won AAF’s Mosaic Award.

Bolstering environmental and health efforts

In addition to DEI, the memo highlighted a shift in strategy across Publicis’ ESG efforts.

On the sustainability front, Publicis stated it wants to be the first holding company have its target of getting to Net Zero emissions by 2040 approved by the SBTi. “We’re on the way to achieving this target, and to reaching our goal of using 100% direct source renewable energy by 2030,” Bousquet wrote in the memo.   

Additionally, Publicis is seeking to limit its environmental impact by utilizing new tools, like Publicis Sapient’s e-footprint, the AI-based “anti-greenwashing” tool designed to identify greenwashing risks, and eco-production efforts.

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