Nominations for the US 2024 Scholarship Program are open  – NOMINATE NOW

Applications for The US 2024 Fellowship Program are open  – APPLY NOW

Mat Baxter, Global CEO, Initiative

Mat is the Global CEO of media agency Initiative (an IPG Mediabrands company) with more than 4,000 employees in 73 countries. Based in their global headquarters in New York City, cients include Amazon, LEGO, Carlsberg and Unilever.

Previously, Mat was Global Chief Strategy & Creative Officer at IPG Mediabrands where he had responsibility for the network’s overall strategic and creative product. Mat also oversaw IPG Mediabrands’ marketing. IPG Mediabrands is a member of The Interpublic Group of Companies, listed on the New York Stock Exhange (NYSE:IPG).

Prior to that, he was CEO of UM in Australia (also an IPG Mediabrands company) where the agency became the country’s highest ranked and most awarded media agency. UM was named Australia’s “Media Agency of the Year” a record four consecutive years. Mat was named “Agency Head of the Year” by Campaign Magazine in 2013.

In 2014 the agency was named “Global Media Agency of the Year” at the Festival of Media Global Awards in Rome, Italy. This was the first time an Australian agency has received the honour.

In 2015, his last year as CEO – the Australian Financial Review’s BOSS Magazine named UM Australia’s Best Place to Work.