MEC Announces Global Chief Talent Officer

MEC announced the appointment of Marie-Claire Barker as their first Global Chief Talent Officer. Marie-Claire Barker joins from the Ogilvy Group, where for the past six years she has been Chief Talent Officer, responsible for driving and delivering talent strategy for their 22,000 staff, globally.  She is one of the most senior and respected talent professionals in WPP and the industry.

She will work with the agency’s global CEO Charles Courtier; the company’s global Executive Committee; discipline leaders and People and Culture teams around the world, to deliver a consistent talent strategy and approach to how MEC attracts, evaluates, motivates and grows their people.  The goal is for MEC to be the company of choice for talented individuals who want a challenging, rewarding and exciting career in the marketing industry.

Marie-Claire Barker said, “I want to be in a business with a palpable culture.  MEC’s talent manifesto, which encourages each employee to thrive within the context of work, is something that really intrigues me.  I have a strong desire to change the face of talent management in our industry, so operating in an environment that encourages uniqueness and innovation in a culture where employees feel there are no barriers to reaching their potential is what has drawn me to MEC.”

Commenting on the appointment Charles Courtier said, “Talent is the single most important ingredient to the future success of MEC. Marie-Claire has an absolute passion for the growth and development of people, and I know that she’s looking forward to working with MEC leaders to drive a culture where each employee is able to contribute in a meaningful way to improve business results, and reach their own personal potential.  This is why MEC appealed to her, and why under her leadership and experience we’ll be able to truly thrive as a company.”

For information and records, Marie-Claire joined Ogilvy & Mather in 2002, and was named Chief Talent Officer globally in 2009. She started her career in sales and marketing in the UK with Kimberley-Clark and Britvic Soft Drinks where she had her first exposure to training and development, with responsibility for training the nationwide sales team.  Her move to Human Resources came in 1995 when she joined Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine where she spent five years and held roles in International Leadership and Management Development, Organizational Development; and in Corporate HR, based in Canada. Marie-Claire sits on the advisory board of the HR Management Institute in the US, and is the Chair of the 4 A's Talent Committee, where she is leading the initiative to change the face of talent management in our industry.

Marie-Claire is a Brit, and has lived in New York City with her husband and son for the last 12 years.  She will be based in MEC’s HQ offices in New York.

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