New Role Builds on Existing Agency DE&I Commitment; Will Bring Additional Leadership, Focus and Support for G&S DE&I Task Force and its Seven Pillars
NEW YORK, February 20, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–G&S Business Communications, an award-winning integrated marketing communications agency that helps innovative companies change the world, announces the appointment of Marjani Williams as Vice President, DE&I.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230220005195/en/
G&S Business Communications Appoints Marjani Williams as Vice President, DE&I (Photo: Business Wire)
Williams joined G&S in Fall of 2021 as a Vice President to lead client teams across multiple sectors and with responsibilities in agency leadership, including as a member of the G&S DE&I Task Force. She is the first to serve as VP, DE&I at G&S, a role created to further advance the agency’s ongoing commitment to all dimensions of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Williams, who will assume leadership of the G&S DE&I Task Force, will report directly to G&S CEO Luke Lambert in this role. She will also work in partnership with other agency leaders including Principals and Managing Directors to support the development of strategic action plans, DEI-related policies and internal communications. She will retain a portion of her high-level client relationships and counsel and play an external role in supporting industry engagement.
“I am elated for the opportunity to expand my leadership role at G&S as the agency’s first VP of DE&I,” Williams said. “Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about lifting up the voices of people who have been historically marginalized and I’m proud to take on this new role to support our employees, clients and the industry. The real DEI work benefits us all, and I look forward to working in partnership with the team to further our ongoing commitment to equity, representation and inclusion in the marketing communications industry.”
“Marjani is a natural connector and someone who thinks deeply about what diversity, equity and inclusion mean at G&S today, and what we must do to further transform our culture and community for the better,” said Lambert. “In addition to being a strong agency and business leader, Marjani brings the direct experience and emotional intelligence required to help advance our work in this critical area. It’s a powerful combination that will help us continue to drive deeper dialogue with our team members and foster meaningful change.”
Williams came to G&S with significant experience in government, communications and public affairs. Prior to joining the firm, she served as Deputy Director of the Illinois Office of Communication and Information at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services leading a wide range of internal and external communications initiatives and working directly with the Governor’s office. She was instrumental in driving the agency’s diversity, equity and inclusion messaging and oversaw outreach to increase diversity in State contracting and promote economic development for businesses certified through the Business Enterprise Program.
Earlier in her career, Williams was Director of Public Affairs at the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation and, before that, she managed strategic communications and social marketing campaigns for the Chicago Department of Public Health. There she served on the Cultural Leadership team and led programs for the HIV/STI and Maternal, Infant, Child and Adolescent Health Bureaus and developed messaging for vulnerable populations. G&S began its DE&I journey in 2015 with the launch of its TDT (Think Differently Together) office-based teams, designed to open safe and engaging intersectional spaces for learning, dialogue and support. This followed with the launch of the G&S DE&I Task Force and its seven pillars in 2020 to address the reality of how little the marketing communications industry had moved the needle on diversity, and to deepen and accelerate change at G&S. The DE&I Task Force is intentionally comprised of team members drawn from across staff levels and professional disciplines.
About G&S Business Communications
G&S Business Communications is a global independent business communications firm headquartered in New York, with offices in Chicago, Raleigh, North Carolina; Basel / Zurich, Switzerland. The agency helps innovative companies change the world, specializing in business communications across Advanced Manufacturing & Energy, Agribusiness, Financial & Professional Services, Healthcare & Wellness, and Home & Building. The firm’s global network extends across more than 50 countries through its PROI Worldwide partnership. Learn more at www.gscommunications.com.
