Publicis Groupe has appointed Nannette LaFond-Dufour as chief impact officer.
In this newly created global role, LaFond-Dufour will be responsible for driving immediate impact across the Groupe’s long-term Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments. These include Publicis’ ambitious SBTI (Science Based Targets initiative)-approved climate goals, its concrete diversity, equity and inclusion action plans, as well as its flagship initiatives like the Working with Cancer pledge and the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society.
A leading industry figure over the course of her 30-year career, LaFond-Dufour joins Publicis from McCann Worldgroup where she was chief client officer and McCann’s inaugural chief sustainability officer, responsible for driving sustainability goals across its global environmental footprint.
LaFond-Dufour will head a centralized team in cultivating and partnering with the Groupe’s ESG community around the world. Together, they will design and deploy a consistent strategy on impact, with clear and measurable KPIs (key performance indicators), to enhance and expand Publicis’ existing initiatives and implement new ones, at the service of its teams and its clients.
Her appointment underscores Publicis’ ongoing commitment to creating positive change through environmental and societal impact. Consistently ranked first in the industry by leading ESG rating agencies, in the past year Publicis was the only holding company in the sector to appear in the S&P Yearbook, which evaluates the sustainability efforts of global businesses. Through the Working with Cancer Pledge, over the last 18 months the Groupe has also rallied more than 1,500 of the world’s most iconic companies to commit to erasing the stigma of cancer in the workplace.
LaFond-Dufour will join the Groupe’s Management Committee and report directly to Arthur Sadoun, chairman & CEO. She will work hand in hand with Agathe Bousquet, president of Publicis France and Directoire+ sponsor for ESG.
“With the Directoire+ we are delighted to welcome Nannette to the Groupe” said Sadoun. “Thanks to our transformation, we have been outperforming the industry on every business and financial KPI for the past four years. But we know that for our growth to be truly sustainable, on every front, it also needs to be responsible. That’s why we have also worked to lead the way through our best-in-class ESG initiatives. With Nannette on board and her proven expertise in delivering impactful change with some of the world’s biggest companies, we are confident we can take our ESG agenda even further, faster, for the good of our people, our clients, and our planet. “
LaFond-Dufour added, “I deeply admire the work that Publicis has done to transform itself, demonstrating both the ability to anticipate the future, and do the hard work required to prepare for it through tangible environmental and societal commitments. At this moment when evolution is the mandate on every front, I look forward to joining such a visionary, courageous and agile team.”
