Paige Wheaton of Initiative Australia on Running at National Scale Without Losing Momentum
Paige Wheaton of Initiative Australia explains what national-scale agency leadership really requires, how an investment mindset shaped her approach, and why her team is building for where the industry will be in three years.
Paige Wheaton has been at Initiative Australia for several years across investment, trading, and partnerships roles. Her promotion to National Managing Director came with a newly expanded brief and a structural realignment that CEO Jo McAlister described as a pivotal moment for the agency’s national alignment.
Mission Media spoke with Paige about what running a media agency at a national scale actually demands, why her investment background made her a different kind of leader, and what Initiative is doing now that she believes the rest of the industry will be doing in three years.
You’ve been at Initiative for several years across different roles. What does stepping into the National MD position change about how you see the business?
Stepping into the National MD role has sharpened my view of the business commercially and culturally. My background in investment and trading means I naturally look for signals, ideally ahead of the curve, where value is building, where momentum is forming, and where the market is shifting.
It’s made me even more focused on how we compound growth: aligning our teams to the biggest commercial opportunities, moving at the pace of culture, and making sure our people have the confidence and clarity to act quickly when the moment is right.
Initiative operates at national scale across Australia. What does running a media agency at that size actually demand of a leader that smaller shops don’t prepare you for?
Scale demands clarity and conviction. You can’t rely on proximity; you rely on purpose. You need a vision people can feel, not just hear, and the discipline to keep the organization aligned without slowing it down, because we move fast here at Initiative Australia.
My previous experience in indie agencies taught me hustle, and to complement that, the national scale teaches you how to turn that hustle into momentum.
Leighton Cosseboom
The structural shift that came with your promotion has been noted in the industry. What problem were you trying to solve with that reorganisation, and how is it tracking so far?
We redesigned the structure to unlock growth for our clients. Bottlenecks are common within traditional agency models, ultimately slowing down momentum and diluting accountability. The new structure gives our leaders clearer ownership, tighter strategic focus, and faster access to senior thinking. It’s already paying off; teams are closer to the business problems, decisions are happening faster, and we’re creating more opportunities to grow with the clients we already have.
Media agencies are under constant pressure from clients to prove ROI faster and in more granular ways. How is Initiative responding to that, and where do you think the industry gets it wrong?
“ROI isn’t just a number; it’s understanding what actually shifts behaviour. The industry often treats measurement as a post‑campaign audit. We build effectiveness in from the start, so the work is engineered to perform, not just reported on after the fact.”
We’re connecting creativity, culture, and commercial outcomes more tightly than ever. ROI isn’t just a number; it’s understanding what actually shifts behaviour. The industry often treats measurement as a post‑campaign audit. We build effectiveness from the start, so the work is engineered to perform, not just reported on after the fact.
Leighton Cosseboom
Australia has some quirks as a media market. The duopoly, the distance between cities, and the speed at which local audiences shift platforms. What’s the most underappreciated dynamic for global clients coming into this market?
Australia punches above its weight culturally. Trends move fast, market dynamics shift quickly, and audiences are incredibly responsive to nuance. The most underappreciated dynamic is how local context shapes behaviour. You can’t drop in a global playbook and expect it to land. You need cultural intelligence, not just standardised media intelligence.
“You can’t drop in a global playbook and expect it to land. You need cultural intelligence, not just standardized media intelligence.”
AI and automation are reshaping media planning and buying. What’s actually changing at the coalface for your teams, and what’s mostly hype?
What’s real is the speed. AI is enabling our teams to step away from the heavy lifting on operationally dragging tasks, so our teams can focus on the thinking machines can’t replicate: creativity, cultural insight, strategic judgement. The hype is the idea that AI replaces people. As one of the most advanced agencies in automation, we can prove that it doesn’t. It frees our people to do the work that actually moves brands forward.
“The hype is the idea that AI replaces people. As one of the most advanced agencies in automation, we can prove that it doesn’t. It frees our people to do the work that actually moves brands forward.”
What’s one thing Initiative is doing right now that you think the rest of the industry will be doing in three years?
Putting cultural intelligence at the centre of media. Data tells you what people do; culture tells you why they do it. We’re already building systems and behaviours around that belief. In three years, the industry will be talking less about channels and more about cultural impact.
Leighton Cosseboom
You’ve built your career inside a network agency. What’s the honest case for that model in 2026, at a time when independents are winning a lot of the conversation?
When it’s done right, the network model gives you global intelligence with local autonomy, and that’s a powerful combination. You get scale, stability and access to world‑class tools, but you also get the freedom to move at the pace of culture. The networks that win are empowering their markets to move ahead of those that are more tightly controlled.
“The networks that win are empowering their markets to move ahead of those that are more tightly controlled.”
Paige Wheaton is National Managing Director of Initiative Australia. Learn more about Initiative.
