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Inizio Evoke Appointed Three New Executives

The firm expanded its leadership team with three strategic hires across media, AI, and client management roles.

Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in People

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Inizio Evoke has announced the appointment of three new executives, Jake Vander Linden, Brian Gundich, and Barbara Patchefsky, to lead the firm's media, AI, and client strategies. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Inizio Evoke announced three leadership appointments to bridge intelligence with media investment and client relationships. The new hires bring cross-industry experience from firms including Moon Rabbit, Omnicom, and Havas Health & You.

Why it matters

The appointments reflect an effort to unify the company's business model by integrating behavioral analytics and AI-driven processes into their client services.

Inizio Evoke appointed three executive leaders to oversee media, AI enablement, and client relations. These appointments follow the 2023 tenure of Katie McCarthy as president of media.

The players

Jake Vander Linden

He is the newly appointed president of media at Inizio Evoke who previously worked at Moon Rabbit.

Brian Gundich

He is the new EVP of AI enablement at Inizio Evoke with a background at Omnicom.

Barbara Patchefsky

She serves as the new global client lead at Inizio Evoke and was previously at Havas Health & You.

Katie McCarthy

She served as the president of media at Inizio Evoke starting in 2023.

Inizio Evoke

This is a marketing and communications organization that seeks to connect intelligence with media investment.

The details

Jake Vander Linden joins as president of media, focusing on scaling strategy through behavioral intelligence, while Brian Gundich steps in as EVP of AI enablement to integrate new models. Barbara Patchefsky will serve as the global client lead, drawing on her extensive background in health communications to manage client relationships.

Timeline

  1. Katie McCarthy began serving as president of media in 2023.

  2. Jake Vander Linden previously worked at Moon Rabbit as of mid-2025.

  3. The leadership appointments were officially announced on September 29, 2026.

Market Landscape

The firm is aligning with the broader industry trend of prioritizing behavioral intelligence within media buying models. These executive additions position Inizio Evoke to compete more aggressively in an increasingly AI-focused marketing sector.

Clients can expect changes to how media strategy and AI services are delivered under the new leadership team. These adjustments may impact the scope of service agreements as the company updates its operating models.

The takeaway

Strategic leadership changes often signal an upcoming shift in how companies deliver value to their clients. Readers should monitor how these new executive roles translate into tangible service improvements for the firm's client base.

Further reading

For more on industry shifts, visit the People section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by FiercePharma.

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