United Talent Agency announced on Tuesday that it has appointed Shanique Bonelli-Moore as its executive director of inclusion.
In the new full-time post, Bonelli-Moore will work directly with UTA clients to champion representative storytelling, while also leading the company’s inclusion efforts in hiring, retention and promotion.
“I’ve spent my career focused on the fact that companies are the most dynamic and successful when diversity and inclusion are recognized, valued and deeply integrated into the work,” Bonelli-Moore said in a statement. “It’s both an opportunity and an honor to lead the charge for UTA at this extraordinary moment in time. Having worked alongside UTA leadership over the past year, I appreciate the depth of commitment and support. UTA has made great progress over the past few years, not just internally but through the powerful stories our clients tell, and I can’t wait to build on that foundation.”
Bonelli-Moore joined UTA in April 2018 as a member of its corporate communications department, overseeing the agency’s internal communications. She worked previously at BuzzFeed, Anheuser-Busch InBev, NBCUniversal and GE, on issues relating to diversity, inclusion and belonging. During her time at UTA, Bonelli-Moore was a key member of the internal leadership team that worked throughout 2018 to advance the company’s inclusion work, which she will now direct.
“Having someone of Shan’s background and experience lead this work is an important statement of our commitment to our employees, our clients and the future of this business,” said UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer in a statement. “To maintain a best-in-class culture and be an employer-of-choice means making diversity and inclusion part of our day-to-day commitment and driving initiatives that establish us as the model for the industry and beyond.”
UTA hopes that Bonelli-Moore can help build on some early efforts the agency has already made, including in its agent trainee program that for years has set and met the goal for each agent class to be at least 50 percent diverse. Last year, the company tapped agent Blair Kohan to join its Board of Directors and hired Lyndsay Harding as CFO.
Bonelli-Moore will report jointly to Kohan and global head of human resources Suzette Ramirez-Carr.