James Bateman
Creative director, Karacters Design Group, DDB Canada
Born in London, England, Bateman worked for some of Britain’s most prominent branding and design firms, including Addison Design, Enterprise IG, Wolff Olins, Landor and 20|20, before moving to Vancouver in 2003. Since then he has worked on iconic Canadian brands such as the Canadian Tourism Commission, Mountain Equipment Co-Op and the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, as well as the Cannes award-winning packaging work for Silver Hills Bakery.
Brett Channer
Former CEO and ECD, Saatchi & Saatchi Canada
Channer began his career in the ad business over 20 years ago on the account side.
When he realized his creative briefs were actually creative ideas, he quit and restarted his career as a writer. Since then, he has gone on to work with clients like Toyota, P&G, Labatt, Kellogg’s, Nestlé and Buckley’s. Working with Saatchi & Saatchi on and off for a decade, first as ECD and then as CEO and president, Channer is proud of being the first Canadian invited to sit on the worldwide board.
Matthew Corrin
Founder & CEO, Freshii
Inspired by the fresh food bars in New York City, Corrin opened his first fresh food concept, Freshii, in Toronto in 2005. He subsequently won the Achievement in Retail Concept Award for National Innovative Retail Concept of the Year from Cadillac Fairview. In addition to being a “Top 40 under 40” honouree by the Globe and Mail in 2010 and being featured in Inc. Magazine’s “30 under 30,” Corrin is a 2011 finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Today, the Freshii concept has evolved into a franchise with over 60 locations in Canada and abroad.
Yanik Deschênes
President and general manager, Association of Quebec Advertising Agencies (AAPQ)
A lawyer and member in good standing of the Quebec Bar, Deschênes also holds a certificate in industrial relations from Laval University, all of which stands him in good stead as leader of Quebec’s ad agency association. Deschênes started his career in the late 1990s at National Public Relations, where the space missions of astronauts Julie Payette, Marc Garneau and Chris Hadfield were among his assignments. Since then, Deschênes has worked as corporate affairs director with Walmart Canada in Quebec and as an executive at Optimum Public Relations. In 2011, he received his APR from the Canadian Public Relations Society and has also won two of the organization’s Awards of Excellence.
Karen Nayler
Leader, Mindshare Canada
With 30 years in media, Nayler has acquired a broad range of experience and has held executive committee positions with BBM, COMB, NADbank, NABS and PMB. For the past 11 years, she has been the leader at Mindshare Canada and is responsible for all of its Canadian divisions. She is also a member of the North American executive team, president of the Canadian Media Directors Council, and is an active participant in industry committees.
Lainé Slater
Marketing director, Vancouver International Film Festival
For the past six years, Slater has been the marketing director at the Vancouver International Film Festival, whose trailers have won numerous awards over the years. A University of Toronto arts administration program grad, Slater previously operated her own arts and entertainment marketing company, Flash Communications, which provided marketing, media buying, graphic design and media sponsorship
co-ordination to clients including CBC Vancouver, Live Nation, Simon Fraser University and the
Vancouver Playhouse.
Judy Wheeler
Director of marketing, Nissan Canada
As marketing director for Nissan Canada since the beginning of the year, Wheeler helms marcom and media for national, retail, digital, CRM, social sponsorships and auto shows. Previously with Chrysler since 1984, Wheeler has worked in many areas throughout her 26-plus years in the auto sector, including sales and service, marketing and communications for the U.S., international sales and marketing and business development. A career highlight was being the youngest director of sales at Chrysler responsible for the second-largest region of the company.
Jump to:
Gold: Taxi and Canadian Tire bring it home
Silver: Sid Lee floats to success with Bota Bota
Bronze: BBDO & Shaw drive togetherness
