After picking up the Volkswagen account this past summer and declaring its intention to open a Montreal office, DDB has officially named its newest seven employees.

On the creative side, the agency has named Etienne Bastien as VP/CD to lead the brand. Most recently Bastien worked as VP/CD ad Tam-Tam\TBWA, and has done similar stints at BCP, Palm + Havas and BBDO Montreal. This move brings Bastien back to the Volkswagen account, which he worked on while at Palm + Havas. In 2010, Bastien picked up a Bronze Lion for a Volkswagen campaign, featuring a woman who doesn’t realize she’s been rear-ended. 

Monique Brosseau comes on board at DDB as its new VP managing director to lead the Montreal office. Most recently, Brosseau served as EVP general manager at ZenithOptimedia in Montreal, and prior to that worked as SVP client services as Nurun.

The duo will work largely on the Volkswagen account, but will also work with other DDB clients on a regional and national basis, according to a release.

The agency had previously set up a partnership with Bleublancrouge to work with clients in the Quebec region, and those already signed with the partner agencies will continue that relationship.

Joining Bastien and Brosseau are ADs Arnaud Tartier from Bleublancrouge and Arnaud Deneux from Palm + Havas as well as copywriters Emmanuel Chevallier from Marcel Paris and Ben Duquette from Bleublancrouge. Group account director Jacques Blanchet from JWT rounds out the new team. The agency plans to open its doors in January and is still actively hunting to fill a number of positions.