Brent Choi, chief creative and integration officer at J. Walter Thompson Canada, has been promoted to the dual position of chief creative officer for New York and Canada.

In addition to continuing to lead JWT’s creative in Canada with SVP and ECD Ryan Spelliscy, Choi’s expanded role will see him take on creative leadership for the agency’s New York accounts, which include Macy’s, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s Special K and Puma. He will split his time between offices and report to Matt Eastwood, JWT’s worldwide CCO. His new role begins Oct. 15. Spelliscy will be taking on more of a leadership role in Canada in the coming months.

“I am passionate about identifying and promoting talent from within, and for some time, I’ve wanted Brent to take on a larger role in the network,” Eastwood said in a press release. “Brent is a brilliant creative, a leader and consummate professional, and he has a stellar track record of transforming businesses and solving business problems through creativity.”

Choi fills a role previously held by Adam Kerj, who joined from 360i a year ago to take over for the recently-departed Jeff Benjamin. Kerj has left JWT for “personal reasons,” according to the release.

“Our Canadian office has been successful because we put an emphasis on great people, building a culture of collaboration, leading to helping our clients be brave at every opportunity,” Choi told strategy in an email from New York. “There’s already great momentum in New York, and our network worldwide. The point of view I’ll continue to encourage is to break convention and find new ways for brands to connect with consumers.”

Choi adds that the two offices already have a relationship through shared resources and accounts, like Johnson & Johnson, something that will “only increase as a result of [his] expanded role.”

Choi joined JWT at the beginning of 2013 after four years leading creative at Cundari. Prior to that, he spent three years as SVP and co-CD at Saatchi & Saatchi Canada, helping to launch that agency’s digital division. During the past three years, JWT has won business from Air Canada, Grand Marnier, Johnson & Johnson and, most recently, Burger King (work on that account began in the spring). Choi has also overseen a great deal of expansion in JWT’s creative department, including more than a dozen new additions at all levels in his first year, and a hiring spree earlier this year that included two CDs.

Choi has also sat on juries for numerous awards, including the Clios and Effies, and his work has been honoured with multiple Cannes Lions, CASSIES, CMA Awards and ADCC Awards.