Hires, promotions and other news
National Public Relations has made a pair of additions to its leadership team in Vancouver. Paul Welsh has been hired as managing partner of the office, taking over the role from Zdenka Buric, who has announced her plans to retire. Welsh was previously on the leadership team at Karyo Communications until it was acquired by Edelman, at which point he became that agency’s chief commercial officer. Also joining National is Glen Edwards as SVP of client strategy, having most recently been contributing senior editor and feature writer for Business in Vancouver and having senior roles at Lucent Strategies, Karyo and Edelman.
Experiential, digital and retail-focused agency Influence Marketing has hired Adam Ashton as its new CEO and managing partner. Prior to this, Ashton was SVP of business operations at Bell Media for three years and was also a long-time VP of marketing at TSN. Selected by Influence founder and outgoing CEO Nick Jelinek, Ashton takes on the new role effective Oct. 16.
Live sports streaming service DAZN has hired Paulo Senra as head of PR in Canada. Senra was most recently director of communications for the CFL. The U.K.-based DAZN launched in Canada in September at the beginning of the NFL season.
On Oct. 16, NABS will be running an event dubbed #nabsday to rally support for the organization. At 1:30 p.m., Peter Vaz, a VP at McCann Canada, will host a livestream where he will tell his story about his battle with ALS and how NABS has supported him, imploring viewers to in turn support NABS.
New business
British Columbia-based integrated agency Beattie Tartan – created earlier this year by the merger of Tartan and Beattie – has picked up a number of new clients in recent months. The wins include working with construction company Ledcor for the launch of a new residential and commercial centre on Vancouver Island; Alaskan adventure company Within The Wild; and being named s PR agency of record for University of Victoria’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Businesss.
Toronto’s Incite has been named AOR for the Canadian Spinal Research Organization. Incite has previously worked with the CSRO on content creation services, and will now lead the medical research group’s upcoming awareness and funding campaigns.
1Milk2Sugars has been selected by L’Oreal’s Redken to assist with the haircare brand’s sponsorship of Toronto Women’s Fashion Week.
Media
Apple has launched search ads in the Canadian version of its App Store, as well as in the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and Switzerland. (Available to Media in Canada subscribers)
Sabrina Geremia has been named Google Canada’s country manager. Geremia, who was previously managing director of integrated solutions, financial and automotive for the company, has been holding the position on an interim basis since Sam Sebastian became the first CEO for the rebranded Pelmorex Corp. (Available to Media in Canada subscribers)
