Hires and promotions
William Thomas Digital has hired Anne Chudy and Tim Cormick as strategy leads at the digital agency, where they will jointly lead “personalized experience strategy,” according to a release. Hailing from Ariad Communications, Chudy has led CRM programs for TD Bank, Telus, CIBC and Johnson & Johnson. Cormick was most recently digital innovation lead at Juniper Park/TBWA and has done work for Corus, OLG, CIBC, Scotiabank and Rogers.
Weber Shandwick has made three senior hires in Toronto. Ryan Bazeley will focus on “enhancing data-driven media innovation” at the PR agency as its newly appointed SVP of integrated media. Most recently, Bazeley helped build Telus’ communications centre of excellence. Secondly, Julie Holroyde re-joins Weber Shandwick as SVP of client experience (having last served there as VP of healthcare) following two years at Roche Communications. She will focus on building the shop’s expertise in the health sector. Finally, the agency has a new director of platform strategy by the name of Yaw Attuah, who comes from Critical Mass, DDB and DentsuBos, where he managed social media and influencer programs.
Creative duo Antoine Leclerc and Preto Murara join Ogilvy’s Montreal office. Leclerc has spent more than 10 years in copywriting, including time at Bleublancrouge and Rinaldi in Quebec. Murara, for his part, recently spent 10 years as an art director in Brazil. He arrives at Ogilvy after a short stint at Montreal-based design and branding agency Compagnie et cie.
Award-winning health and pharma marketing veteran Rich Levy has joined independent agency Klick Health as chief creative officer after spending almost a decade overseeing creative output at the FBC Health Network. Based in New York, the role was previously filled by Glenn Zujew, EVP of creative and medical at Klick.
New business and other news
Toronto’s OverCat Communications has been named Canadian public relations AOR for jewelery retailer Maison Birks. The shop’s mandate includes leading communications, new product launches and media and influencer relations.
Wink Strategies’ Montreal and Paris offices will lead communications, digital marketing, content and public relations for luxury chocolate maker Jeff de Bruges. The France-based brand recently landed in Canada. It has tasked the agency with driving brand awareness after having opened its first boutique at the Montreal Eaton Centre, with additional locations planned to open this fall.
Ad Standards has announced the retirements of Janet Feasby and Nicole Bellam, who served as VP of standards and VP of clearance services, respectively. Feasby will retire on May 31 and Bellam on June 30 of this year, but both women will remain on retainer. As they prepare to exit, the council has appointed Catherine Bate as chief legal and policy officer, effective April 29. She was previously a partner at Miller Thompson LLP. In addition, Ad Standards has announced its new 2019-20 board of directors.
Media
Touché president Karine Courtemanche and CBO of GE Appliances Bob Park have been chosen as the co-chairs for this year’s Media Innovation Awards. The pair will head up the 12-member jury to select this year’s most innovative media breakthroughs in Canadian marketing (full story for Media in Canada subscribers).
Jodi Peacock has rejoined MediaCom, the GroupM shop where she got her first agency-side experience. This time, she will serve as SVP and business director in the Toronto office. Peacock previously spent four years leading Mediacom’s content before leaving to launch the Canadian arm of Media Kitchen in 2017 (full story for Media in Canada subscribers).
