Hires and promotions
Five-year-old digital agency Agnostic has rebranded to reflect its evolution into a full-service shop while naming Sarah Crabbe as president. Crabbe has a background in brand marketing, PR and experiential marketing, having spent time in senior leadership roles at Citizen Relations and Edelman. She will be focused on diversifying the agency and helping it grow beyond its digital roots. In addition, Agnostic has added Lena Knight as VP, Kate Nishida as a consultant and Jayne Barrett as an account coordinator.
Cohn & Wolfe has appointed Shannon Davidson as general manager in Toronto. She will oversee day-to-day Canadian operations and report to managing partner Rick Murray, who also oversees sister National Public Relations in Toronto. Davidson moves to Cohn & Wolfe from National, where she has led the firm’s marketing practice for the last three years. Her CV includes agency-side experience at Publicis, Maclaren Momentum and Wunderman, as well as brand-side work with Scotiabank, the CFL, Molson and the Grand Prix of Toronto.
Conference and events planner MCI Group Canada has named Cynthia Richards to the new role of VP of strategy and client relationships in Toronto, where she will work on the company’s Canadian sales strategy and support with client management. She first joined MCI Group in 2015 when her firm, Event Spectrum, was acquired.
Rick Roth has joined the firm Global Public Affairs as VP for Ontario, effective June 3. He has experience in the private sector, but most recently served as chief of staff to the minister of the environment, conservation and parks within the Ontario provincial government.
Business wins and other news
Zenergy Communications will help bring Quebec-based Times Flooring’s Aqua Allira wood flooring collection to market as its newly named AOR. The Toronto agency will also redesign the company’s website and marketing assets while providing ongoing PR support.
Toronto’s The Influence Agency will lead influencer activities, online content, sponsorship and email marketing this year for the non-profit Pride Toronto, whose annual event in June celebrates the LGBT community.
Three Canadian agencies were recognized at the Out of Home Advertising Association of America’s annual OBIE Awards on May 21. Cossette won Gold for McDonald’s “Follow the Arches.” Zulu Alpha Kilo brought home two Silver for CAMH’s “Mental Health is Health” and for Consonant Skincare’s reskinning of Queen Street West in Toronto, as well as two Bronze for Association of Registered Graphic Designers’ “DesignThinkers Speak the Truth” and Coalition for Gun Control’s “Trigger Change.” Rethink won Bronze for Battered Women’s Support Services’ “This is No Ordinary Door.”
Media
Monique Brosseau has been named president of GroupM’s Quebec division. Having previously served as SVP and business director for MediaCom Canada, she will focus on expanding the network’s agency brands while overseeing all business activities in Quebec (full story for Media in Canada subscribers.)
Kinetic Worldwide, a WPP agency focused primarily on OOH and print, has opened a Canadian division to be headed up by CEO Kevin McDonald, who previously served as president of Novus Canada. The shop is looking to differentiate itself through data, investing in third-party on both static and digital OOH (full story for Media in Canada subscribers.)
Postmedia has announced its intention to invest in media startup The Logic, founded in 2018,in a bid to grow its digital subscription business. The Logic, which covers the innovation economy, will continue to operate distinctly from Postmedia, which will have a minority stake in the subscriber-based digital outlet (full story for Media in Canada subscribers.)
