Shikatani Lacroix Design (SLD) has expanded into the U.S. with the opening of a New York outpost, naming of Janice Jaworski VP and managing director of the office.

By adding to its existing offices in Toronto and Shanghai, the brand and retail design agency is focusing on the areas of its business where there are the biggest growth opportunities, says Jean-Pierre Lacroix, founder and president of SLD.

“We have many clients located throughout the United States that are currently managed from our Toronto office, so expanding into New York made a lot of sense for us,” he says. “This ultimately is about serving our current clients better and opening the door to new opportunities.”

Since first opening its doors in Toronto in the early 90s, the agency has had global ambitions, Lacroix says. Growth within its Shanghai office has given SLD the confidence to expand further into global markets.

As the office’s first hire, Janice Jaworski steps in as VP and managing director having worked across sectors, including CPG, pharma, retail, B2B, start-ups and nonprofits. She previously served as VP and managing director of the Americas for Anthem Worldwide. Lacroix says he anticipates expansion of the New York office to “move quickly” under her leadership.

SLD has been growing recently with the addition of interior design specialist Glenn Dixon as a brand strategist earlier this year. Its Shanghai office, which has more than tripled in size since it opened, has brought on Feifei Li as a senior account manager.

Recent projects at the agency include the design for a “future-proofed” retail experience for health and beauty brand Nu Skin that is expected to be implemented in cities across China. It has also undertaken a packaging design assignment for a premium, limited-edition line of Miss Vickie’s potato chips.