Toronto-based direct and data agency Bimm has made 10 hires to serve new and expanded client mandates.

The new staff are digital-focused, led by new UX lead Lior Bar-David, who previously led ecommerce UX design for Canada Goose.

The other new additions are senior front-end developer Adam McMillan, product manager Katie D’Angelo, engagement manager Jordan Palmieri, product data specialist Renato Cianciusi, quality assurance analyst Pinal Hirpara and technical writer Chloe Ip. It has also added Charlotte Hoskins, Montana Danis and Christina Prokosch to its content management team.

“Right now, we’re investing heavily in the digital side of our business, and the technology side of our business, because that’s probably the fastest growing part of our agency…that’s kind of the key thing we’re focused on,” says Mike DaPonte, president and CEO of Bimm.

The hiring process for these positions took place over the past three to four weeks. Two of the 10 new hires started last week, and the remaining eight started this week.

DaPonte says he looked at the talent landscape at this point in the lockdown as an opportunity to potentially invest in talent that may have been displaced from other agencies.

“Right now, unfortunately, there have been people who have been looking for jobs because they’ve been laid off,” he says, likening the situation to the 2008 financial crisis, when he says Bimm could’ve done “a better job” in “looking for great talent” in a moment of need. While most agencies have had to lay off or furlough staff due to the pandemic, Bimm has not, and is still looking to fill three more content management roles, as well as a copywriting position.

The expanded mandates these new hires will be assisting with are for clients such as industrial supply company Grainger, Audi and Leon’s.

Grainger is a new win for Bimm, having won that business this year, and the agency will be working on B2B marketing for the Canadian market.

Bimm has been working with Audi for roughly 10 years, and has expanded its mandate to manage Audi of America’s digital properties. For Leon’s, Bimm is expanded its brand AOR mandate with the furniture retailer to include in-store and TV promotional work.

Bimm is a part of the KYU network of agencies, having been acquired in 2018.