Nancy Crimi-Lamanna has been named chief creative officer of FCB Canada as the agency looks to drive greater collaboration and integration across its North American offices.

In a new country-level role for the agency, Crimi-Lamanna will focus on working closely with creative teams across North America to further build the creative culture, collaboration and provide stronger integrated solutions for clients. She also adds creative oversight of FCB’s Montreal operations to her duties.

Jeff Hilts, who was Crimi-Lamanna’s co-CCO in Toronto, and Sylvain Dufresne, VP and head of creative in Montreal, remain in their respective roles and will continue to lead creative on the ground for their respective offices.

Bryan Kane, president of FCB Canada, says with the increasing role the agency’s Canadian offices are having in work being done across North America, it was important to have a creative leader to help it align on clients served by multiple offices. Late last year, FCB created a new model that united the operations of its offices across North America.

“It’s beyond collaboration on projects,” Kane says of the new structure. “It’s making sure all of the capabilities and experience within FCB North America are available to all our clients, not limited or strained by geography. The Canadian resources are increasingly a part of what’s going on with clients in New York or Chicago or San Fransisco, and expertise from those places is being used for clients here. Nancy is somebody that has been identified as part of that North American leadership team as a result of the work her teams have done over the last several years. She was looked upon as one of those top creative leaders, and one of many that will help make sure that goes smoothly.”

Kane himself was hired in the president’s role last summer, the first to provide leadership at the Canadian level. His hiring came after CEO Tyler Turnbull added duties for the agency’s New York office to his remit, which Kane says has been a big factor in FCB Canada playing a larger role within North America.

Crimi-Lamanna joined FCB Toronto as VP and creative director in 2015, and was promoted to the co-CCO role with Hilts the following year. During her time with FCB, it has picked up four Digital Agency of the Year wins and several Lions at Cannes, namely for its work with Canadian Down Syndrome Society.

In addition to the leadership change on the creative front, Tracy Little has been promoted to general manager from managing director of the Toronto office, continuing to lead its client account group in additional to taking on more duties partnering with Kane in decisions related to the agency’s day-to-day operations. Little has been with FCB for five years, leading several of its accounts, including BMO.