MSL Canada has promoted Lauren Thomson to VP of creative strategy and integrated communications, tasked with elevating the role of creative at the agency as it comes off of a 2021 growth spurt.

In her new role, Thomson will focus on building a “creativity-first approach” across MSL’s teams and clients by taping into the latest cultural trends and evolving human behaviours with the data and insights team. She will also be tasked with nurturing growth within MSL’s staff.

Thomson joined MSL in 2019, and has worked with clients including P&G, White Claw and Coty.

Thomson’s promotion is coming on the heels of 20 new hires the agency has made throughout 2021. The most recent in that class are senior account directors Kelly Baita and Gillian DiCesare; account director Sarah Rigler; and senior account managers Tony Koutoulas, Jessica Weingarten, Morgan Andrade and Erin Meagher.

Those additions are on the back off of a number of major wins for the agency this year, most notably General Motors Canada and Goodfood, wins Thomson was a key contributor to.

Other wins include Google in Quebec, government work for the Region of Peel and a number of brands that have been added to its remit with P&G: Vicks, Metamucil, Swiffer, Bounty, Microban and Head & Shoulders.

All of this activity has come amidst a restructuring of the agency’s leadership team in July. That included naming Jessica Savage CEO of MSL Canada, with Nadia Beale and Sarah Stewart-Browne and taking on president roles at MSL and North Strategic, respectively. The change came after the retirement of North co-founder Justin Crealy, which came one year after the retirement of Mia Pearson.

For its part, North Strategic has brought on 20 new hires of its own this year. Senior additions in that group from the summer and fall include account directors Sarah Zajac and Deanna Kenins, senior account director Carlos Lemus, as well as producer Alix Ablaza to Notch Video.