Toronto-based brand strategy and content consultancy Blackjet has appointed Neale Halliday to help manage its its strategy practice and develop the business in Europe as it eyes expansion into that market.

Halliday (pictured, above left) brings three decades of experience in the field, specifically in advertising, brand management and media. He has worked in senior strategic roles for a wide array of agencies, both in Toronto and elsewhere, including FCB, BBDO, OMD and TBWA. Most recently, he has been working as a strategic consultant for Blackjet – a role he has held for the past two years. He is based in London and will remain there, where he will focus on the agency’s communications and brand strategy business both in Canada and in Europe, a market into which Blackjet is aiming to expand.

“Neal brings a tremendous breadth of strategy experience,” explains Rob Galletta, CEO of the agency (above, right). “He’s helped shape our strategic offering, so I’m very pleased he’s agreed to join us on a formal basis.”

This is not the first time that Blackjet has hired an industry veteran who had been working in an advisory capacity with the company. Earlier this year, Blackjet added Paul Mead to its leadership team. Mead himself had spent two years in a consultancy role with Blackjet, helping with strategic planning and reporting, before he was hired as its chief growth officer.

At that time, Mead was tasked with helping the agency, which had a headcount of 20 people, to prepare for further growth. He was the first of several additions planned for the agency’s leadership team – Halliday is the latest of those.