Recently-launched creative agency Courage has added a new leader to the mix after hiring Tom Kenny.
Kenny is joining the agency as partner and chief strategy officer, the first executive-level hire for the new agency, which was launched in May by partners and CCOs Dhaval Bhatt and Joel Holtby, and partner Niki Sahni, with backing from No Fixed Address.
He is making the move from Ogilvy where he had held the national chief strategy officer position. Kenny has also worked at BBDO, Taxi and Leo Burnett, and has been the strategic lead on numerous successful campaigns in recent years, including Dove’s “Courage is Beautiful,” Regent Park School of Music’s “Parkscapes” and the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s “The Paralympic Network.”
To hear Bhatt tell it, Kenny is a perfect fit for the young agency’s culture.
“The great thing about Tom is that he’s not one of those CSOs who just shows up in big meetings, handles clients and walks away to the next one. Tom truly loves the work,” says Bhatt. “You can tell that he actually likes to get his hands dirty, jam with the teams and find smart ways to solve real problems for clients. At Courage, we’re all about leading by example, and having someone like Tom really fits with our values, both professionally and personally.”
Kenny says he and the other partners “have talked about working together several times over the years, so to finally be able to not just team up with them, but do that in building something from the ground up is truly exciting.”
Courage has been on a winning streak since its launch, picking up clients including Nescafé, Truss Beverages and Raising the Roof, as well as other brands yet to be announced. “We have been incredibly fortunate to have people and clients who have chosen Courage right out of the gate. Now it’s time to do what we love the most – the work,” says Bhatt.
