Big changes are afoot for Sid Lee senior leadership and the 31-year-old agency’s operational structure.

Announced on Tuesday, the agency has combined teams across the Toronto, Montreal and U.S. offices to create “one cohesive unit” and operate more effectively, according to a statement from Sid Lee.

The integration of the teams is meant to “reinforce its creative-led values,” and the change comes with a leadership shuffle that includes Sid Lee co-founder Phillippe Meunier transitioning from his post as CEO to the role of executive and creative chair.

In his new position, Meunier says he will return to his creative roots, with a focus on driving the agency’s creative vision forward and mentoring emerging talent. “It has been an honour to lead Sid Lee as CEO the past three years, and we’re now ready to shape the future of the company,” adds Meunier (pictured above).

Stepping into the CEO role on an interim basis is Patrick McDaniel, who will focus on operational leadership for Sid Lee, having previously held C-suite positions including co-president at U.S. digital agency Kepler and interim COO at Napkyn, a Google marketing platform and Cloud partner.

Vincent Baroin also comes on board as the interim COO, having previously worked in an advisory role with Sid Lee for three years and has also held executive positions within Interbrand.

Baroin, according to the agency, will support the agency’s newly hired global COO Marie-Lise Campeau to ensure a smooth leadership transition. Campeau is no stranger to Sid Lee, having worked at the shop for almost three years in the EVP, business operations role. She was most recently president of Ogilvy Canada, where she led operations across Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. Campeau will also assume an executive sponsorship role and support Sid Lee’s clients.

“Together, Patrick and Marie-Lise will lead the business side of Sid Lee’s global collective, positioning Sid Lee for future growth and operational efficiency. The duo will also guide the changes in North America,” according to the statement.

Meanwhile, on the North American front, Genevieve Boulanger, who was appointed shop president this past January, will assume the position of North America COO. Tom Ramsden, its U.S. CEO since March 2023, will serve as president of North America.

The rest of the North American executive team is as follows: EVP creative Ali Stewart, who joins Sid Lee from Adidas, where she was VP of global creative direction; EVP client partnerships Marianne Pizzi, who has handled client services across top agencies including Droga5, Virtue and Joan; EVP innovation and strategy Yanick Bédard, a 20-year Sid Lee veteran who will also maintain his current position as managing director of digital; and EVP growth and marketing Joe Dawson, ex-head of content and innovation at Sonos.