The Hive president and CEO Jared Stein is moving on to lead Wieden + Kennedy’s (W+K) first Canadian outpost, effective Jan. 1.

As the shop tells strategy, Stein’s mandate as president of the Toronto office will be to focus on growth, both from a creative opportunity standpoint and a people and culture perspective. He will report to Neal Arthur, global CEO of W+K.

“Toronto has a culture of strong creative indies that we have a ton of respect for,” Arthur says. “And [Stein] really gets the type of environment we try to foster at W+K, one with creativity and independence at the centre.”

Stein will work in tandem with Ford and McDonald’s global managing directors Mike Welch and Brandon Pracht (respectively) to facilitate the success of those teams based in the Toronto office. Sid Lee vet Elliott Altilia is the group strategy director on Ford and McDonald’s for W+K in Canada.

Stein’s move is another recent C-Suite departure from The Hive, the agency best known for its work with brands such as EQ Bank, BRP, Warrior Sports and Canadian Olympic Committee. In late October, the agency’s chief strategy officer and partner, Dustin Rideout stepped aside.