Arif Rasheed, left, and general manager Jeffrey Almeida at Balmoral Multicultural Marketing.
Arif Rasheed named VP of Balmoral
Balmoral Multicultural Marketing CEO and founder Sharifa Khan has named Arif Rasheed as the agency’s new vice president.
In his new role, Rasheed will work closely with the agency’s teams to support client-focused operations and provide clients such as Canada Life, Clorox Canada, OLG and others with culturally relevant insights in the development of effective marketing strategy.
“I’m proud to join an agency that’s been built on multi-ethnic talent and a mission to champion Canadian multicultural marketing,” says Rasheed. “Balmoral is attracting top-tier brands and it’s exhilarating to help the team with cultural strategies and new growth opportunities for our clients.”
Rasheed has 15 years of agency experience focused on client brand strategy and cultural marketing. He previously held senior positions at Dyversity Communications in Toronto and Publicis in Pakistan, where he managed client relationships and serviced international brands.
Rasheed’s hiring follows the appointment of public affairs executive Bob Richardson to chair Balmoral’s advisory board and a slew of recent hires and promotions to meet emergent client needs and a growing demand for multicultural marketing, the agency says.
From left to right: Jaime McHardy, Geoff Hardwicke, Dan Strasser and Todd Blevins
Trigger adds new partners
Calgary-based advertising agency Trigger has announced the addition of two new partners to its ownership group.
Jaime McHardy, who has led Trigger’s Client Services division for the past four years, will assume a new role as partner and co-owner. McHardy brings more than 20 years of experience in business and marketing, with a focus on strategic growth and client relationship management.
Dan Strasser also joins the agency as a partner and executive creative director. He comes to Trigger from Changemakers (formerly Venture Communications), where he served as executive vice president and executive creative director. Strasser has held previous leadership roles at DDB, Bensimon Byrne and OneMethod, and will now oversee all creative output at Trigger.
“Trigger is rock-solid from a business perspective and has some incredibly strong client partnerships,” Strasser tells strategy. “It’s that foundation that is needed in order to do great work. And rather than focusing on pure growth like so many others do, Trigger is going to continue building a strong, nimble team that can deliver big-agency projects without all the overhead. With what AI is doing now and will be doing tomorrow, it’s the small but mighty shops that will be the best option for clients.”
Trigger was founded in Calgary and has established a national client base.
Rhyme + Reason expands leadership team
Marketing agency Rhyme + Reason recently named Adam Sterling its chief creative officer.
The Halifax, N.S.-based agency says Sterling is an award-winning creative director and copywriter, having spent more than a decade crafting campaigns for the Maritimes’ leading organizations. In his new role, Sterling will shape the agency’s creative approach and lead the creative team.
“Truly great advertising is about finding the perfect balance of sharp strategy and attention-grabbing creative – and that’s the heart of what Tyler has created here at Rhyme + Reason,” Sterling says.
Bhreagh Dubeau is also joining Rhyme + Reason as vice president of marketing. With 15 years of agency and brand-management experience, Bhreagh will lead Rhyme + Reason’s marketing practice.
This growth comes as Rhyme + Reason marks its first year in business and builds new relationships with clients, including the Atlantic Canada Cruise Association and Destination Cape Breton.
