FKA creates new SVP role
Edmonton full-service marketing and advertising agency FKA has named Martha Jamieson in the newly created role of SVP, agency development.
Jamieson’s responsibilities will include contributing strategic insight to client work, collaborating across teams to elevate the agency’s output and leading FKA’s business development efforts.
Jamieson most recently served as managing director of the Edmonton office at TBWA\Canada, where she led client service, strategy, business development and overall operations.
“Her extensive agency experience and insight will help us deliver even bigger, better results for our clients,” said Kiri Wysynski, partner and VP of client services at FKA.
Jamieson will officially join FKA full-time on Sept. 15.
Talk Shop makes senior hires in Vancouver and Toronto
Full-service integrated communications agency Talk Shop has announced four senior hires to its management teams in Vancouver and Toronto.
These include Michelle Ward (above) as SVP of strategy in Vancouver, Alix Gallant as VP of growth in Toronto, Alessandra Seca as senior director in Toronto and Arbaaz Ghani as senior director of strategy in Vancouver, according to a news release.
Ward will take on a pivotal role in delivering senior-level expertise, strategic counsel, issues management and executive positioning for Talk Shop. Prior, Ward served as VP of corporate communications at forest products company Canfor, where she managed communications, government policy and key relationships. Before Canfor, she served as an SVP at National PR, where she led key client accounts in forestry, liquified natural gas, oil and gas and pipeline development.
Gallant joins Talk Shop to lead the national business development and marketing team, supporting the agency across Canada. Most recently, Gallant served as VP of growth at Porter Novelli and, prior, held a number of business development and marketing roles at Hill+Knowlton (now Burson).
Seca joins Talk Shop having compiled more than a decade of media relations, digital strategy and event execution experience. In her senior director role at Talk Shop, she will be responsible for overseeing key client accounts and helping to develop campaigns across the agency.
And Ghani, an experienced senior communications strategist, has spent a decade leading integrated PR and digital campaigns in the non-profit, health care and financial sectors. At Talk Shop, he will be expected to play a key role in shaping client programs and elevating campaign performance.
Pair of senior positions announced at Swerve
Swerve Strategic Marketing has appointed two new VPs to its senior leadership team. Ania Gilbert (above left) joins as VP of business development and Cynthia Yan (above right) as VP of client services.
Gilbert brings more than a decade of experience working for PR agencies, having held senior roles at leading agencies such as Talk Shop and Pomp & Circumstance. She has led integrated campaigns for global brands including Lavazza, Foodtastic, Bacardi and Canadian Tire.
In her new role, Gilbert’s focus will be on leading agency growth and partnerships in an effort to expand the shop’s client portfolio and strategic reach across sectors such as toy and baby and consumer tech and lifestyle, according to a Swerve news release.
Yan has more than 17 years of agency experience as a brand strategist and communications expert .
At Swerve, Yan currently leads a portfolio of marquee accounts including Swatch, Fujifillm, Playmobil and EB Games.
In the past, she has worked with luxury and lifestyle brands such as Boss, Club Monaco and Porsche.
In her new role, Yan will oversee the agency’s account teams, with the goal of driving operational excellence and fostering innovative, tailored solutions for clients across toy, baby, retail, consumer tech and CPG, according to the release.
TBWA\Canada brings aboard Zulu copywriter
Laura Biggar has joined TBWA\Canada as a senior copywriter.
For the five years prior to joining TBWA\Canada in June, Biggar held copywriter duties for Zulu Alpha Kilo.
She has worked on campaigns for brands such as Tim Hortons, Bell, Subaru, Home Equity Bank, Interac, Cineplex, A2 Milk and Sephora.
Biggar got her start working on a campaign for the U.S. National Association of Colleges and Employers to urge companies to end the practice of unpaid internships.
