From left: LG2 Toronto partners Josh Stein (CCO), Bianca Freedman (president), Keith Barry (VP of strategy) and Ryan Crouchman (VP and executive creative director of design).

After leading Edelman through a period of growth and creative recognition, Bianca Freedman is joining LG2 in the role of partner and president at its Toronto office.

The move, effective today, brings one of the country’s top young agency leaders to one of Canada’s largest independents, as LG2 continues to build beyond Quebec in its Toronto foothold and looks to extend its integrated model nationally.

She takes over the role left vacant by Jeremy Gayton’s departure in February after close to 10 years in the partner and president position. Keith Barry, partner and VP of strategy at LG2 Toronto, has been managing responsibilities in the role during the transitionary period.

“I felt ready to help grow one of our own in Canada,” Freedman tells strategy. “LG2 is such a very special Canadian agency with a true independent spirit and long-time commitment to the power of creativity in business. It is an honour not only to lead the Toronto office, but to become a partner in LG2’s journey.”

Freedman was the youngest regional CEO in Edelman’s global network after being named to the role for the agency’s Canadian operations in October 2022. During her 11 1/2 year tenure at the shop, she helped develop the PR agency into a creative force that earned multiple Cannes Lions, a legacy she is looking to continue at LG2.

She says her background in corporate communications and PR gives her an understanding of the challenges that CMOs face internally and how creative agencies can better meet client needs.

“It is critical as a creative agency that we meet clients where they are, delivering excellent creative outputs as well as the more agile, culturally-relevant components of the marketing mix, which comes in many forms,” Freedman says. “The latter is where my PR background comes in and I look forward to bringing it to LG2.”

Freedman says her focus will be on scaling Toronto’s integrated model while maintaining the close, collaborative relationships that define the agency’s culture. The Toronto office “played a huge part,” she says, in earning LG2 shortlist nominations for strategy’s Design, Creative and Digital Agency of the Year honours, which will be awarded on Oct. 29 at Koerner Hall.

Looking ahead, Freedman sees an opportunity to raise LG2’s profile outside Quebec and Toronto. “We’ll honour the legacy and build on it,” she says. “The agency has worked on some of the most iconic campaigns in Canadian history, recognized many times on world stages, but are currently a well-kept secret in many geographies outside of Quebec. I would love to help change that.”

LG2 partner and chief business officer Mireille Côté describes Freedman as “a proven, dynamic leader whose track record speaks for itself,” while partner and CCO Josh Stein says her experience “transforming a world-class PR firm into a major creative force” will help enhance an already collaborative and creatively driven culture.

Reflecting on her time as a young senior leader at Edelman, Freedman says she’s learned “the quiet power in being underestimated at times,” a mindset that has helped shape her approach to growth and creativity.

“We are so lucky to do what we do,” she adds. “And it should be fun.”