Group SJR, WPP’s strategy content and PR consultancy, has made two senior leadership moves.

Meredith Montgomery has joined the agency as managing director and head of Canada, and Tara Hauser-Pope, who served as managing director since 2018, has been promoted to head of North America.

First founded in 2009 and acquired by WPP in 2013, SJR has more than 200 employees globally, with locations in Toronto, New York, London, Los Angeles and Sydney.

The Toronto office is inside WPP’s campus building (pictured above). SJR’s Canadian operations specialize in blending PR and content delivered through UX and design.

Montgomery (pictured right) was SJR Canada’s third employee, and worked in a senior director capacity when it launched its Canadian operations in 2016.

Now, she’s returning to lead the region she helped start after spending more than three years establishing the PR department at Rethink.

“SJR is built newsroom-style, backed by former journalists, public relations pros and creative strategists who can tell stories in unique ways,” Montgomery says. “We’re going to do great work and keep growing by tapping into the powerful talent and energy here.”

Previously, she was head of brand narrative at Rethink. Her PR work at Rethink included Scotiabank’s The Hockey Jersey and Pride Tape, Molson’s See My Name, Decathlon’s Ability Signs, YWCA’s Add The M, and included always on work with A&W and Tangerine Bank.

Prior to Rethink, she held roles at Hill+Knowlton and was VP at Ketchum.

Since joining SJR in 2018, Tara Hauser-Pope has spearheaded what WPP calls “remarkable growth” for the Canadian business.

Her leadership has been instrumental in securing and serving a diverse portfolio of clients across fintech, automotive, QSR, CPG and pharma.

Prior to joining Group SJR, Hauser-Pope held positions at Coca-Cola Canada, most recently as Dasani’s brand lead, Coca-Cola Australia and was the digital marketing director for Corby Spirit & Wine Ltd. She possesses more than 20 years of global experience spanning both agency and client-side.

“The opportunity to lead the agency through the next era of content marketing innovation, particularly in AI, is a dream,” Hauser-Pope says. “I’m proud of what we’ve built in Canada, and the sky’s the limit with [Montgomery] leading this market.”