Cossette has made three key changes to its senior ranks in recent weeks.
Joining Cossette Media is Kristin Wozniak as vice-president of analytics and insights. Meanwhile Cossette has added Cat Wiles as chief strategy officer in Toronto, and Rosie Gentile has moved into the new role of SVP, experience design.
Wozniak was hired to unlock synergies across Cossette Media’s data analytics, said Joseph Leon, president of Vision7 Media. Wozniak arrives from Wavemaker (formerly MEC), where she was VP of analytics and insights.
Cossette Media has invested heavily in improving the talent, expertise and technology around its data and research offerings in recent years, said Leon. But now—like a lot of agencies and marketers today—the agency has much more data than meaningful insight.
“When [the industry] had very little data, we worked hard to translate that currency into insight,” said Leon. “And ironically as our access to data has exploded—and we have invested a huge amount of our resources in the aggregation and harvesting of data—in some ways we have much more data but seem less focused on insights.”
Wozniak has the ability to extract useful analysis and insights across that data from all parts of the agency, said Leon. She will oversee strategy development, performance analytics and attribution, and consulting services, working with clients to improve their own data strategy.
“Our goal is to make data and analytics understandable, meaningful, and actionable by developing insights rooted in human behaviour,” said Wozniak in a release. “It shouldn’t be scary. When done well, analytics should feel natural and intuitive, allowing brands to make firm decisions to support business objectives.”
At the creative side of Cossette, Wiles (left in photo) is a star recruit from VCCP London, where she was the multiple award-winning head of planning. She’s credited with playing a key role in VCCP’s recent global win of Shell, and was recently named one of the top planners in London.
“Simply put, I think Cat is one of the strongest next-generation CSOs globally,” said Daniel Shearer, Cossette’s EVP and general manager, in a release. “Cat brings a no-nonsense, insight-led and creatively driven approach to her work, aligning perfectly with our ambitions at Cossette.”
Gentile has been with Cossette since January 2017, serving as senior vice-president of strategy and working on key accounts like SickKids, Flight Centre, Canopy Growth, Telus and TD Canada Trust.
In her new role, she will be working to help clients connect with consumers in a more personal way, putting an emphasis on one-to-one marketing, strategic use of data, technology, social, content and media.
“At Cossette we have not been quiet about our belief that brand experience is the critical next chapter in how winning brands will connect with consumers,” said Shearer. “Given Rosie’s unmatched professional pedigree, we are incredibly fortunate to have her taking this step up to lead this point of view for both Cossette and our clients.”
