Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has promoted one of its longtime senior leaders, Karine Courtemanche, to CEO of its PHD and Touché! Canada networks.
Courtemanche has been part of OMG Canada’s leadership team since 2004, when it acquired the independent agency Touché! She has spent the past 10 years as president of Touché! and Omnicom Media Group Montreal.
“I’m extremely proud to be part of an organization which consistently supports the growth and development of its employees,” said Courtemanche in a release. “My last 15 years with OMG have been a truly inspiring and rewarding journey. 2020 will no doubt bring its share of stimulating challenges, with a primary focus on the growth of our brands in the Toronto market.”
Courtemanche will now spend much of her time in Toronto focusing on growing the OMG networks in the country’s largest market. Caroline Moul will continue to lead PHD Canada as president, while former PHD and Touché! CEO Alain Desormiers will lead the company’s Quebec agencies, including Touché!, which he founded 25 years ago.
Courtemanche’s predecessor and mentor, Desormier says “it was 100% clear in my mind” that Courtemanche is the most suitable candidate for the CEO role. “Extremely business savvy, Karine is well positioned to propel these two major agencies and their 450 employees to the top of their league,” he said in a release.
OMG Canada CEO Cam Reston said that Courtemanche has been a “driving force” in the Canadian media industry as long as he has known her. “Her passion for creativity and her drive has helped build her agencies into the best in the business and in this expanded role she’ll be able to bring that magic to even more of our staff and clients,” he said.
PHD led all Canadian agencies (and ranked seventh out of more than 700 agencies around the world) in RECMA’s recent “Compitches” report ranking agencies across 45 countries on the basis of their performance in over 2,000 media pitches and reviews.
Its new business wins during the period included Tangerine, the Ontario Government, Google and Intact, as well as expanded roles with SC Johnson, Purplebricks and Taylormade.
