New Hires — Junction59
Junction59 has hired Jill Smith as art director, where she will work on assignments including Canada Post, Telus and SiriusXM. Smith joins from Wunderman Thompson, where she worked across digital and traditional for big brands including IKEA, VW, Tums, Sensodyne as well as other brands in the GSK portfolio.
“When I met Jill for the first time I was taken aback by her passion for the business and her drive for great creative,” said Junction59’s executive creative director, Curtis Wolowich. “She has a maturity that you don’t often see. I knew right away that I found my new art director.”
New Hires — Wavemaker
Wavemaker Canada has appointed Ryan Webber as CEO. Webber will also serve on the executive committee’s for both GroupM Canada and Wavemaker Americas. Webber was previously chief revenue officer at iLobby.
“Ryan’s strengths are uniquely suited to this role—a passion for finding new ways to solve problems, an extraordinary EQ, and great commercial connections in the Canadian market,” said Wavemaker Americas CEO Louisa Wong. “He embodies a leadership style that will empower, inspire, and coach an already high-performing and highly successful executive leadership team, helping them… align their plans with the overall business strategy and do their best work.”
Wavemaker is coming off a successful six months that includes winning the Moderna, Beiersdorf, and Corby Spirit and Wine business.
New Hires — True Media Canada
True Media Canada has added two senior-level leaders to its team, with the hiring of associate media director Claire Crombez, formerly of Mediacom and OMD; and Sebastian Novak, formerly of AdParlour and Wavemaker, as senior media manager.
The new hires come after a period of significant new business growth including the recent win of NEO Financial, a Calgary-based fintech company.
“We embody an entrepreneurial culture that embraces and leads change,” said True Media president Bruce Neve. “We empower our employees to act smart and fast, innovate, challenge the norm, and pursue excellence for ourselves and our clients. Both Claire and Sebastian bring a like-minded approach to the business, and so are outstanding additions to our team. We’re thrilled to have them lead us into our next phase of growth in the year ahead.”
New Hires — Society, etc.
Independent media agency Society, etc. has capped a year of significant organic and new business growth that includes the better-for-you snack bar brand Love Good Fats; Canadian crypto trading platform Coinberry; Indigenous footwear company Manitobah Mukluks and Tetley.
The agency’s expanded business has led to a series of hires, including Matt Iannacci (pictured), who joins as account lead on the agency’s growing Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment business; Jonathan Solnicki as an account lead; and account support specialists Stephanie Valentine, Neeki Jafari, Alexander De Sousa, and Willow Henderson.
“We are thrilled to be adding new expertise and perspective to our account service team,” said Society, etc. president Mike Sharma. “Our business growth over the past year has allowed us to add top talent across the board, bringing new energy and fresh new marketing thinking to the agency.”
New Hires — Mackie Biernacki
Mackie Biernacki has finally got its man. Five years after unsuccessfully trying to bring him aboard, the agency announced this month that Matt Cammaert has joined as president. Cammaert brings extensive experience across categories and brands, along with both multinational agency networks and boutique shops.
“Five years ago, a colleague suggested we meet with Matt because they thought we could really work well together,” said agency co-founder Steph Mackie. “And we’ve been keeping in contact ever since then. It took a while, but we’re very excited to have Matt on board.”
Cammaert spent nearly eight years with Cheil Canada, where he grew the office and helped orchestrate new business wins including the Government of Canada, TD, BMO and Yokohama. He also launched the agency’s full-service production offering CYLNDR, which has since grown to multiple offices around the world.
He launched the Toronto agency Berners Bowie Lee at the beginning of the pandemic, and has also taught advertising courses at Centennial College, served as a brand council member with the Canadian Marketing Association, and has held a Canadian committee board position with Human Rights Watch.
