2019 Jury

Karine Courtemanche
President
Omnicom Mediagroup

Karine Courtemanche is the President of Touché! Toronto and Omnicom Media Group in Quebec, leading over 300 people in both Montreal and Toronto offices. She recently restructured the agency focusing on effectiveness resulting in double digit growth across the company. During her 20 year + career Karine has worked with top brands including Canadian Tire, FGL Sports, Mark’s Work Warehouse, VIA Rail and Quebec Milk Producers which positions her as a top reference for creativity and innovation for award winning campaigns.

In both 2013 and 2014 Karine was named strategy’s Media Director of the year, most recently in 2018 named strategy’s Media Leader of the year and juried many major media competitions: Cannes Lions, CASSIES, Festival of Media, Prix Media Infopresse and has previously co-chaired the MIAs in 2014.

Her work is recognized at many national and international competitions winning at Cannes for Sport Chek and Mark’s and most recently awarded Campaign of the Year at Festival of Media Global and North America

Touché! Has been named strategy’s Media Agency of the Year 4 times in the last 5 years and the Global Agency of the Year at Festival of Media Global for 2 consecutive years.

Bob Park
Chief of Brands
GE Appliances

Bob Park is the Chief of Brands for GE, Café, Monogram and Haier Appliances in Canada. In addition to corporate communications and branding, his responsibility encompasses public relations, digital, advertising, promotions, and training initiatives.

Drawing on more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, including leadership roles with globally recognized home electronics and computer brands, he is a proponent of digital innovation as well as a retail execution strategist. While at Samsung, Bob was the architect for successful product launches such as large format commercial displays as well as personal laser printer technology. He most recently led the Monogram brand of luxury appliances to prominence in the Canadian market using an unprecedented ‘digital-first’ approach for that industry.

Bob holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta, as well as executive certification from Princeton University.

Nadia Beale
Senior Vice President
MSLGROUP

Nadia is the core architect of the agency's award-winning consumer brands portfolio—bringing home the hardware as recently as May 2019 from NYC for Canadian Agency of the Year at the North American Sabre Awards.
As a strategist and innovator, she’s been at the forefront of influencer marketing and instrumental in pioneering and innovating across this fast-growing part of MSL’s business for some of the world’s most exciting and iconic brands. From Pampers to Pantene, Nadia has worked to reshape the role of PR and social media at the agency and for our Brand partners, with campaigns that breakthrough by converting consumers on digital platforms.
In addition, in 2018 Nadia conceived of and launched M+, MSL proprietary approach to delivering content with precision across the various stages of the consumer decision journey.
She manages a talented team of over 30 Communications professionals and take a very active role in mentorship, and nurturing a culture of collaboration and high performance at MSL.

Valerie Beauchesne
VP Media
Havas Montreal

Valérie has created an enviable place for herself on the media scene over the past 10 years. Her ability to transcend the status quo has enabled her to win many advertising awards, including Infopresse’s Relève Média in 2013. Passionate about all things marketing, Valérie aspires not only to greater personal career advancement but to promote the advancement of her industry as well. To this end, she contributes as a chairperson on several juries and committees, such as that of Quebec’s Conseil des Directeurs Médias. As committed in the office as she is in the community, she is also a member of the Refuge des Jeunes de Montréal. She collects eyeglasses and organic wine in her spare time.

Shane Cameron
CIO
OMD Canada

During his 20 plus years in marketing, Shane has worked on the creative agency side, at one of the first, high volume, e-commerce companies in the world, as well as having helped bring a start-up to being publicly traded on the NASDAQ. This cross-section of experience and contribution has led to his commentary being featured in publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, and Strategy Magazine. With a dedication towards designing innovative communication platforms, Shane works with client and OMD Canada teams to help responsibly transform how brands go to market in the complex landscape we all operate. Outside of work, Shane is an avid concert goer, plays more basketball than his knees would like, and explores Toronto with his wife and through the eyes of his young daughter.

Brock Leeson
Vice-President, Digital Media
Jungle Media

Brock has 14+ years of experience in the industry. An expert on communication technologies and marketing in the digital realm, Brock is the strategic lead for the Digital Media practice and has managed the main digital media direction of top marketers including Nike, IKEA, NHL, Sleeman Breweries and Capital One.

Glenn Martin
Director of Marketing
Scott's Canada

Glenn Martin’s marketing career spans nearly 30 years focused on leading consumer brands across a variety of categories including: hardware, automotive, confectionary and lawn and garden, holding progressively more senior marketing positions at Dundas Jafine, Valvoline, Cadbury and Scotts Miracle Gro.

As the Director of Marketing for Scotts Canada, Glenn has spent the last 15 years driving growth through game changing new product introductions and communication innovations borne of sound strategy, consumer insights, combined with his wealth of personal experience.

Glenn and his team have been recognized and awarded for numerous campaigns and media innovations including: ATOMIC, CMA, Shorty’s, Marketing, ADCC, Applied Arts Advertising for Weed B Gon – Prickly and Scotts
Green Max – Green Screen. Glenn has personally been awarded The Horace Hagedorn – Scotts Global Marketer of the Year in 2011 and has been featured in various trade publications including Contagious and Canadian Packaging, Born in Winnipeg, Glenn’s love of gardening started as a young teen working at a local garden centre. His passion for growing continues to this day

Shirley Mukerjea
Senior Director of Marketing
PepsiCo Foods Canada

Shirley Mukerjea is the Senior Marketing Director for Frito Lay Core Brands at PepsiCo Foods Canada. Shirley has been with PepsiCo Canada for 11 years and has led several of the Company’s iconic brands, including Lay’s, Doritos, Gatorade and Tropicana. In her current role, Shirley leads a team of passionate marketers who build magnetic brands by creating breakthrough consumer engagement & innovation strategies.

Shirley graduated from the Schulich School of Business, York University and started her 16-year marketing career at Kraft Foods Canada, where she spent seven years across sales and brand roles prior to joining PepsiCo in 2008. Her experience spans across consumer & shopper marketing including brand strategy, advertising & communications, innovation & new business, sports marketing, and shopper solutions. Shirley is known for inspiring and coaching teams, building capability, and unleashing insights to create compelling consumer experiences that transform brands and deliver sustainable business results. An accomplished Marketer, Shirley has been recognized with several industry accolades including Cannes Gold Lion, Cassies, and Sports Marketing Clios, and continues to support best practice sharing in the industry through public speaking and awards judging in addition to guest lecturing at her alma matter.

Shirley was born in Indonesia and travelled most of East Asia with her parents as a child, thus sparking her love affair with travel. Her passion for discovery and learning through immersive experiences has led her to 30 countries with an endless list to go. While at home in Toronto, you can find her with family and friends, discovering the best of Toronto through sporting events, concerts, food, festivals and photography.

Andeen Pitt
Vice President, Partner
Wasserman & Partners Advertising Inc

Andeen has over 25 years of experience in the advertising industry with a focus on media. She’s had the unique advantage of working within several media models, ranging from a large full-service, multinational agency (Saatchi & Saatchi) to client-side at Bristol Myers to an independent media buying shop, Harrison, Young, Pesonen & Newell (now PHD ). Andeen joined Wasserman + Partners in 1996 and has been a partner in the agency since 2005.

Andeen has been and continues to be actively engaged in industry causes and professional organizations. She’s a past board member of Worldwide Partners, the world’s largest network of owner-operated advertising agencies; a past member of the executive of Numeris and Ad Standards Canada. Andeen regularly guest lectures at Capilano University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She also sits on the Civic Affairs Committee of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.

When she doesn’t have her nose to the grindstone at our agency, she pursues her other passions: quilting, ukulele and jazz

Shelley Smit
President
UM Canada

With a career built on working with high profile brands to drive business results, Shelley is an unstoppable force within the media space. As President of UM Canada, her proven leadership coupled with client and agency-side experience have led UM to historical highs, including extensive new business wins, innovative business partnerships, a mountain of industry awards, and a recent RECMA rating of third best media agency in Canada. Shelley knows that it takes dedicated and high performing talent to deliver on the agency’s promise of Better Science, Better Art and Better Outcomes. Promoting a positive company culture and customized employee development opportunities has resulted in industry-leading low turnover rates for the Canadian agency.

Kate Torrance
Director Brand Marketing
SickKids Foundation

After a 20 year career working for top tier advertising agencies, Kate Torrance made the switch to a client side role and now leads integrated brand marketing for SickKids Foundation. Kate was a key team member in the development of the award-winning VS brand platform, and has executed 3 years of campaigns to bring the platform to life and drive fundraising towards building a new SickKids.  Throughout her career, Kate has led national integrated advertising campaigns for top brands including Budweiser, Corona, Bell, Starbucks, Coca Cola, and Quaker. In addition to her role at SickKids, Kate is proud to sit on the Board of Directors for nabs Canada, and Until the Last Child. Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.

David Allard
CMO
Samsung Canada

David Allard's background encompasses over 17 years of marketing leadership across integrated marketing, brand management, media innovation, sponsorship marketing, and content strategy both in Canada and globally.

Prior to joining Samsung, David worked extensively on tier one brands and portfolios at Coca-Cola, Diageo, Campbell's Soup, and Unilever, where his notable accomplishments included the implementation of a new Integrated Marketing Communications team and process at Coca-Cola Canada that helped drive outstanding business performance, unlocking the first ever spirits sponsorship of the NHL for Diageo globally, and leading global consumer content for Captain Morgan – helping establish it as the fastest growing top 15 spirit brand in Europe, and the 2nd fastest growing premium spirit in the world.

David brings a sense of curiosity, creativity and positivity to his marketing leadership approach. He is inspired by helping people unlock their courage as marketers. He has a track record of integrated marketing leadership success, including being recognized at Coca-Cola Canada with the Excellence in Leadership Award, being awarded the Global Festival of Media Award and an Applied Arts Interactive Award for AXE digital, a Gold Media Innovation Award for Campbell’s, and a North American Ex Award for Smirnoff.

David has chaired the Digital Committee at the Association of Canadian Advertisers, is a past advisory board member for Insidedigital.org, and is a prior member of the board of directors at the Sponsorship Marketing Committee of Canada. David has also had the honour of sitting on the judging panels for both the Promo and Sponsorship Marketing Awards in Canada.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University and an MBA in Marketing from the Schulich School of Business. He is passionate about family, travel and music. He lives in Toronto with his wife Andrea and two sons Ellis and Charlie.

David Bagozzi
VP, Marketing
Post Foods

David Bagozzi is Vice President Marketing, Canada and International at Post Consumer Brands.  David has extensive consumer marketing experience and has worked at leading CPG companies including Unilever, Cadbury, and Kellogg's.  During his career, he has worked on award-winning campaigns for Caramilk, Rice Krispies and Shreddies.  David enjoys judging and has served on panels including Strategy Agency of the Year, Shopper Innovation Awards, and the Promo Awards.

Richard Bartrem
Vice-President, Marketing Communications
WestJet

Richard is the Vice-President, Marketing Communications at WestJet. What does that mean, exactly? It means he gets to lead a talented and dynamic team responsible for the strategy and execution of WestJet’s internal and external communications, social media, marketing, sponsorship, community investment and creative services. So, in actuality he does very little but is supported by people who do a lot, very well.

Prior to joining WestJet in 2005 as Director, Brand and Communications, Richard began his career selling soap for Unilever in 1988 and, over the next twelve years, held a variety of sales and marketing positions in Montréal, Halifax, Calgary and Toronto. Richard left Unilever in 2000 having amassed more than enough soap for the remainder of his natural life and spent five years working for Astral Media in television in Toronto where he was responsible for the marketing strategy for The Movie Network and Mpix brands. Recognizing that television adds ten pounds, he made the jump to the airline industry where he was under the impression that you weigh less at altitude.

A native of Montréal, Richard now resides in Calgary with his wife and has two children in university.

Jodie Bates
Director, Integrated Marketing Communications
OLG

Jessica Chambers
SVP, Brand Group Director
Horizon Media Canada

Jessica is the SVP of Brand Strategy leading the Tim Hortons and Benjamin Moore business at Horizon Media Canada. Jess brings more than 16 years’ of experience implementing strategic, innovative, and integrated 360 degree communication solutions for leading consumer packaged goods, entertainment, fuel, financial, QSR and business to business organizations. Having started her career in media buying, Jess has a solid understanding of the Canadian marketplace and thrives in seamlessly integrating all POE channels into one connected communication system.

Jess has a proven track record in building trusted client relationships as demonstrated through a 12 year partnership with Mars Wrigley, spanning two agency appointments. Having worked at various agencies including MediaCom, OMD, and M2 Universal, Jess was intrigued to help support the launch of a new agency in the Canadian Marketplace and is thrilled to be a part of the growing team at Horizon Media.

Although Jess is often referred to as the “process queen”, her true passion lies in delivering exceptional client service, building trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and driving successful business growth, whilst providing leadership and fostering career development within the internal team. For Jess, business really is personal.

Kelly Dutton
President
VMC Media

As President of Gaggi Media, under VMC, Kelly provides stability and continuity to a fast-paced and continually changing agency environment. Kelly has a knack for shifting talent and resources and for reallocating budgets to address and reflect a client’s strategic priorities.

Kelly has been honing her advertising skills since 1994, having worked in categories such as CPG, Media, Entertainment, Financial Services (Investment/B2B/Insurance/Enterprise Solutions), Travel, Charity, Loyalty Programs, Beverage & Spirits, Public Utilities, Automotive, and Consumer Electronics.

Her membership in the IAB Agency Council provides Kelly with tremendous insight into today’s constantly evolving digital media landscape.

Kelly is an alumna of McGill University (Montreal) & York University (Toronto). In her spare time, Kelly can be found volunteering at Sick Kids Hospital, at a concert venue, or nose-deep in a really good book.

Adrian Fuoco
Senior Director of Marketing, Integrated Communications and Media
Boston Pizza International Inc

Pizza, BBQs, beer, bikes, drill bits, loyalty rewards, solar panels, and pizza poutine – name a product and Adrian has likely tried to sell it to someone at some point. That’s because for over 18 years he has watched the media landscape evolve as he built strategies and campaigns to grow retail and restaurant brands in Canada and the USA! Adrian has been fortunate to have played a leading role in the development of the Canadian Tire JumpStart brand, later the Canada’s Store campaign, the popular “Canadian Tire Guy” character and of course, helped change the world with BP’s pizza boxes designed for eating pizza in bed.

Adrian, his wife and twin girls live in Toronto.

Luc Harvey
Media Director
The Media Kitchen

Luc started his career about 25 years ago in a small local agency. Moving forward his journey included some high profile Canadian and international agencies as full time or freelancer. At FCB Direct, Luc experienced everything related to Direct Marketing and media including list planning. Luc also worked his way up at Saint-Jacques Vallée The Media Edge and most recently at The Media Kitchen Canada. During 10 years, Luc experienced freelancing for Maxus, Mediacom and Touché among other. During all these years, he worked on some very high profiles accounts: Molson, RBC, Aeroplan, Molson, Investors Group, Loto-Québec and Volkswagen to name a few.

Luc’s experience in media planning includes deep knowledge of all conventional and digital channels. Luc has planning experience going from print to digital programmatic covering everything in between.

During his spare time, Luc is collecting vintage watches and always on the search for the next holy grail to add to his collection.

Michael Ingemann
Managing Director
Cadreon

A lead authority in the digital space, Michael is responsible for developing best-in class solutions that deliver comprehensive, high-performing market results. By applying his entrepreneurial background with more than twelve years’ experience in digital leadership, Ingemann has developed a proven track record of success, developing strategic agendas for digital business development, start-ups, marketing, and e-commerce.

Previously based in Denmark as Chief Digital Officer for the IPG Mediabrands’ Nordic region, Michael now leads Cadreon’s Canadian team to define the company’s vision and strategy, both within the Canadian market and on a larger scale to correspond with Cadreon’s global vision. In this role, he leverages his expertise of sophisticated technology, emerging data stacks, DMPs, and predictive algorithms to drive business wins through leading-edge programmatic and overarching digital strategies that navigate Mediabrands clients through this evolving media landscape.

David Jowett
Head of Media
No Fixed Address inc.

David Jowett is a Partner and Head of Media with ad agency No Fixed Address.

A prominent figure in the global media agency community, Jowett returned to Canada in 2018 to head NFA’s media services after a three-year stint as President of Europe for Canada-based DAC Group, a privately-owned digital performance and technology group.

Prior to that, Jowett spent two years as President of Vision7 International Media where he was instrumental in transforming the company’s main media brands – Cossette Media and Jungle Media – into leaders in the Canadian media industry.

A true internationalist, Jowett has more than 25 years of media experience and a reputation for bringing business value to his clients and their brands. In the UK, he was President of Global Clients for media agency Aegis and Managing Director at WPP-owned MediaCom. He has worked on a vast portfolio of leading global brands including such names as Nokia, Philips, Adidas, Volkswagen Audi, GE, Royal Bank of Scotland, GlaxoSmithKline and Walmart.

Jowett believes that in an increasingly complex world, simplicity, combined with custom-built business solutions, represents a powerful proposition for clients and their brands.

“Today’s communications landscape offers a truly dizzying array of creative options – whether in the digital or mobile space – or as new ideas and partnerships with traditional media,” says Jowett. “And it’s because of that complexity that our role for clients, as an agency partner, increasingly becomes one of simplifying and interpreting that world to provide our clients with the most creative, relevant and cost-effective solutions that deliver a business impact.”

NFA is an integrated agency, offering diverse and custom-made solutions across the full spectrum of marketing disciplines and services.

Launched less than three years ago, NFA has become a major force on the ad agency scene. The agency has a blue chip client base and has grown to a full-time staff of some 95 people. In a very short time NFA has been recognized both domestically and internationally for its work, including being named as Strategy magazine’s 2017 Bronze Digital Agency of the Year and most recently awarded Silver in Ad Age’s 2018 International Small Agency of the Year contest.

Marie-Claudel Lalonde
Senior Director of Strategy and Marketing Communications
Loto-Quebec

Marie-Claudel Lalonde is the Senior Director of Strategy and Marketing Communications at Loto-Québec. With more than 18 years of experience in various marketing, brand management and integrated marketing roles, she is a respected leader maximizing ROI while breaking from tradition to constantly evolve and stand out to meet consumers' needs.

She has led award-winning campaigns such as Lotto 6/49: YOUSHOULDPLAY649. Marie-Claudel was also one of the Strategy Magazine Marketers of the Year in 2018.

Emmanuelle Legault
Vice President Marketing
Tourisme Montreal

Emmanuelle has close to 20 years' experience in the tourism industry; 5 years at the Sid Lee agency as Lead for Tourisme Montréal, 10 at Tourisme Montréal, 3 years based in Vancouver at Destination Canada as VP International and now back at Tourisme Montréal since last January as VP Marketing and Strategy. She’s managed 10 multidisciplinary teams dedicated to as many geographic markets covering Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. She’s a seasoned 360 marketer who prefers real actionable insights to big data. She is passionate about Montreal, its creativity and its people.

Fil Lourenco
VP of Digital
Havas Canada

Fil Lourenco is the VP of Digital at Havas Media leading digital strategy & buying across the agency for the last two years. Fil has extensive experience in a variety of categories including Automotive, Finance, CPG and many others with a focus on performance marketing.  Fil was listed as one of Canada’s Top 30 under 30 in 2015 by Marketing Magazine. Fil’s work has been recognized for awards in both Canada and the US.

Kristine Lyrette
President
Publicis Media

Kristine is a strong advocate for her clients and growing their business.
Working with the belief that understanding client culture is fundamental to building partnerships and delivering best-in-class work.

Her greatest strengths are building high performance teams that drive collaboration and innovation to work with our clients & partners to deliver the best business-building work.
Kristine supports a life-long learning approach and drives herself and her teams to work within the industry to push for improved metrics and application of new learning.

An experienced media executive with 20+ years in the industry, she has driven business results in a variety of categories including telecom, technology, entertainment and automotive.

Peter Macdonald
Executive Head of Marketing
Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp

Peter Macdonald is a strategic and passionate senior marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in the food industry in both Canada and the US.  He leads the marketing, food service and consumer services teams at Dr. Oetker Canada.  A specialist in innovation, he has helped launch everything from new categories like Fully Cooked Roasts at Maple Leaf Foods, to brands such as Giuseppe and Patisserie at Dr. Oetker, all the way to a new business unit with LSG Sky Chefs in the US.  Along the way, the work of his teams has won awards such as Best New Products, Most Trusted Brand, CMA Gold, Cassies and PAC Gold.  He is a member of the COMMB Board of Directors as an ardent supporter of OOH.

Nancy Modrcin
Partner, Global Strategy Lead
Horn and Mane Inc.

Nancy is a commercially driven marketer and business strategist with a reputation for creating customer focused business plans that reverse decline trends, drive growth and improve profitability. She has 20 years of experience built across multiple industries, including retail, consumer packaged goods, entertainment and publishing – and brand building expertise fine-tuned on some of the world's most notable brands, including Disney, Harlequin, NBC Universal and Mattel. Nancy is now a Partner and Head of Global Strategy for a consulting firm that specializes in the optimization and management of sales and marketing solutions on digital channels. She is passionate about helping new and evolving companies navigate the complexity of a rapidly changing digital landscape.

Bruce Neve
President
True Media Services

Bruce, as President of True Media Canada, is driving growth and media innovation across the full North American network.
The success formula is data informed insights, enabled by technology but with a go-to-market approach that is nimble , creative and fully collaborative with other agency partners and internal client teams.
Bruce has over 30 years in advertising, having led Starcom MediaVest Group, MEC, Y&R ; past President of CMDC, active supporter of NABS, with a love of travel, art, family and the Leafs.

Jodi Peacock
SVP Business Director
Mediacom Canada

Jodi Peacock is SVP, Business Lead at MediaCom.  She recently returned to the Group M agency after two years launching and growing The Media Kitchen in Canada as the MDC outpost’s inaugural Managing Director.  In her last stint at MediaCom, she spent 4 years running its content division, MediaCom Beyond Advertising. Prior to moving agency-side, she held senior marketing roles on the client and publisher sides of the business at Metro News and Astral Media.  Her background gives her a unique 360 view from which to evaluate this year’s submissions and she’s thrilled to collaborate with the rest of the jury to uncover the best our industry has to offer for 2019.

Lynne Piette
Director Marketing
Volkswagen Canada

Lynne is an accomplished, decisive and knowledgeable consumer-centric marketer with over 15 years' experience in automotive marketing, and is currently the Canadian head of Marketing for Volkswagen Canada. She oversees the National Marketing strategy and planning in collaboration with advertising and media agencies outputting award winning work with outstanding achievements including record sales in the past with 8 consecutive years! During her tenure at VW, she was instrumental in creating a culture shift to become a true consumer-centric organization. She also launched and led a successful Corporate Social Responsibility for Volkswagen in Canada. Her in depth knowledge and experience in the auto industry & marketing also includes previous roles at both Honda and General Motors.

Jackie Poriadjian-Asch
CMO & Chief Revenue Officer

Jackie Poriadjian-Asch spent the lionshare of her career in the sports and entertainment industry – with over a decade first helping build the international business for the UFC based in London then later taking on the role as head of global brand marketing.

She joined Canada Goose as Chief Marketing Officer at a critical inflection point for the iconic brand as it transitioned from largely wholesale focus to growing direct to consumer business, both online and in over a dozen retail location within its first 2 years.

For over a year now Poriadjian-Asch’s been CMO + Chief Revenue Officer for ecobee – pioneering the smart home category in ways that’s great for consumers and the environment.  She’s recently worked on defining the brand’s strategy and had the opportunity to lead the go-to-market for recent product launches with great success … but credits everything to an incredible team that will stop at nothing to achieve their mission.

Ann Stewart
CEO
Astewart Consulting

Ann is an independent industry leader helping clients and media companies navigate the marketing landscape. She is the former CEO of the newly launched Wavemaker, one of Canada’s largest and fastest growing media agencies, after the merger of two companies Maxus and MEC. She was awarded the 2019 Best Workplace in Canada managed by a female. She has also won Best places to work for her companies 3 years running and has played a major role in industry associations and awards, judging Cannes, strategy awards, MIA’s, Atomics and CMA. Ann was also the 2017/2018 chair of the Canadian Media Directors where she she lead the vision for the industry media CEO’s.

In 2012 she launched Maxus, for Groupm, starting with 3 employees to 80 before the merger with Wavemaker. Both agencies represented some of Canada’s strongest brands, such as L’Oréal, Molson and BMO, all highly awarded brands.

Ann is known as an strategic, innovative and engaged leader with 25 years of diverse media experience ranging from operations, strategic planning, buying and even selling of media. She has been in the GroupM family for over 13 years previously running Excelerator Media, as GM Managing Director. Before GroupM Ann was a partner in the Brainstorm Group, a full service communication agency, and previously spent 4 years selling OOH advertising.

Ann is a graduate of Humber College in Marketing, a graduate of the 4 year CAPP. She is an active member of the Strategy advisory board, IAB and RCC.

Sarah Thompson
Chief Strategy Officer
MindShare Canada

Sarah Thompson is the Chief Strategy Officer at Mindshare. In her role, Sarah is the provocation for the team at Mindshare and clients. She oversees marketing sciences, content and communications planning at the agency to support clients in their business and brand aims. Over her career Sarah has worked in almost every discipline of marketing and in all industries. She serves as the Co-Chair for the CMA Media Council and is a member of the PRIDEAM ICA Initiative.