Two of Canada’s most venerable agencies have made changes to their senior leadership, with president and chief operating officer David Leonard departing DDB Canada to become CEO of MacLaren McCann Canada.
Leonard replaces outgoing MacLaren McCann president Doug Turney, who is leaving the advertising world for a career within what the agency described as the “industry and education” arena.
Leonard, meanwhile, is being replaced at DDB by Lance Saunders, a 25-year agency veteran who was formerly executive vice-president, managing director of DDB’s Vancouver office.
Leonard arrived at DDB Canada as president of its Toronto office in 2005, and was promoted to head of its entire Canadian operation five years later.
His career has also included stints with JWT Toronto, working with global clients including Pepsi and Warner Lambert, and subsequently with Palmer Jarvis leading the agencies McDonald’s, Labatt’s and Telus accounts. He also served as president and CEO of Arnold Worldwide Canada.
Luca Lindner, president of McCann Worldgroup, said Leonard has a deep understanding of the industry and the Canadian market, and is “ideally suited” to lead the agency’s Canadian operations.
In a release, Leonard said McCann has got “great momentum” in multiple markets and praised its heritage as a “creative leader and influential force” in Canada. “I’m extremely pumped at the opportunity to take the helm,” he said.
DDB Canada chairman and CEO Frank Palmer praised Leonard’s “immense contributions” to the agency’s growth in the past decade, including its recent Quebec launch with DDB Canada Montreal to spearheading its newest client win with Volkswagen.
His successor, Saunders, has more than 30 years of agency experience. Following what the company characterized as an “extensive” global search, he arrived at DDB in 2010 from Minneapolis agency Campbell Mithun, where he was EVP and director of strategic planning.
He also spent two decades at Leo Burnett in Toronto as senior VP, managing partner, and planning director.
DDB said Saunders has taken its Vancouver office to “new heights” in the past four years. “[He] has a creative way of looking at business, which challenges our industry’s traditional models,” said Palmer in a release. “He has re-energized the culture within our Vancouver office, and this has resulted in business wins extending far beyond Western Canadian borders.”
The Vancouver office’s recent client wins include Nordstrom, Netflix and Capital One.
Saunders said there is “great momentum” building at DDB. “I’m looking forward to working closely with each of our offices to strengthen our vision for the future, and to collectively produce outstanding work for our clients,” he said.
Turney took over as head of MacLaren McCann in 2009, succeeding Howard Breen. Breen published his first book, A Page From a CEO’s Diary, in 2009, followed by The Toothpick Factory in 2010.
