Less than two months after taking over as CEO of Toronto-based agency Launch, Kelly McCarten has begun reshaping the company’s senior management team.
The experiential marketing agency this week announced two new hires: vice-president and creative director Mike Palmer, and account director Lesli Lehman.
“My focus is to develop a high-performance team that is customer-centric in the delivery of innovative ideas to our top clients,” said McCarten in an e-mail interview. “[Palmer and Lehman] are two individuals who have consistently outperformed in their field.”
Palmer has 16 years of experience in marketing and advertising, most recently at Maritz Canada where he was creative director overseeing work for clients including BlackBerry and Ford Canada.
He has experience in winning large pieces of new business and executing projects spanning print, experiential and digital. Palmer has also done extensive work in the consumer packaged goods space with companies including Coca-Cola, Weston Bakeries, and Ferrero Rocher. “[Palmer] will play an essential part in setting a strong creative strategy and new business development moving forward,” said McCarten.
Lehman worked alongside McCarten at Coca-Cola Canada, and has extensive account director experience with agencies including Vickers & Benson, Square Peg and B Street Communications. She was most recently at Nestlé Canada, and has also worked with Nike, Levi’s, Disney, Purina, Heinz, Weston Bakeries and McDonald’s. Lehman has extensive experience in shopper and experiential marketing as well as national promotions.
In addition to new business, Lehman will work on the agency’s Pepsi account, and will bring “incredible energy” to Launch said McCarten.
