Jean-Pierre Giroux is resigning as vice-president of Montreal-based Touché! PHD, the media services firm he helped establish 15 years ago.
In a radical departure from his media background, Giroux, 47, is joining the board of SkySpa, a spa facility located in the Montreal suburb of Brossard.
In a release, Giroux said he had been contemplating a career change for more than a year.
“He loved [Touché! PHD] and he’s been here since day one, but for him it was a desire to explore new territories,” said Touché! PHD president Karine Courtemanche, who went on to describe Giroux as a “true inspiration” and a “great media person.”
“He’s a true ray of sunshine for all of us in the office,” she said. “He’s been devoted to media for so long and truly is an inspiration. We’re happy that he’s found something that will make him happy for years to come.”
In a release, agency CEO Alain Desormiers, a longtime business associate of Giroux’s, noted that he had been a close friend for more than 30 years and was a “driving force” in the agency’s growth. In addition to Touché! PHD, the two had worked together at Stratégem (now Carat), MusiquePlus and Paul Martel/Médiavision.
Replacing Giroux as vice-president of electronic media is Sandra Wells, who joins the agency from Corus Entertainment. Wells has also spent time on the agency side with companies including Palm and Optimedia.
Wells will work with Giroux for “a few weeks” to ensure a seamless transition for Touché! clients, said Courtemanche. While no official timetable was disclosed, Courtemanche expected the transition to take between four and six weeks.
Courtemanche described Wells, 45, as a “well-rounded” media person with both extensive agency and vendor experience. “We wanted somebody who could understand business issues both on the planning and buying side, and who understands the mechanism on the vendor side,” she said. “I think it puts her in a very good position to help our clients get added value on their buys.”
