On the Move: Changes at Google, H+K, DAC, Dynamic Outdoor

Google Canada brought on THIERRY BAZAY to lead its agency relationships in Canada as head of industry, agency partnerships. Bazay comes from programmatic trading outfit The Exchange Lab, where he was vice-president of strategic partnerships for North America, and is currently also co-chair of IAB Canada’s Programmatic Trading Committee. In the past he has also worked in sales for both media companies and agencies, as an account executive at Microsoft for three years and an account director at Publicis for four. At Google, he will focus on Google’s DoubleClick platform, and support the company’s team of programmatic experts in developing the scale to support major Canadian agency partners such as Starcom MediaVest and GroupM.

Dynamic Outdoor appointed AMANDA DORENBERG VP of marketing and technology. Dorenberg joins the company from Cieslok Media, where she had extensive experience with brand development, corporate marketing and technology applications. “As we move into our next phase of development, Amanda’s leadership as well as her expertise in both marketing and technology will be instrumental to the success of Dynamic,” said company president Brandon Newman in a release.

Hill + Knowlton Strategies made four senior promotions and four new hires, including LESLIE GREENBERG, who joins the agency in Toronto as VP of healthcare communications. Greenberg was most recently SVP national health lead at Weber Shandwick, and has also held lead communications roles at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and GlaxoSmithKline. H+K also minted two new VPs from within its ranks: COLIN SMILIE, VP of digital communications and engagement strategies in Toronto, and JIM RUTKOWSKI, former head speechwriter for Jack Layton, as VP public and corporate affairs in Victoria. H+K digital strategist ZACK SANDOR-KERR became Canadian national director of the recently launched content marketing service, H+K SJR, where he will direct overall strategy and editorial planning for clients, and NATASHA PARNANZONE became an account director within the consumer marketing group in Toronto. As for new hires, PAT BEAUCHAMP joined in Ottawa as account director within H+K’s engagement and research group, and MORGAN CATES joined in Toronto as account director with the healthcare practice. EVAN DAVIES joined in Toronto as copywriter.

Programmatic technology company AcuityAds appointed a new VP to lead its self-serve and enterprise platform division. RENZO DIPASQUALE brings experience leading enterprise software sales at tech companies like Avaya and Symantec Canada. In his new role, Dipasquale’s focus will be on marketing and business development for Acuity’s software-as-a-service trading platform, which is used by agencies and advertisers to buy targeted digital media at scale. He will also seek partnerships with enterprise software companies in and around the marketing technology space.

Following the appointment of David Jowett as president of the European arm of DAC Group last month, the agency has announced four additional promotions and one hire within its network. KEVIN LEGAULT, a senior web analyst with DAC since 2012, has been named director of marketing science, as which he will lead the company’s marketing science practice in analysis of data insights, consumer behaviour and experience testing. KATHERINE JONES was promoted to director of DAC’s development studio, comprising a recently restructured team of web developers, business analysts and quality assurance experts. ELMER BRUM, with the company since 2010, became director of IT, while KIMBERLY CARRERA became director of business development for the Canadian market, where she will lead the agency’s client acquisition and portfolio expansion strategy. The company also made one new addition, hiring BRETT FRITZ as director of business development for the U.S. market. Fritz, who was previously director of enterprise sales for software-as-a-service provider SIM Partners, will be based out of DAC’s Chicago office.

Kaiser Lachance has hired MICHAEL JESUS as a full-time account coordinator focusing on investor relations and digital communications practices upon the completion of his internship with the agency. Jesus graduated from Wilfrid Laurier in 2014, and has also interned at Royal LePage.

Toronto non-profit sector agency Stephen Thomas Ltd named JENNIFER MERIANO director of brand and integrated marketing. She was most recently a senior account manager at The Mint Agency, where she helped execute integrated marketing campaigns spanning web, print, direct and social channels. She’s also worked at AOL Media network and Softchoice Corporation. Now making the jump from commercial to non-profit marketing, Meriano will assist Stephen Thomas’ non-profit clients in delivering creative and addressing integrated marketing challenges within their organizations.

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