André Louis, head of strategy, The & Partnership.
Two-and-a-half years after its formation, The & Partnership has finally rounded out its Canadian leadership team by hiring former Camp Jefferson vice-president, head of planning André Louis as its head of strategy.
Louis becomes the first person to occupy the head of strategy position, with The & Partnership president Christopher Andrews describing it as “a hire for the long haul” that required a methodical approach.
“We wanted to find a person with the right mix of skills, experience, vision and values – someone who can help us build the [agency] culture as well,” said Andrews. “We were looking for a really unique kind of person, and it took us a while to land the right one.”
Louis will oversee clients’ brand strategy from a digital and communications planning standpoint, pushing forward what Andrews described as “channel agnostic big thinking.” He will also work with Andrews and executive creative director Ron Smrczek – both of whom joined The & Partnership in September – to determine the agency’s strategic vision.
Andrews said Louis boasted an appealing mix of international experience with top-tier brands around the world – a multi-faceted group that includes Absolut, Baileys, Coca-Cola, Garnier, L’Oréal and Virgin Mobile – as well as experience with building brands in Canada.
Louis was most recently vice-president, head of planning at Camp Jefferson (formerly Dare Toronto), and prior to that was strategy director at Taxi Toronto – which previously held the Telus assignment now with The & Partnership.
Andrews said Louis’ client-side experience, which includes stints with AMP Banking in his native New Zealand as well as a London-based assignment as digital marketing manager with the Royal Bank of Scotland, also brings crucial business acumen to the role.
“He’s an all-arounder,” said Andrews. “He’s comfortable talking about the deepest business details, has a very strong creative background, and is really committed to being part of work that drives results in a profound and interesting way.”
Based in Toronto, Louis will oversee The & Partnership’s strategy teams in Vancouver and Montreal. The agency employs just over 80 people in its three offices.
Louis said he was attracted to an “embryonic” agency that could pull off a major account win like Telus, while subsequent conversations with Andrews and Smrczek revealed them to be “kindred spirits” who shared his values and vision.
“I was really excited by the chance to work with them and create something special,” he said.
Louis said he was also attracted to an agency that is still in “startup mode” and carving out its identity in the marketplace. “It’s a bit intoxicating to help shape something rather than coming into something that’s already very well templated,” he said.
“Advertising isn’t the default answer – it’s certainly one of the tools in the toolbox, but the ambition is to work closely with businesses to help drive growth and tackle their opportunities through strategic and creative thinking.”
Louis’ appointment comes amid a hiring spree for the WPP-backed agency, which opened its doors on three continents in November 2013. The agency has hired eight new staffers spanning account management, creative and digital strategy as it staffs up for undisclosed new business wins.
“We have a couple of things brewing that we’ll be looking to announce very soon, but we are growing and we’ve got some stuff on the go,” said Andrews.
Other new hires in Toronto are: Lindsay Di Tolla, account manager; Chris Edmeades, account director; Joachim Holmgren, account manager; Zeeshan Hussain, group account director; Jon Nestoras, account manager; Nabil Rashid, associate creative director; Jennifer Saunders, senior art director and Marcel Zierfuss, director of digital strategy.
“We want people who are smart, skilled and have a strong point of view, and people who share our vision – from the most senior level down to people who may only have been in the industry for a few years,” said Andrews. “We have a very progressive and entrepreneurial culture, and that’s a common thread among all of these people.”
He said the agency is beginning to transition into the “second phase” of its existence after spending the early part of its existence absorbing a multi-faceted and challenging account in Telus.
“Telus is not just one of the biggest accounts in the country, it’s also one of the most complex,” he said. “It’s a fascinating and fast-moving category and I think we’ve had the opportunity to grow with them as our anchor partner. We’re ready to start growing and expanding our footprint.”
