Rob Daintree has joined WestJet as the airline’s new director of marketing communications. The marketer was most recently associate vice-president of marketing at FGL Sports.
Daintree is filling in a role that has been vacant for almost two years. Marshall Wilmot, senior vice-president of marketing and digital at WestJet, said the company recently combined its marketing communications, digital and product teams into a single unit and wanted to bring on someone to head up marcom at the director level.
As head of marketing communications, Daintree is overseeing a team of nearly 50 and reports to Richard Bartrem, vice-president of marketing communications.
Prior to FGL, Daintree held a variety of agency-side positions including roles at Young & Rubicam, Trigger, MacLaren McCann and Venture Communications. He was also director of communications for the non-profit Ad Rodeo.
“[Daintree] brings considerable experience on the agency side, combined with his more recent experience at FGL, which included many of the elements important to us – retail, experiential and brand, to name a few,” said Wilmot.
Daintree told Marketing he is excited to join a brand that has shaken up the airline industry. “What WestJet has been able to build as a brand through innovation, and by breaking category conventions, in just 20 years is astounding,” he said. “The ability to be part of the journey as the brand embarks on the next 20 years is incredibly exciting.”
He’s followed the brand for many years, he added, both as a marketer in the industry and as a consumer. “Being from the west, it’s a brand I grew up with and have followed closely, from both a marketing perspective and as a guest,” he said. “It’s your classic challenger brand story, and it’s great to see that mindset still present today after such growth.”
