IAB Canada is seeking a new president following today’s announcement that Paula Gignac is stepping down on Sept. 1 after eight years with the organization.
Gignac joined IAB in September 2004 and oversaw the association’s growth from a single person operation to a current staff of six with chapters in both Quebec and Western Canada.
Her tenure also coincided with an explosion in interactive advertising that saw it grow from a $170-million business in 2004 to $2.2 billion in 2010. According to the latest forecast from ZenithOptimedia, online advertising is expected to surpass $3 billion later this year.
Gignac also spearheaded several major IAB initiatives, including the development of the country’s first set of universal online ad standards, the first digital salary guide for publishers and agencies, and a student guide to Canadian colleges and universities featuring interactive courses and curricula – the latter two of which were global firsts.
She also oversaw the creation of the interactive industry’s first one-day course in interactive marketing and online advertising, which she will continue to teach for IAB Canada in both custom, in-house and public forums.
Gignac is leaving the GTA to follow her partner, who is pursuing a Masters Degree elsewhere in Ontario. “When my personal circumstances changed, the decision to step down was actually quite an easy one to make given IAB Canada’s current position and prospects for future success,” said Gignac in a release.
Based on its volunteer base, growth opportunities developed through strategic planning exercises and the staff capabilities, Gignac also expressed her “complete confidence” in IAB Canada and the “vastness of its opportunities.”
In the release, Dominique-Sebastien Forest, vice-president of national digital solutions for TC Media and chair of IAB Canada’s board of directors, called Gignac “a leader and entrepreneur of the highest calibre,” adding that IAB has been “privileged to have her direct the organization and the industry for the past eight years.”
IAB Canada is accepting applications for Gignac’s successor until May 7.
