Matt Hassell has been appointed chief creative officer of KBS+ Toronto.
Hassell, previously CCO at OgilvyOne in Toronto, replaces Dan Pawych at KBS+, who held the position for five years.
Hassell officially started on Jan. 12 with the holidays acting as a transition period between the two creative leaders, according to Nick Dean, president of KBS+ Toronto.
“Dan was with the agency for five years and did great things with us. We’re very proud of the accomplishments we all achieved together,” Dean said.
Dean and Hassell started their careers together at FCB Direct (now Draft FCB) in 2000, working on CIBC Visa as a fresh account director (Dean) and rookie copywriter (Hassel).
“We actually started the same week,” Hassell said. “We figured out what advertising was [together]. I remember being glad there was something there I could talk to about all the things I didn’t know.”
“There’s always been a notion we may one day again work together,” Dean said. “I’ve followed Matt’s career and the success he has achieved, as well as the progression from McCann to TBWA and most recently Ogilvy.”
Hassell helped OgilvyOne land Tim Hortons and InterContinental Hotels as AOR clients. In his first few months at KBS+, he will be tasked with building the creative team and making several hires, both junior and senior, as well as getting acquainted with the agency’s accounts, including Target Canada and BMO, a recent win for KBS+.
