AB⸻OUT
SUMMARY
An award-winning advertising creative with experience across product categories, industries and marketing disciplines.
Boy,
have I
got⸻
a little story
for you.
As a kid, I dreamt of working on the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes. Every Sunday, the show’s iconic tick tick tick would direct my focus towards the TV set. An early introduction to branding? Perhaps. After all, I did eventually swap journalism for a career in advertising.
From packaged goods to banks, telco to travel, coin collecting to loyalty programs and big pharma to beer, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the biggest brands on and off the shelves.
I’ve also earned some of most coveted global awards, such as two Cyber Lions at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity and a Yellow Pencil from the D&AD.
As an independent creative agent, I am now free to help friends, colleagues, clients and brands, both old and new, who share my passion for great work and collaboration.
EXP⸻ERIENCE
Role: Creative Director | Copywriter | Creative Strategist | Consultant
I help agencies and their clients with creative direction, concept development, French & English copywriting, brand architecture and creative strategy.
Agency collaborations: 4Zéro1, Bensymon Byrne, Kabane, HiFi, La Raffinerie, Qolab, THEUN KNOWN, The French Shop, Folk Stratégies, Vibrant Marketing.
Brands: Coca-Cola (Fairlife), Desjardins, Druide, Labatt (Teasy), La Ronde, Minerai de fer du Québec, MHIRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jets), Musée de la civilisation de Québec, Réno-Assistance, STGM Architecture, Tim Hortons, TV5 UnisTV, Vidéotron.
Role: Creative Director
Formerly part of the Omnicom Group, CDM Montreal rebranded as Fisika in 2022.
CDM is a worldwide agency network specialized in pharma and health advertising to medical practitioners. In 2015, CDM Group was named Healthcare Network of the Year at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
I was hired as an outsider to the world of pharma in order to raise the creative profile of the Canadian office. I led a small team of creatives to shift the agency’s mindset resulting in several nominations at international competitions such as the Rx Awards.
Clients: Biogen(SMA), Boehringer Ingelheim (Respiratory), Novartis (Cellular Therapy, Oncology, Ophthalmology), Johnson & Johnson (Surgical Devices), Otsuka (Nephrology) and more.
Role: Creative Director
I was responsible for managing multidisciplinary teams and led fully integrated initiatives for national clients such as Aeroplan, la Société des alcools du Québec, Roche Diagnostics (Accu-Chek blood glucose monitoring systems) and Saputo Dairy.
I was also one of the leaders on the teams responsible for pitching, winning and developing the the SAQ’s Inspire program, as well as pitching and winning the VIA Rail business. I was also heavily involved in the re-branding of the Aeroplan program.
The excellence of the work that I championed for the Royal Canadian Mint was recognized on the world stage, picking up two Bronze Lions and a shortlist at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, a Yellow Pencil from the D&AD, Silver at the One Show, two Clio Awards, Gold at the CMAs, Best in Show at the FITC, plus nods from Google, Adobe, the Webby Awards and others.
Role: From Copywriter to Creative Director
As my creative skills and strategic mindset continued to evolve, my work helped the Montreal office grow from a direct marketing specialist to a full-service agency.
I also took on the role and responsibilities of Creative Director through several new business wins, including the agency’s nomination as AOR for Molson Export.
Clients: Aeroplan, Air Canada, Beiersdorf (Nivea), Carrier Canada, Chartered Accountants of Canada, CIBC-Visa, COGECO, Coors Light, F1 Grand Prix of Canada, Fido, Kraft, Lassonde, Molson Export, Quebec Casinos, Reno-Depot, SC Johnson, TD Canada Trust.
Role: Copywriter
Leo Burnett is where I learned about the advertising business and started to develop as a copywriter. And I did it by working on ad campaigns for some of the biggest name brands in the world, since I had the incredible opportunity to mold Canadian, American and Global campaigns to fit the particularities of French-Canadian culture.
As a bonus, I also developed an understanding of production and talent direction through double-shoots and voice recording sessions.
Clients: Allstate, Beatrice-Parmalat, Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Disney, Fruit Of The Loom, Johnny Walker, Kellogg’s, Kraft, Nintendo, Pillsbury, Procter & Gamble, Trimark, Wrigley’s and more.
SK⸻ILLS
Film Studies | Concordia University | 03/1996 | Montréal, Québec | Pursued full-time education in the fall of 1995 and winter of 1996
Journalism | Jonquière College | 06/1995 | Saguenay, Québec | Obtained my professional college degree as a graduate of the Art et technologie des médias program
Achievers: Become a Great Leader – Build Yourself First, Bell Leadership Institute, New York, 2019
Emotional SMARTS, Dr. June A. Donaldson, Montréal, 2019
60+ Negotiating Strategies & Tactics – Negotiation Workshop, Gerry Preece, Montebello, 2018
Idea Machine: Creativity on Demand, Swim Creative Leadership Workshop, Montréal, 2014
Success Insights Leadership, TTI International, 2012
MyLead Leadership Development Program, Sandra Hartog & Associates Inc., Montréal, 2011
Full Potential Archetypal Branding, Xanobia, Montréal, 2010-2011
Hyper Island Master Class, Toronto, 2010
New Business Development Program, RogenSi, Toronto, 2007
Advanced Training Program, FCB Worldwide, San Francisco, 2004
Do-it-yourself Lobotomy Creative Thinking Workshop, Tom Monahan, Montréal, 2002
Creative
Direction
Ideation
Copywriting
Creative
Strategy
Concept Development
Transcreation
Localization
TV
Video
Radio
OOH
Mass Advertising
Direct Marketing
Content Creation
Experiential
Digital Marketing
Talent Direction
Copy
Editing
Scriptwriting
Script
Doctoring
Promotions
PR
Events
