I’ve done
2021 – today
Strategy Director Zulu Alpha Kilo (Toronto, ON)
- Whirlpool Corporation
- Reckitt Benckiser
- Pizza Pizza
- Harry Rosen
2018 – 2021
Strategy Director Forsman & Bodenfors (Toronto, ON) — formerly KBS
- LG
- Ontario Power Generation
- Seneca
- The Keg Steakhouse + Bar
- Canadian Women’s Foundation
- I created the brand and communications strategy for Seneca’s Effie-winning “Challenge Accepted” campaign, boosting confirmations by 6.5% and reversing a decade of declining or flat enrolment.
- I developed the brand strategy and led the integrated agency team’s communications planning for the Canadian launch of LG VELVET, LG’s most successful smartphone launch in years. I also led strategy on LG’s home appliances, home electronics, and air conditioning businesses.
- I helped write Ontario Power Generation’s climate strategy, aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2040, and crafted the brand and communications strategy to roll it out. This included qualitative research with the public and guided sessions with employees and internal stakeholders.
- I created forsight, a weekly COVID-19 update for Toronto clients including a proprietary consumer sentiment tracking study, and was one of the authors of Forsman’s global pandemic point of view.
2015 – 2018
Associate Creative Director/Copywriter KBS (Toronto, ON)
- The Keg Steakhouse + Bar
- LG
- BMO Bank of Montreal
- BMO Insurance
- PC mobile
- Ontario Power Generation
- I created effective, insights-driven campaigns for BMO’s personal and commercial, wealth, and insurance businesses, working in close partnerswhip with our strategy team. Highlights include two campaigns for BMO SmartFolio and a pilot no-fee banking project.
- I led day-to-day work on The Keg, leading a team of creatives and developing a strong working relationship with our clients.
- I launched several new products with creative campaigns for LG, including a major mass-media campaign for the LG G7ThinQ phone.
2012 – 2015
Associate Creative Director/Copywriter McCann Erickson (New York, NY)
- American Airlines
- Nikon
- Cigna
- Lockheed Martin
- Mastercard
- Nasdaq
- I wrote winning pitch campaigns for Cigna and Lockheed Martin.
- I created the “I am Generation Image” campaign for Nikon and “America Says Ahhh” for Cigna.
- My work was covered by the New York Times (twice), Adweek, AdAge, Good Morning America, Slate, Creativity, Campaign, and TIME.
2011 – 2013
Adjunct Instructor New York University (New York, NY)
I taught Internet Copywriting in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
2008 – 2012
Copywriter Ogilvy (New York, NY)
- Siemens
- TD AMERITRADE
- Castrol
- Six Flags
- Sara Lee
- Domtar
I’ve learned
2006 – 2008
Master of Arts in Advertising University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
I studied all facets of advertising, including media management, qualitative and quantitative research, account planning, strategic communications, brand management and, yes, copywriting. I was a teaching assistant for Creative Strategy, the creative portfolio sequence, and Public Relations Writing.
2001 – 2005
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science with a minor in Journalism Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS)
2021
Section4 Brand Strategy Sprint Section4 (New York, NY)
2019
Canadian Securities Course Canadian Securities Institute (Toronto, ON)
2017
Strategy Boot Camp Miami Ad School (Toronto, ON)
2010 – 2012
Advanced Study, Sketch Writing Upright Citizens Brigade (New York, NY)
I’m good at
Thinking globally
I’ve written ads for the United States, Canada, China, Germany, South Africa, the Middle East. I’m used to working across timezones.
Learning things
I’m used to working on complicated, brain-busting accounts — and making them simple. I love to learn my clients’ businesses.
Designing campaigns
As both a strategist and a creative, I’ve built campaigns with a thousand moving parts and made sure they all moved together.
Speaking creative
I know how to inspire creatives to do their best work — after all, I used to be one. And while I may no longer be a copywriter, I can still write that way.
Finance
Other ad folks dread finance. I like it. I’ve worked on products as simple as chequing accounts and as complicated as low-volatility ETFs.
Presenting
I know how to tell a clear and compelling story and I make beautiful decks. I present with confidence to people whose titles start with Chief.