Who We Are
| COUNCIL BIOGRAPHIES | |
Stacey Grant-Thompson (Chair) Stacey Grant-Thompson is a marketing executive with extensive experience in strategy development, branding and CRM. She is a pragmatic strategist who combines strong problem-solving skills, deep marketing expertise with a drive for clear results to deliver impact. As Vice-President, Strategic Projects for Rogers Wireless, Stacey looks at key issues that will impact marketing strategy within the next 12-24 months and develops the strategies and actions to optimize outcomes for Rogers. Prior to joining Rogers, Stacey was Senior Vice-President of Marketing for ING Direct Canada from 2000-2004, leading the very successful build of the business and the brand. Before joining ING Direct, Stacey was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company. She focused on strategy development in financial services, telecommunications and retail and was one of the North American leaders of McKinsey’s CRM (Continuous Relationship Marketing) Practice. Stacey holds an MBA from INSEAD, in Fontainebleau, France. Her undergraduate degree is an HBA from UWO’s Ivey Business School in London, Ontario. | |
Azim Alibhai A media aficionado at heart, Azim brings over 10 years of experience in combining tangible results with brand objectives. As President of The Media Cottage, Azim's mandate is to ensure that media solutions work in tandem with client business strategy to build strong brands and deliver results. A University of Toronto graduate and a member of the CMA’s Branding and Strategic Planning Council, Azim's career stops have included positions at OgilvyOne Worldwide, MindShare Canada, Sharpe Blackmore Euro RSCG and Genesis Vizeum. | |
Lynn Fletcher An innovative and irreverent thinker, Lynn has developed her strategic skills over 20 years in communications. Having started her career in media at Ogilvy Canada, Lynn moved into account planning when she moved to Ogilvy in the UK. It is there that she developed her skills in creative strategy, innovative insight mining and new product development. Seconded to Ogilvy New York, Lynn helped to introduce the account planning discipline to the US agency. Returning to the UK, Lynn became the New Business Planning Partner while expanding the planning remit to integrate all Ogilvy companies around the consumer and brand. Since coming home to Canada, Lynn developed the planning discipline at Vickers & Benson. Having recently joined BBDO, her mission is to enhance an already strong strategic offering and ensure it is delivered across every point of consumer contact. | |
Sharon Groom Sharon Groom is a partner in the law firm, McMillan Binch LLP and Co-chair of the firm's Advertising and Marketing Group. Her practice focuses on Intellectual Property and Advertising law. Sharon has an extensive background in Intellectual Property having worked in private practice specializing in Canadian and U.S. trademarks and copyright as well as having been a Hearing Officer for the Trademarks Opposition Board. She also brings a wealth of international corporate commercial and business expertise gained as in house counsel for companies in the financial services, publishing and technology industries. Her positions have included Senior Vice President, Risk Management and General Counsel, Americas, for Thomas Cook; Director of Legal and Administrative Affairs and Assistant General Counsel for Harlequin Enterprises Limited where she managed a global portfolio of over 2,500 trademarks and Corporate Legal Counsel for Newbridge Networks Corporation. Sharon obtained a Bachelor of Music (Piano Performance) from Queen's University prior to deciding that her future was in law and going on to an LL.B. also from Queen's. Sharon has completed the Senior Executive Business Management Program at INSEAD, France, in 2000. | |
Jeannette Hanna Jeannette Hanna's key area of expertise - and passion - is developing sustainable corporate branding and communications strategies. She is one of the founders of Spencer Francey Peters. Since 1977, the firm has grown to be one of Canada's leading design and branding agencies. In her role as brand strategist, Jeannette tackles communication and branding strategies for SFP's diverse clientele including such notables as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Toronto Hydro, Canada Post, Galileo International, Grant Thornton, Points.com and Scotiabank, as well as numerous public sector organizations. In addition to her client work, Jeannette writes and lectures frequently on the new realities of brand management at business schools and conferences including Design Thinkers and Nokia's Innovent conference on Branding. She's the author of SFP's 25th anniversary book Connect the Dots. Jeannette currently serves on the Board of Wellspring and the Board of Advisors for the Boston-based Design Management Institute. | |
DL Leslie As the Director of Media Relations, Mr. DL Leslie is responsible for the management and direction of media and public relations programs (including crisis communications) for Siemens in Canada. In addition, he oversees the implementation of corporate branding and executive relationship programs, designed to consistently profile Siemens, based on global and Canadian value propositions and key messages. In addition, Mr. Leslie is the lead communicator for activities relating to Siemens’ healthcare business. This includes governance; guidance; consultant and coordination roles. In this capacity, he is the main interface to the sector’s headquarters and other countries for communication related issues. He is also responsible for directing all external agencies for brand image and awareness ensuring message alignment across the diverse Canadian organization. Mr. Leslie joined Siemens in 1989, and has held various positions in the communications area of the organization – all focused on enhancing the Siemens brand in Canada. Prior to joining Siemens, he worked in the public sector and in the publishing industry, where he began his career as an art director and graphic artist. He is an honours graduate of Seneca College, in Design Arts & Illustration. In addition to membership with the CMA, Mr. Leslie is a member of the Toronto Board of Trade, the Canadian German Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian College of Healthcare Service Executives. | |
Nina MacLaverty Nina spent over 35 years in the retail industry at Sears in a variety of functions, Sales Management, Inventory Control, Training, Buying and Marketing. Her extensive merchandising background, which includes women’s & men's fashions, jewelry, hardware, and Vice President of the Home and Hardlines group has given her a deep understanding of consumers and the retail and catalogue business. For over 20 years, Nina has been involved in the marketing and advertising function. Her marketing experience includes category marketing management, corporate promotional program management and brand advertising strategy. She was responsible for corporate brand advertising, retail and catalogue advertising and in-store marketing. As Group Vice President Consumer Marketing, Nina was also responsible for leading the cross functional Group Vice President team with respect to marketing strategy development. Currently, Nina works as a part of the St Joseph Communications Advisory Board, providing retail expertise and strategy leadership for New Business Development. In addition to her St Joseph Communication responsibilities, Nina serves as a member of CMA's Branding and Strategic Planning Council. Nina lives in Toronto, is married, has a son, a grandson and enjoys traveling, walking, running and weekending at her cottage in Haliburton. | |
Merril Mascarenhas Merril Mascarenhas is a research and marketing consultant with over 20 years experience. He specializes in customer acquisition, marketing and retail strategy, online marketing, advertising and market segmentation. He has led strategic initiatives with senior management across industries to assess business processes, identify revenue growth opportunities and improve organizational practices. He has served clients in automotive, telecom, healthcare, retail, consumer products and financial services industries on a broad range of strategy, business building, customer acquisition and operation issues. Merril's experience in strategic consulting gives him a unique perspective on customer acquisition and brand building challenges. Merril is passionate about bringing fresh thinking to all business issues and challenges. He has advised senior management at some of the world's greatest companies like Nienkamper, J&J, P&G, State Farm, Unilever and Glaxo in North America, Europe and Asia. Merril is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Manage-Mentor program. He also holds engineering and business degrees. Merril is a trained facilitator and frequent speaker on business strategy, brand building and competitive intelligence. He advises several non-profit organizations on governance, management and marketing best practices. He was a judge at the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Awards in 2004 and 2005. He serves on the board of Toronto East General Hospital, High Park Initiatives and Boardmatch. | |
Patricia McQuillan Patricia McQuillan founded Brand Matters in 2000 based on a career of innovative brand management including RBC, TD Waterhouse, Kraft General Foods and Tandem Consulting. Brand Matters is a leading brand consulting firm which delivers brand strategy solutions successfully connecting business to brand. Brand Matters’ strategic approach is grounded in market research and branding best practices. Clients include Leaders of innovative organizations including Air Miles Reward Program, Canada Life, Canadian Diabetes Association and Siemens Canada to name a few. Patricia’s academic qualifications include an MBA and Economics Degree from Queen's University. During her corporate career she served as VP Marketing, RBC Dominion Securities where she led the Royal Bank of Canada Wealth Management re-brand. Prior to this, she held the position of VP Marketing, TD Waterhouse where she directed the marketing launch of the first on-line brokerage in Canada. Earlier in her career, she led successive business turnarounds over a 6-year period as a Senior Brand Manager at Kraft General Foods. Today, she continues to participate as a thought leader as an owner of one of Canada’s leading brand consulting firms. She is not only an active member of the Canadian Marketing Association’s Branding & Strategic Planning Council but also serves as a Director on two Boards: the American Marketing Association and the MS Society of Canada, Toronto Chapter. | |
Mary Newman, MBA, CMRP Mary is a creative, practical, and innovative marketing executive, with a well developed expertise in Brand and Marketing Strategy. As founder of Brand 360 Strategies Inc. she leads a firm that has three core practice areas: Marketing Research, Innovation, and Brand Strategy. She began her career with Johnson & Johnson and progressed through intermediate to senior marketing roles with Nestle and CIBC. Before launching Brand 360°, she built a North American brand strategy practice for a well known multinational brand consulting firm headquartered in NYC. She has lead brand strategy, innovation and research assignments for a broad range of North America’s leading manufacturers, service firms and retailers including Starbucks, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, The Bay, Coca-Cola, SympaticoMSN, Rogers, 7Eleven, The Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (Lotto 649 & Super 7), TD, The Royal Ontario Museum, Maple Leaf Foods and many others. She is a skilled marketing research professional, ideation and innovation leader, and strategy facilitator. She is Chair, Marketing and Communications Advisory Board, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and teaches the Integrated Branding Certificate course for the Canadian Marketing Association. Mary earned an MBA at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto in 1990, and Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her academic focus has been on Strategy and Consumer Psychology. Mary is an active Member of the Market Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA), CMA, the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA), and Verity. Her passions outside of Brand360° include Golfing, Skiing, Hiking and Boating. | |
Hugh Oddie
Hugh Oddie applies his strong conceptual ability and unique perspective to develop actionable insights and solutions to complex issues. He has an innate ability to clarify intricate business challenges and position them in a holistic fashion, enabling clients to make significant progress towards reaching their goals. An experienced marketing professional, he directs customer relationship management strategies, data mining and analysis, cultural archetype research and brand strategies. Creating breakthrough and proprietary data analytic methodologies are a natural part of his work. These methodologies are currently being used by several leading financial institutions worldwide. He creates new ways of looking at customer information to drive revenue generation; through business redesign, marketing strategies and analysis. He has also been integral to the successful launch of several start-up businesses. Mr. Oddie champions and manages unique forms of behavioural research, participating in primary research and developing the findings into effective strategies and tactics used by functional and business units. He has developed psychoanalytic models which are now in use at Canada's largest bank and a leading investment house in the United States. Clients include multinational institutions in Canada, the United States, Israel, Colombia, Chile, etc. His earlier career experience in investment banking, which culminated at the board level, includes marketing international capital market issues and loan underwriting to governments and private sector customers in the Americas, Europe and the Pacific Rim. Hugh Oddie was born and raised in Cambridge, England. Schooled at Eton College and Exeter University he earned an honours degree in Economic Theory and a postgraduate Certificate in Education. He taught Economics and English literature in England, Spain and Mexico prior to his banking and marketing career. Mr. Oddie lives in Toronto, Canada, is a Past Master of the Honourable Company of Freemen of the City of London of North America, and is presently a member of the Branding and Strategic Planning Council for the Canadian Marketing Association. He writes, as yet to be published, poetry. | |
