Rob Guenette

CEO - TAXI 

He is known throughout the canadian advertising world for his passion and energy, and Rob Guenette has worked on both the client and agency sides of the business. While on the client side, he was at Unilever for 14 years before moving to Molson in 2000 as Vice President and Global Advertising Director. Switching over to the agency side, Rob has been president and CEO of TAXI Toronto since 2004.

Rob combines his passion for advertising, design, culture and the arts with what he calls a "blue collar" management style that is close to people, close to truth, and very “no- nonsense.” Rob built his career as an agency client with a reputation for buying the best work the industry could produce. At TAXI, he uses that ability to inspire greatness and shape client relationships that are built on shared goals and standards. A recent profile in Strategy Magazine described him as “the most outspoken and successful evangelist for making advertising that has attitude.”

Before joining that little ad shop called Taxi in 2004, Rob Guenette had already earned a reputation as a marketing powerhouse, shaking things up client side by making fresh, engaging creative a top priority while at Unilever, where he stayed for 14 years working on brands such as Lipton and Chesebrough Ponds.

"I'm sorry to say he seems to be one of a kind," said Nancy Vonk, CCO at Ogilvy & Mather Toronto back in August 2004 when strategy put Guenette on the cover of its first magazine issue. "I wish there were many thousands of Rob Guenettes. As a client he really got on board with the whole belief system that you've got to get noticed first and foremost. He really demanded a high calibre of work." In 1999, he was on to Molson where he became VP/global director, marketing before moving to the agency side, running now defunct Flavour. After Flavour came Taxi, and the rest, as they say, is history.

"Rob really is one of the few people I know who has had practical experience client side prior to becoming president of an advertising agency. As a client, he demonstrated his ability to totally motivate our agencies' staff to want to create the best work possible. During his stay at Flavour, Rob started to make his presence known as a real player in this field."

"Simply put, Rob is a self starter. He has the ability to see a bigger picture and the courage to act on making it happen. It's called vision and leadership. He sets the course and pace and because of his commitment, he's able to get his people to trust him because of his beliefs, values and business traits. He gains respect through his actions."