Prominent business people, executives and former executives in North America
Introduction
Executives in the News (EITN) is a site that provides information about current and former business personalities as well as up-and-coming business people who appear in media, both tradtional and social media.
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."
I just read a few different posts that speak pretty highly of the firstnamelastname.com personal brand identity. (I got a little bit smug...) Sure we'd all like to have firstname@lastname.com as an email address, but this often requires a rare single word .com domain, and these can be expensive. The key is to have an odd name--- oh wait, you've already been dealt your hand...
Transcontinental Inc, a global printing company, has announced that they will be printing the Globe and Mail for 18 years, following the end of the current print contract in 2010. Over the next two years Transcontinental will add improvements to their already sophisticated multi-platform line, including the ability to print and integrate flyers with the paper. CEO and Publisher of the Globe and Mail, Phillip Crawley, said "High-quality color production capacity has always been a key point of distinction for The Globe and Mail. Transcontinental's commitment to providing the most progressive high-speed color printing capability will keep us at the leading edge. With millions of people every week reading the paper version of The Globe and Mail, sophisticated printing capability is vital to our business."
The paper, which was redesigned in April 2007, will be reduced in size by 1 3/4 inches to a height of 21 inches (53 centimetres).
Globe publisher Phillip Crawley said a full-fledged redesign will take place as the added use of colour and ability to print on various paper stocks will provide more options for advertisers and be welcome by readers.
"This gives us an opportunity to get a competitive advantage in terms of what we can offer that other people can't," he said in an interview from Toronto.
The Globe and Mail, which is owned by CTVglobemedia and in print for 163 years, reaches more than 2.80 million readers every week. According to International Newspaper Color Quality Club, or INCQC, the Globe and Mail is one of the top 50 newspapers in the world for its printed quality.
Transcontinental also prints The New York Times for the upper New York state and Ontario markets and La Presse. In 2006, Transcontinental bagged a billion-dollar contract to print the San Francisco Chronicle.
Nancy Cardinal is responsible for developing the corporate marketing strategy and communicating the LCBO brand to consumers, both in stores and in publications, including FOOD & DRINK. Marketing and Customer Insights ensures that all points of contact between the LCBO and its customers are consistent and express the LCBO brand. She joined the LCBO in 1989 and was appointed Vice President in 2000. With a focus on creating the ultimate consumer experience, innovative retailer LCBO topped up its performance in 2007. Thank Nancy Cardinal
Complacent? Not this government agency.
Last year, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) delivered a record high $3.9 billion in net sales (up from $3.66 billion in 2006). Its Food & Drink magazine reached 2.2 million readers, the highest readership levels ever. And in-store promotions - which highlight a country or region, category or entertaining theme - hit home run after home run, sparking respective sales increases of anywhere from 44% to 100%.
A decade has passed since the Toronto-based LCBO opted to shed its stodgy, bureaucratic image with the aim of becoming a modern, innovative, world-class retail brand. Since 2000, when she was promoted to the position of VP marketing and customer insights, Nancy Cardinal and her team (now numbering 63) have ensured it stays that way.
"We benchmark ourselves against the best in the world," says Cardinal. "When we sit down to plan, we spend most of our time in the research phase, finding out what our customers are looking for from us. Then we turn our gaze globally, to find out who is best-in-class in their area, who's connecting with customers and how we can learn from them and incorporate that into what we do. It's the mindset of the company and it permeates everywhere, not just marketing."
Responsible for everything from the overall brand vision to customer insight research, store design and signage, Cardinal is credited with helping to bring the new-style LCBO to life.
"All the things she's doing currently build on successes that she created before, basically from scratch," says Alan Gee of GJP, the LCBO's AOR. "Every single touchpoint Nancy's involved in, she sweats the details. That's her hallmark."
Cardinal and her team operate on a 13-month cycle that has pushed out a new promotion every four weeks since 2003. Last year's promotions built on previously established successes like the annual October whisky promotion, which this year debuted a consumer photo contest that resulted in 20,250 online entries, twice the anticipated number. To support the campaign there were also more than 1,000 tastings in all 602 LCBO locations and an Ultimate Whisky Bar Chef Challenge, which took place at Toronto's Metro Convention Centre.
Last year also saw new initiatives like podcasts, including one for the summer Hot City Cocktails promotion that became the most-visited podcast in the Entertaining section of iTunes for two straight weeks. And the Latin Fever promo in the spring combined in-store displays, radio, print FSIs and special events, increasing sales of featured Central and South American wines by 100%.
Another success story was the overhaul of the Vintages circular to attract a broader consumer base. "In the past it had been designed to appeal to customers who had a very solid understanding of the world of wine," says Cardinal. "We felt there were so many newcomers who wanted to step into the Vintages [area of the stores], but we had to put out the welcome mat for them and get the kind of content and look and feel that wasn't intimidating." The result contributed to double-digit growth for wines sold under the Vintages brand.
Up next? A new five-year strategy focusing on discovery and learning is rolling out. "A lot of what we're trying to do through our promotions and marketing is to demystify beverage alcohol and get customers feeling comfortable with it," says Cardinal. That will mean a multi-channel approach, including a major redesign of lcbo.com to include more podcasts and new streaming-video tutorials on topics such as wine etiquette.
The LCBO will also venture into e-commerce for the first time with Vintagesshoponline.com, where oenophiles can order bottles from smaller batches that don't make it to stores.
The store planning department brought Nella Fiorino of Toronto-based Fiorino Design, the award-winning designer of the Summerhill LCBO location, on board to develop the retail experience. Enhanced fixtures and lighting will turn aisles into "fashion runways" to make featured products easier to find. And expanded tasting centres called "discovery bars," where experts will present short lessons and samples to larger groups, will be piloted in two stores in Toronto and Oakville in the fall.
"There's been a consistency in the marketing efforts of the LCBO for the past few years," says Steve Mykolyn, ECD at Taxi in Toronto, one of the 15-odd agencies in the LCBO's design pool. "Nancy has a real vision, and there's a high bar set to meet that vision. You're always working towards something."
Team size: 63
Years at LCBO: 18
Previous post: Marketing manager, Marks & Spencer, Toronto
Professional highlight of the year: "We've aligned the entire organization to a new customer promise of 'inspire, guide and delight.'"
Marketing style in three words: "Nothing is impossible."
Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing - Nintendo of America
Cammie Dunaway is responsible for all sales and marketing activities for Nintendo in the United States, Canada and Latin America, filling the position vacated when Fils-Aime was promoted to his current positions in May 2006.
Dunaway has more than 20 years of marketing and sales experience, most recently as chief marketing officer for Yahoo!, where she was responsible for leading Yahoo!'s worldwide branding efforts and driving the company's product-marketing initiatives. "Cammie Dunaway is the perfect choice to drive the next phase of Nintendo's business," Fils-Aime says. "She is a tremendous leader and will help continue momentum behind both Wii and Nintendo DS."
"Being able to further shape a leading brand like Nintendo is a tremendous opportunity," Dunaway says. "I'm looking forward to building on Nintendo's industry-defining reputation as a disruptor, as the company continues to prove that everyone's a gamer."
Dunaway oversaw Yahoo!'s tremendously successful 10-year anniversary campaign, which earned a 2006 Gold Reggie Award from the Promotional Marketing Association. She was named one of the 100 Top Marketers by Advertising Age and led Yahoo! to widespread industry recognition, including Clio Awards, Obie Awards, the Promo PRO Awards and the DMA Marketer of the Year Award for 2006. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Dunaway spent 13 years at Frito-Lay, supervising prominent brands.
Dunaway holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Richmond and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She serves on the board of directors of Brunswick, Inc. She is also on the board of Junior Achievement of Silicon Valley, and was recently elected by her peers to the board of the American Marketing Association.
NY Times: Until last week, Ms. Dunaway, 45, had been chief marketing officer at Yahoo in Sunnyvale, Calif., which she joined in 2003. Before that, she spent 13 years at the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo, overseeing brands like Doritos and Lay’s.
“I’ve heard Nintendo say that everyone is a gamer,” Ms. Dunaway said yesterday in a telephone interview, adding that her experience in marketing the Yahoo Web site as a mainstream portal “will prove helpful as we seek to make gaming relevant whether you’re 5 or 95.”
Particularly with the success of the new Wii console, Ms. Dunaway said, Nintendo has helped prove “that video games are not a niche market” dominated by boys and young men.
“My 8-year-old son plays with it,” she added, “and my 76-year-old mom is using Wii for the bowling game.”
Still, Ms. Dunaway said, “there are still a lot of people to be converted” to the habit of playing video games.
Nintendo of America is to formally announce today the decision to hire Ms. Dunaway. She will be based in a Silicon Valley office that the company is opening in Redwood Shores, Calif. Nintendo of America is based in Redmond, Wash.
Part of the sales and marketing team with which Ms. Dunaway will work will be in an office in New York.
In leaving Yahoo, Ms. Dunaway joined a lengthening list of senior managers who have been seeking the exits as Yahoo seeks to reverse a financial slump. At Yahoo, Allen Olivo, vice president for global brand marketing, is assuming her duties for the time being.
Ms. Dunaway said her departure from Yahoo was unrelated to the changes that company has been undergoing.
“It was not a decision to leave Yahoo,” Ms. Dunaway said, “it was really a decision to join Nintendo.”
Senior Vice President Cossette and General Manager Blitz Direct, Data, & Promotion
Uwe Stueckmann, a leading figure in the Canadian direct marketing and CRM industry, is joining the Cossette Communication Group in Toronto as Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Blitz Direct, Data & Promotion.
Stueckmann, who has more than 15 years experience in direct marketing, CRM and customer loyalty program development, was most recently Vice-President of Marketing with Lowe’s Companies Canada, the U.S.-based home goods retailer that is launching soon in Canada. Before that, Stueckmann spent five years with Shoppers Drug Mart, managing the drug store retailer’s Optimum card loyalty and CRM programs.
“Direct response marketing is playing an increasingly important role in the marketing mix, particularly with the rising influence of consumer control,” says Brett Marchand, Cossette Group Executive Vice-President and Toronto General Manager. “We spent several months searching for the right person to head our direct response business and believe that with Uwe Stueckmann we have brought on board one of the best CRM, brand response and retail specialists in the country.”
Stueckmann, who also worked in database management and loyalty programs at the Loyalty Group (Air Miles Rewards) and Petro-Canada, worked closely with Blitz in developing the Optimum loyalty card program at Shoppers Drug Mart.
“Having had the opportunity to work with Blitz as a client and having seen the great work they’ve done over the years makes me very excited to lead this organization in the next phase of its growth,” says Stueckmann.Read Full Post...
As Senior Vice President of Marketing, Rizwan Jamal brings 11 years of telecommunications and marketing experience to his role as he leads a national team dedicated to providing best-in-class marketing programs, including marketing communications, marketing intelligence, marketing operations, product marketing and related functions. He joined Clearnet Communications in 1998, prior to the TELUS acquisition, and has held increasingly senior roles within the organization. Prior to being appointed Senior Vice President, Rizwan held the position of Vice President of Channel Operations where he oversaw the company’s expanding national network of consumer product and service distribution channels, including corporate stores, dealer and retail partners, as well as direct sales. Rizwan holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
“TELUS and its team members are committed to give where we live,” said Rizwan Jamal, senior vice-president of Consumer Solutions at TELUS. “As such, we are proud to present an event like the RBC desiFEST which plays an important role in promoting and keeping alive the South Asian cultural richness across the country.”
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Barry Avrich, Toronto, Ontario. Born in Montreal, Quebec. Barry Avrich is a veteran creative marketing professional and is currently President of Endeavour, a full service advertising agency. Barry has worked in sponsorship and marketing with major brands including American Express, Starbucks, Diesel, Cineplex, The Rolling Stones and many others. Barry is also an award winning film director, most recently, THE LAST MOGUL: The LIFE & TIMES OF LEW WASSERMAN, and author of three marketing books including the best selling; SELLING THE SIZZLE: The Magic and Logic of Entertainment Marketing. Barry is also a director of The Toronto International Film Festival Group, Stratford Festival of Canada, Best Buddies Canada, One x One Foundation, The International Emmy Awards and a member of Young President’s Organization. Barry is also President of Melbar Entertainment Group, a film and television production company.Read Full Post...
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer - Cundari Group Ltd
Aldo Cundari, 48, founder, chairman and CEO of Cundari Group and current chair of the National Advertising Benevolent Society, had no plans to work in advertising at all.
His original aim was to be a sculptor, but like the young dreams of many, reality stepped in.
“I studied fine arts in Canada, and felt that the schools here only brought me to a certain level, so went off to Italy to study, convincing the L’Instituto Europeo di Disegno to let me complete the three-year course in one year,” Cundari says. “But when I returned to Canada in 1979, there was a huge recession — not much need for sculptors — and I could see that there was no money to be made in that field. So I decided to freelance for a while in graphics and design, which is part of what I studied.”
A Long Term International Plan
His small shop in graphics and design has since grown to be one of the top 10 agencies in Canada and one of the few independents, with a staff of about 120 in Toronto, plus small offices in Washington, D.C. and Montreal, and the imminent opening of an office in Vancouver. Next are plans to buy an agency in New York, and, following a long-term plan, to have a substantial presence in various U.S. cities and, possibly, offices in the U.K. and other G7 countries to 2014.
Cundari doesn’t think small.
“We want to be the ‘super agency’, in Canada first, solidifying a strong national presence, and then moving outward,” he says.
To date, his plans are falling into place. His solid client base includes such long-term clients as BMW (11 years) and long-term staff.
“Big agencies would kill for our culture,” says Cundari. “People like working here. We have an extensive training program, with tool kits on every process, even on how to hold a meeting. We have training modules, including, occasionally, ones for all staff.
“We’re building an environment with great relationships and, through word of mouth, attract great staff and great clients. I think my own strength is my talent for being energized and motivated myself, and then motivating others towards a common good.”
An Ultra-Busy Schedule
The schedule that Cundari keeps can lead one to wonder how he gets all that energy, but he seems to thrive on keeping busy with a disciplined approach and eclectic interests. Married 20 years to his wife Livian and father of five — Natalie, Christopher, Julia, Joseph and Nicholas — his passions range from loving to cook, ‘great wines’, winning on the golf course, collecting hand-carved tall ships and hand-carved ducks, and practicing yoga in the agency’s own fully-equipped gym.
Added to that are his business travel and sitting on the Board of Governors of the Villa charities (operator of the second largest home for the aged in Toronto, several assisted-living locations, about 30 external life-skills homes in Toronto and other services) and on the Board of Reach for the Rainbow to raise funds for the hiring of the one-to-one counselors needed to send severely disabled children to summer camp.
That alone would keep a marathon man busy, but Cundari is in the first of a two-year term as chair of NABS, the communications industry's own charitable organization in Canada that provides assistance to advertising, media and related industry professionals who may need professional counseling or short term financial help due to illness, injury, stress or unemployment. That also involves traveling to NABS chapters in western Canada and Montreal (the latter known as the Benevolent d’entraide aux communicateurs).
Plans and Challenges for NABS
“NABS biggest challenge is to get the community to rally around it,” says Cundari. “We have to redefine what NABS stands for as a brand; have to broaden it to include anyone who touches on our industry; and must develop a dominant youth culture. We have to bring more younger people onto the Board and use them to bring in more people.
“There’s a lot of stress in our industry, and we need funds to help people with this and other problems that we see affecting young people, not just the seniors who tended to use NABS in the past. I’d like to see NABS broaden the scope of whom it can help — and to offer retraining as part of its services to get people back in the work force.
“I hope that within the next five years that the majority of the industry will understand what NABS stands for and will present it as part of the benefit package offered to employees.”
NABS exists solely through donations and funds raised through such events as its annual Gala, golf tournament and media auction.
“NABS’ biggest need is funds,” says Cundari. “We’re trying to grow the ‘Friends of NABS’, and are looking for 100 companies and individuals to donate.”
Putting his money where his mouth is, so to speak, Cundari personally donated $25,000 to NABS, and it is his agency’s charity of choice.
Keeping Up on Trends and High Level Topics
Citing his own biggest weakness as lack of time, Cundari keeps up to date by reading a lot, and maintaining his 18-year membership in Marketing Agencies Association Worldwide (MAAW), a global organization dedicated solely to the CEOs, presidents, managing directors and principals of top marketing services agencies — mainly independents. At its meetings (this spring in Berlin), members deal with solving developing issues and discussing topics of interest to senior executives, such as making a succession plan.
“MAAW helps me stay ahead of the curve,” says Cundari. “And I love to innovate.”
Cundari and his agency group have been responsible for many marketing breakthroughs, including the first customer retention programs for past client Hewlett Packard and successful branding campaigns for BMW and Siemens Canada.
Cundari Group itself is also a member of the ComVort Group, the world’s largest network of specialized, independent and owner-managed companies operating in all branches of integrated marketing-communication.
Cundari established a long-term plan for his agency seven years ago, which includes not only geographical expansion, but a totally integrated concept of all disciplines, and a succession plan — although he has no plans for retiring for many years to come.
Many Disciplines, One Bill
“We have no silos and have a one billing structure and system. That’s a fundamental difference between other agencies and us. Others are starting to migrate that way, but we have 25 years of learning about it. Your systems have to be different; your processes have to be different; your people have to be trained differently.
“Most of it has to be driven by the client. The client has to realize that, because you’re going to do that, you have to structure how you’re going to pay your agency differently. You cannot have varying price points or ways you buy goods. You should only pay your agency fee — and most agencies don’t know how to survive just on fees. They build the fat back into everything. That pisses off the client.”
At Cundari, there is no special pricing for each service. The client gets the best of what is needed from each discipline required and the people may move about as required. Even though Cundari Group includes Cundari Health and Cundari SFP (the branding and design group Spencer Francey Peters bought by Cundari in 2004), the same situation applies, with their separate names mainly to indicate specialization offered by Cundari in these sectors.
“We wanted to create ‘best in class’, which is why we bought SFP,” Cundari says. “It's all part of the plan. We offer best-in-class advertising, design, branding, interactive, direct marketing, promotion, events, media planning and public relations. We have top of the line print and broadcast production studios, our own focus group research facilities, and a development group that builds custom software applications.
“We offer everything to help clients reach their business goals. Our philosophy is ‘Creating Valuable Experiences’. We look everywhere for opportunities where we can make a difference. We want to create meaningful, valuable experiences that encourage people to take action. Everything we do is focused on the client.”
Geographical Expansion
Cundari opened its Montreal office in Dec./06.
“There’s more of an entrepreneurial spirit in Montreal than in Toronto,” says Cundari. “And there’s a lot of pharmaceutical business. I think we can gain an edge in Montreal because of the way we think. We want to draw clients locally. When we talk to the people there, they’re surprised at the scale of business that we have.
“We had been thinking of opening in Montreal for a couple of years. We didn’t open there to handle the francophone needs of our current clients, but if they migrate to our Montreal office, too, that's great.”
The Montreal office opened with the Teccart Institute account, and has since added another, as yet unnamed client.
The Washington office, opened in November, 2006, is working on the ‘branding’ of Washington, D.C., much in the way that the agency branded the Toronto Waterfront.
The Brand Is Everthing
“Branding and building value for the brand are key for us,” he says. “When a company has a problem, it’s usually not because it’s a bad company; it’s because it has a branding problem. The brand has to be central to everything, then everything else comes off that.”
Cundari has been opening up ownership of the company, with minor shareholders now including Garry Lee, agency president; Robert Lewocz , executive vice-president, and Maria Orsin, vice-president administration and finance. The next concept is for new seniors in the agency to also have equity.
“Our current challenge is to finance our geographical expansion and to find the skill sets we need in these markets,” Cundari says.
And, of course, Cundari would like to add some new accounts.
“We’re specialists in the luxury segment, with clients like BMW and Four Seasons, and would love to add a financial/wealth management client, and one in the higher end spirits or beer. In fact, we’d love any aggressive clients that want to succeed.
“And I’m always looking for the brightest people. If you have the right people, they’ll motivate others who will bubble to the surface.”
Research and Creative Thoughts
Cundari has some strong ideas on today’s research and creative trends.
“People are researching marketing to death because it’s the wrong kind of research. They don’t dig deep enough. They measure the creative and not the cause. That’s one of the reasons that we have our own focus group facilities. You have to gather the right information.
“And you have to build relationships. People are looking in the wrong places for creative ideas. They think they have to shock people. Rather, it’s important to know how to talk to customers with the right returns. Today, we often see what I call ‘bratvertising’ — advertising that doesn’t respect the brand.
“You have to know how to differentiate the brand, and when and how to talk to the consumer.”
Cundari is one of Canada's largest independently owned and operated communications agencies, with the goal of Creating Valuable Experiences for their client partners. Cundari operates in Toronto, Montreal and Washington and owns divisions that include Cundari Interactive, Cundari Health and internationally recognized design and branding firm, Cundari SFP. Established in 1980, The Cundari Group is proud to have been entrusted with such brands as BMW, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Royal Ontario Museum, Subway, National Car and Truck, CIBC Run for the Cure and Bordner Ladner Gervais, to name a few. Visit www.cundari.com for more information.
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CEO - TAXI 
