Channer Departs Saatchi & Saatchi Toronto; Top Team Elevated to Co-Executive
Creative Directors

TORONTO, June 7 /CNW/ - Saatchi & Saatchi announces that Brett Channer is stepping down from his post as Chairman and Executive Creative Director.

Commenting on his eight years at Saatchi, Channer notes: "It's been fun, challenging, crazy, invigorating, full of energy and accomplishments. We literally reinvented a company. But that begged the question for me of what is next. I have always been one to put myself in uncomfortable situations - account guy to planner, to writer, to ECD, to CEO, to Chairman. My craft has always improved when I do this. So it is time for me to do it again. I am now working with the Saatchi network to decide what that next uncomfortable, outrageous thing might be."

Creative Directors Helen Pak and Brian Sheppard have been promoted to the positions of Co-Executive Creative Directors. They will report to Stuart Payne, President & CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi Canada.

"We thank Brett for his many contributions in transforming Saatchi & Saatchi Canada into the Agency it is today," said Payne. He added: "I have great confidence in the fact that we are starting an exciting new chapter with the appointment of an award-winning team. Their modern participation ideas are rooted in SISOMO and will allow us to create deep connections."

About Helen Pak & Brian Sheppard

Helen and Brian are proven leaders and enjoy a strong reputation for having inspired creative teams and departments across top-tier agencies in Canada and Europe.

Over the past three years with Saatchi, this Creative Team contributed to the success of the Toyota "Make Things Better" campaign. In addition to helping the Agency win key assignments such as Toyota Venza and strategic Procter & Gamble business, they were instrumental in the ongoing creative success of many key accounts, including Toyota, Buckley's, Folgers, and P&G. They also created the Agency's design service offering, and most recently created the successful viral film "The Last Advertising Agency on Earth" for FITC.

Helen and Brian had previously worked at leading shops such as Ogilvy & Mather, Harrod & Mirlin, JWT, Taxi and Strawberry Frog Amsterdam. Their SISOMO approach has produced award-winning work for a wide variety of global brands including: Unilever, Toyota, P&G, Kraft, American Express, Novartis, Kroger, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Pharmacia/Upjohn, Hachette Filipacchi Media, Pfizer, Nabisco, Warner-Lambert and IBM.

Over the span of their respective careers, they've individually racked up numerous prestigious awards, including: Cannes Gold Lion, One Show, London International, Gold European Effie, Applied Arts, Billi, The Advertising and Design Club of Canada (ADDC), Cassies, Marketing and the Crystals.

About Stuart Payne, President & CEO

Stuart joined Saatchi & Saatchi as President/CEO in September 2007. His responsibilities include bringing a "clients' eyes" to everything we do, building process, and fostering the disciplined thinking necessary to be a strong business partner to our clients.

Prior to joining Saatchi, Stuart had 20+ years sales and marketing experience on the client side - two with Chrysler Canada and 18 with Toyota Canada.

Stuart's last role at Toyota was as a Director and Officer of Toyota Canada and a member of the Executive committee.

His primary responsibility was running Lexus. Under Stuart's leadership, Lexus sales improved 60%, secured the No. 1 spot in JD Power's Customer Service Index, and was No. 1 in Dealer Satisfaction. In 2007, under Stuart's leadership Lexus was named Strategy's Automotive Marketer of the Year.

About Saatchi & Saatchi Canada (www.saatchi.ca)

Saatchi & Saatchi Canada is part of Publicis Groupe, the world's third largest communications group. Clients include Toyota, P&G, Novartis, Smucker's, Transitions Optical, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, FITC and MADD Canada.

Saatchi & Saatchi is known for its outstanding creative ideas that generate powerful emotional connections between consumers and products. This is a key element in Lovemarks, Saatchi & Saatchi's unique methodology for elevating the status of brands created to create "loyalty beyond reason" and "inspirational consumers".

For further information: All enquiries should be directed to Gayle Sutton-Hatfield at [email protected]