McKinney Canada Adds Executive Director and Strategy Director
FCB Canada alums John Pace and Daisy Qin are leading growth and strategy for McKinney Canada
TORONTO, May 14, 2026 /CNW/ -- Full-service creative agency McKinney has hired two new leaders for its McKinney Canada team in Toronto. John Pace started as Executive Director, Canada in December, and Daisy Qin started as Strategy Director, Canada in February. They join creative leads Caleb McMullen and Hussein Rumaithi as McKinney Canada's primary leadership team, while also supporting the broader McKinney team in the U.S.
"As we grow McKinney Canada, we need an embedded leadership team with lived experience in this market and a startup mindset; people who believe in creativity as a way to generate unfair attention and know how to execute," said McKinney President Gretchen Walsh. "John and Daisy, joining Caleb and Hussein, are that dream team. They're going to help grow McKinney Canada into a preferred and sought-after agency destination."
As the Executive Director, John's priority is driving McKinney Canada's expansion and ensuring that every client engagement is a step toward deep, long-term business partnerships. Known as a natural fixer and relationship builder, his expertise lies in stepping into complex business challenges, identifying friction points and establishing the operational rigor needed to drive business growth. John's career is defined by long-term commitment and strategic leadership at stops including FCB Canada, Ogilvy, Sandbox and Due North Communications. He has worked with global and local brands including Unilever, Mondelez, Coca-Cola, AB InBev, Kimberly-Clark, UPS, Fountain Tire and H&R Block, bringing home Cannes Lions, Effies, D&AD Pencils, Clios, Strategy Awards and more.
"Leading McKinney Canada through this critical growth period is a once-in-a-career opportunity, and as I've met with the leadership at McKinney, our visions for the future are perfectly aligned," said John. "McKinney is the Unfair Attention agency, and I see a striking resemblance between that philosophy and how Canada operates as a "Middle Power" on the global stage. We as Canadians are experts at punching above our weight and turning constraints into catapults, and that is exactly what McKinney is all about in Canada."
After more than a decade in advertising at agencies including Rethink, FCB Canada, T&P/John St and Grip (now Dentsu), Daisy will drive strategy and contribute to growing the office in Toronto while also collaborating with the U.S. team on client projects. With a penchant for finding unique opportunities for innovation, Daisy's previous work with brands including Honda Canada, PlayStation Canada, Molson Coors, the Terry Fox Foundation, BMO and Voilà by Sobeys has led to award wins at Cannes Lions, the Effies, WARC, The One Show, D&AD and more.
"Advertising is a team sport, and we have some of the best team members in the business right here at McKinney," said Daisy. "I've been struck by the level of talent, intelligence and vision at this growing office, and I'm looking forward to finding ways to collaborate across departments and disciplines to help bring McKinney and our clients to the next level."
The McKinney Canada leadership team will report into McKinney Executive Leadership, including CEO Joe Maglio, President Gretchen Walsh, Chief Strategy Officer Jasmine Dadlani, and co-Chief Creative Officers Omid Amidi and Lyle Yetman. This structure ensures McKinney Canada is able to leverage the full scale of McKinney and the Cheil Agency Network's resources for our Canadian clients.
About McKinney
McKinney is a full-service creative agency that gets unfair attention for brands. In 2024 and 2025, McKinney was named to both Ad Age's A-List and its list of Best Places to Work – two years in a row – and was recognized as one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2024, reinforcing the agency's commitment to providing an exceptional workplace culture where employees thrive and creativity flourishes. McKinney Health, the agency's Pharma and Wellness practice launched in 2022, was named Manny's Agency of the Year in 2025 and appeared on Medical Marketing + Media's 2024 & 2025 Agency 100 lists. McKinney is part of the Cheil Agency Network and has offices across North America, including Durham, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Phoenix and Toronto. McKinney has been recognized by Cannes Lions, Effies, The One Show, D&AD, ANDY, CLIO, LIA, the Shortys and The Webby Awards, among others. Client partners include brands such as Popeyes, Blue Diamond Growers, Little Caesars, Pampers, Henkel, Samsung, Alcon, Sherwin-Williams, Biogen and the Ad Council. For more information, visit mckinney.com.
SOURCE McKinney
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