Cossette Strengthens Strategy Team with Global Hires

Cossette, Canada’s largest integrated creative agency, has announced the addition of three senior international hires to its award-winning strategy team.

Joining as the new head of strategy is Max Keane. Originally from the UK, Max will head up Cossette’s 25-strong Toronto Strategy team and lead planning for McDonald’s Canada and TD. Also joining the team as senior strategy directors are Australia-native, Sohail Bhatia, and Ireland-native, Geraldine Tixier, who moved here from France. All three hires have recently relocated to Canada. 

“I am beyond thrilled to have found these three exceptional strategists, all of whom have a proven track record of creating world-class work and championing effectiveness,” said Cat Wiles, chief strategy officer at Cossette. “The role of strategy has never been more important in helping our clients navigate what’s next. These new hires reinforce Cossette’s commitment to investing in top-tier talent and building cognitively diverse teams to help our clients remain competitive in this new landscape.” 

Max joins Cossette from Arnold Worldwide in the U.S. where, as SVP and director of brand strategy, he led the agency’s strategic output for clients including Barclays and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention - which resulted in the notable multi-Effie Award-winning 'Quit Smoking' campaign. Prior to Arnold Worldwide, Max was head of planning at Leo Burnett London where he was entrusted with the strategic leadership of McDonald’s UK and global, and won a number of effectiveness awards including the coveted long-term 'sustained success' Effie for his work on the brand.

Sohail joins Cossette from Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP) in San Francisco where he oversaw strategic planning for Mitsubishi Motors North America and City of Hope, one of the top cancer research hospitals in the U.S. Prior to BSSP, Sohail held various strategic planning roles in his native Australia including DDB, Clemenger BBDO, as well as at Fallon and adam&eveDDB in the U.K. While at adam&eveDDB, she was part of the first and only planning team to win ‘Agency of the Year’ at IPA, Effies and the Cannes Festival of Creativity, all in the same year.

Originally from France with strong roots in Ireland, Geraldine is a bilingual strategist with experience at some of the world’s leading agencies including TWBA\Dublin and DDB Paris. She started at creative shop AgenceV, where she worked with iconic brands including Volkwagen, match.com Europe, or L’Occitane en Provence. At DDB Paris, she was a key strategy partner for big international brands within Johnson&Johnson, PepsiCo and Unilever portfolios. Most recently, she led the strategy behind the pitch that resulted in a new business win with Yves Rocher and was leading the strategy for Hennessy, namely Ridley Scott’s X.O. campaign, which was also awarded at Cannes.

These new appointments follow additional senior-level hires made half way through last year. In June, Max McBeath joined from VCCP London and in May, Robyn Hutman joined from Ogilvy Toronto; both as strategy directors.