Chris Williams, Former Managing Director, SVP, Media Contacts Canada, Named New IAB Canada President

TORONTO, June 5, 2012 /CNW/ - IAB Canada today announced that Chris Williams, former Managing Director, and SVP at Media Contacts Canada, has been named IAB Canada's new President, and will take the reins of the organization beginning June 14, 2012, from Paula Gignac, who announced her planned departure from the organization in April of this year.

"The quality of candidates vying for the job of being IAB Canada's next President was extremely high," says Dominique-Sebastien Forest, Chairman, IAB Canada Board and Vice President National Digital Media, TC Media and Carolyn Cramer, Vice Chairman, IAB Canada Board and General Manager, Canada, Tribal Fusion. "But when we looked at who had the Digital expertise, leadership qualities, and the deep relationships across all types of Member stakeholders, Chris was the hands down winner."

Williams, who has over 22 years of Agency experience (17 of it focused on Digital), led IAB Canada's Agency Council for 4 years earlier in the organization's history; has served on IAB Canada's Board for the past 11 years; and comes to the position of IAB Canada President with a thorough understanding of both the industry's and the organization's key issues and priorities. Williams gained his broad perspective on Digital via his Agency dealings with Advertisers, Publishers and a wide variety of Service Providers, and is also one of only a handful of Canadian marketing professionals who have spent time in production, creative, media and management roles. Williams also brings with him a track record of success in building organizations, having established Media Contacts in Canada, where he grew the Agency from 2 to 16 staff and with double digit revenue growth every year.

"It's a great honour and responsibility to be entrusted with the leadership of IAB Canada after Paula," says Williams. "I have seen the organization grow and mature under her guidance, and certainly the bar is set very high. And while challenges within the industry are substantial, so are the opportunities for Publishers, Agencies, Advertisers -- and indeed all parts of the Digital ecosystem alike -- as everything gets re-imagined and re-invented daily as it passes through Digital's lens. I look forward to working with IAB Canada's Members, Councils, Committees, Board and Staff to highlight these opportunities to all, and to help take both IAB Canada, and the Canadian Digital industry which we collectively represent, to its next level."

Williams takes the helm at IAB Canada as it continues its rapid pace of expansion and development, having added over 50 new Members in 2011 and 25 new Members in just the first 5 months of 2012. The organization has also held two sold-out events in 2012, with its spring MIXX Canada Conference boasting over 740 attendees, and its X-Series: Real-Time Bidding event at over 400 attendees as well.

"As one of his Publisher references remarked in her letter of support for him, Chris is indeed the logical successor for President of IAB Canada," says Paula Gignac, outgoing President. "And at this important inflection point in both Digital's and IAB Canada's development, I'm completely confident and absolutely thrilled to pass the baton onto Chris, knowing how deep his knowledge and passion for all things Digital, and for IAB Canada and its Members runs. I expect that both IAB Canada Members and the industry will see great things from him in the very near future."

IAB Canada (www.iabcanada.com), is the national voice and de facto thought leader of the Canadian Digital marketing and advertising industry, and is a not-for-profit association representing Canada's most well-known and respected Advertisers, Agencies, Media Companies, Mobile and VideoGame Marketers + Developers, Measurement Companies, Service Providers, Educational Institutions and Government Associations operating within the space.