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Devon MacDonald

Chief Strategy Officer

Mindshare Canada

Devon MacDonald currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer for Mindshare in Canada. Overseeing the Communications Planning and Content teams, Devon helps shape the overall strategic direction across our clients, new business opportunities and the agency. It was recently announced that Devon will be taking over the CEO role for Mindshare Canada this August.

With an extensive background in the media, creative and technology worlds, Devon has worked on a number of high profile brands across virtually every category on a local, North American and Global Scale. He thrives on the challenge of change and loves to learn about new clients, problems and solutions.

Devon is active in the industry as a founding member of the Media Council at the Canadian Marketing Association, a jury member for the 2018 Young Lions competition and a visiting lecturer at the Schulich Marketing MBA program. A recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his work in the community, Devon is also often called upon for press and speaking opportunities.

Stephanie Binette

Chief Marketing Officer

L'Oreal Canada

Stéphanie Binette became Chief Marketing Officer at L'Oréal Canada last August 1, 2017. With a rich and successful career, Stéphanie has contributed significantly to L'Oréal Canada's success over the past 10 years.

After a 10-year career with multinational consumer goods companies in Montreal and Toronto, she began her career at L'Oréal Canada in 2006 as Group Leader for Garnier. Stéphanie subsequently made an impressive career in L'Oréal Canada's Consumer Products division. In 2008, she was named Director of Marketing, Colour & Hair Care for L'Oréal Paris, the flagship brand of the L'Oréal Group, for which her contribution was exceptional. In 2010, she became Brand Manager of Maybelline New York and accelerated the growth of the brand, making it the # 1 brand in cosmetics in Canada. Under her leadership, her team successfully launched the Essie brand in Canada in 2011, creating a unique brand image and achieving the most successful launch worldwide.

In 2013, Stéphanie was promoted General Manager for Garnier-Maybelline-Essie, and continued to gain market share and develop talent with a strategy based on innovation beyond products. In 2015, she was promoted to General Manager for L'Oréal Paris, where she revived the brand’s growth, increased market share in all major categories and accelerated the digital transformation of the brand. Over the past few years, she has played a key role in the growth of market share, in profit and in the development of talent in her teams. Stéphanie focuses on a consumer-oriented marketing approach and has been able to transform her teams in order to make them seize opportunities and consumer trends as well as become risk-takers, while focusing on the excellence and quality of strategy executions.

Stephanie graduated from Laval University and Stonehill College in communications. Engaged towards women in need, she sat the board of La Rue des femmes in Montreal and continues to support them. It was also under her leadership that her team launched the first major philanthropic program of L'Oréal Paris in Canada, Women of Worth, which honours extraordinary women who give their time to their community, throughout the country.

Michael Oliver

National Manager, Brand Communications

BMW Canada

A strong advocate for customer-first thinking, Michael brings a background in digital advertising and customer experience design to his current role, gained during 18 years spent in the advertising industry where he held senior creative, strategy, and management positions for some of Canada's leading agencies. While working for clients in the automotive, gaming, consumer packaged goods, and healthcare industries, one thing has remained consistent; a passion for collaborating with others and an optimism for the future.

During a visit to BMW headquarters in Munich in 2005, a deep-seeded fascination for the BMW Brand’s innovative approach to communication took shape, setting Michael on a path which ultimately lead to his arrival at BMW Group Canada in 2017. In his current role of National Manager, Brand Communications, he manages all aspects of how the BMW Brand is communicated across the country, ensuring consistency and alignment across all channels. His role provides fuel for a life-long passion for cars, started in his family by his great-grandfather, who ran car dealerships in southern Ontario in the 1950's. Doing his part to carry on the tradition, Michael is actively passing on this passion to his two sons, who when not playing some form of hockey can be found drawing, watching, or spotting cars in their downtown Toronto neighborhood.

Ari Elkouby

VP, Creative Director

J. Walter Thompson Worldwide

Ari currently serves as the VP of Creative Direction for J. Walter Thompson in Toronto. Working on forward-thinking and cutting edge projects, Ari has proven to be a great facilitator of creative execution and technological incorporation into strategic outputs for global brands. Described as a “unicorn” in the advertising industry for his ability to work across digital, social, mobile and traditional marketing channels, Ari has overseen multiple award winning campaigns. Some of the prestigious acknowledgements he has received for his creative work include Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils, as well as wins at the ADCC and CMAs. Prior to JWT, Ari spent three years with Zulu Alpha Kilo and held senior roles at Proximity Canada and Fallon in the U.S.