Speakers Bios

Stephan Argent

Stephan Argent, Vice President, Digital Media of CTV Inc. is responsible for CTV's overall digital media strategy across all brands, and over 110 Website, Mobile and iTunes offerings. CTV's Online Video offering streamed more than 330 million Videos last year, more than five times greater than its' closest Canadian competitor. Having worked in England, the United States and Canada, Argent brings multi-dimensional and award-winning strategic, business and creative skills to CTV's digital media group. Prior to his appointment at CTV, Argent led CHUM's interactive team. He's also worked with some of the world's leading advertising agencies. He began his career as a business planner with Lowe Lintas in London before moving to Canada to join BBDO, where he worked with companies such as Bell, Daimler-Chrysler, FedEx, Campbell's Soup and Sony. In 1993, he became Creative Director at ICE (Integrated Communications and Entertainment), working with Air Canada, Apple, Bank of Montreal, IBM, Iomega and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Following his successes with ICE, Argent moved to Chicago to work with Organic Inc., to reshape the brand of Target's Online environment. As Executive Creative Director, he led a team of 30 designers, writers, information architects and production artists. While working with Organic and Target, Argent was honoured for his work with a Communications Arts Award and a Silver Award at the New York One Show in the Business to Consumer category. During his career, Argent has also been recognized with multiple honours including an EVA Best in Show Award for his work with Janssen Pharmaceutical and an Internet World Impact Award for Air Canada's corporate Website.

Paul Burns

Paul Burns, Vice-President of Digital, Canwest Broadcasting has responsibility for all aspects of Canwest Broadcastings Online, Mobile and Video strategy. Paul is an established industry leader, with a compelling vision for enabling rich multi-platform media experiences. Paul joined Canwest from his prior career with Sympatico / MSN, as Director of Mobile | IPTV | Broadband, where he launched Canada's first Mobile Media Lab project. Paul has also led the global digital marketing team for Nokia Mobile Phones out of London, UK and worked for a variety of new media start ups and dotcom's over his career.

Peter Farfaras

Peter Farfaras is Solution Specialist, Microsoft - MSN Canada. Want to learn about Video Advertising? Speak with Peter Farfaras. After spending 10 years in London UK, working within print and digital media, sports marketing agency & global sponsorship industries, Peter returned to Canada and joined Microsoft - MSN Canada in 2005. He immediately focused on highlighting the merits of Video Advertising. As a Video subject matter expert and Chairman of the IAB Video Committee his agenda is genuine - evangelise Video and work with ALL media stakeholders to create a solid foundation for Video Advertising into the future.

Tom Fotheringham

Tom Fotheringham brings a wealth of digital experience to the OMD team. As Digital Group Director of Strategy at OMD, Tom has led digital media strategy for clients including Pepsi-QTG and Frito Lay, Apple, Nissan, Mars, Wrigley and Sirius Satellite Radio. Tom's focus on digital media creativity and his strategic thinking contributed to OMD's excellent showing at the 2008 Media Innovation Awards.Tom made the jump from print journalism to Online media in 1997, when he took on the role of Senior Interactive Producer with a Canadian telecom company - Manitoba Telecom. In 2000 he joined TMP Worldwide in the UK (Glasgow/London) as an Interactive Producer working on a stable of key accounts in including Sainsbury's, Royal Bank of Scotland, Thomas Cook, Scottish Power, and various government agencies including the NHS. He transferred to Canada with TMP in September 2003, where he worked on digital strategy for Research in Motion, DELL Canada, Home Depot Canada, General Electric Canada, Grant Thornton LLP, Edward Jones. Tom joined Maclaren McCann in 2007 as Interactive account supervisor on the Microsoft business, and later took over the account's digital media planning at M2 Universal.

Larry Gelfand

Larry Gelfand joined the NHL in October of 2007 as Senior Vice President, Media Sales. In this post, Gelfand leads the NHL's media sales effort in the U.S., focusing on development of new revenue opportunities, aggregating all media inventory and managing the NHL media sales team. Prior to joining the NHL, Larry Gelfand was the Vice President of Digital Sales for VH1 at MTV Networks. Gelfand oversaw all aspects of VH1's Digital media sales business and developed the sales strategy, recruitment of the sales staff in implementation of organizational goals and initiatives. Gelfand reshaped the VH1 digital sales department to achieve the objectives of establishing the VH1.com presence in the online advertising marketplace resulting in doubling the ad revenue business in two years, when he was the recipient of the first President's Award of distinguished service. Prior to joining MTV Networks, Gelfand served in a variety of key sales roles with ESPN. After establishing ESPN.com's ad sales relationships in New England with key league partners, Gelfand lead the digital effort for ESPN Customer Marketing's Team OMD. Prior to joining ESPN. Gelfand served in a variety of sales leadership roles at AOL and The New York Times.

Sabrina Geremia

Sabrina Geremia is Head of Agency Relations for Google Canada, and is an international marketer, sales leader and integrated communications specialist. She began her career in marketing in 1995 in brand management at Procter & Gamble, Italy, working on laundry and cosmetic brands. In 2001, Sabrina entered the Interactive world as Marketing Manager at the Search engine ask.co.uk. She then combined her Internet & CPG Marketing skills as Global Internet and Integrated Communications Director at Reckitt Benckiser, a leading global consumer goods and healthcare company based in London. Sabrina joined Google Europe in 2006 to set up the UK Consumer Products and Healthcare sales team before returning to Canada in 2007.

Paula Gignac

Paula Gignac President of the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada (IAB), and former Vice President of Rogers Women's Group of Websites, is recognized throughout the industry - not only as a pioneering Web publisher - but also as an award-winning Interactive marketer and author of digital marketing programs for clients as diverse as AirMiles, GlaxoSmithKline, Ford, Proctor & Gamble, Hershey, etc. With more than 13 years of experience in Interactive media, and an unmatched record of helping clients achieve success in the Online arena, she is also chief instructor for IAB Canada's Intensive, One-Day Course in Interactive Marketing & Online Advertising.

Darren Hardeman

Darren Hardeman, Director, Planning, Mindshare, Excelerator Media, is a digital pioneer who brings a depth of knowledge and experience to Mindshare/Excelerator Media clients. Over the past decade, Darren has lead some of largest blue chip clients in Canada to develop strategic and innovative Interactive programs. Darren's past experience has involved him in a diverse client list including: IBM, Rogers, P&G, Kraft, Canadian Tire, CBC, ING Direct and now HSBC and Kruger Products. His career began back in 1996 at OMD, working in traditional media, when Online was still in its infancy stages and the speed of the 56K modem was the fastest connection that the consumer had ever seen. At that time, Online was not handled by a separate group, it was handled by media planners. From there, Darren focused his career in the Interactive industry working at Mindshare and Mediacom, where he lead and grew their Interactive teams and capabilities. In 2006, Darren joined Olive Canada Network and headed up the Operations and Audience teams to build a leading network of premium sites with substantial size to be as broad or niche as required to deliver advertisers-specific objectives. In 2008, Darren rejoined Excelerator Media as Director, Planning, to bring all of his marketing/media experiences - both Online and offline - in order to head up the integrated media teams on HSBC and Kruger Products.

Dan Hill

Dan Hill, Senior Director Digital Programming, CBC English, began his career back in the 80s, planning and buying media for various Advertising Agencies. In the early nineties Dan became a founder of BBDO Interactive when he convinced his bosses that Interactive TV was a dud and the Internet was the future. Dan lead BBDO Interactive through the Internet 1.0 years, at which time he was either foresightful or stupid in refusing several lucrative offers from Internet start-ups. During this time he was also a founding board member of IAB Canada and helped define its original structure and charter. In 2000 he moved to Cap Gemini Ernst & Young as an e-branding specialist. When the bubble burst, he switched to CRM & Media consulting where he perfected his powerpoint skills for clients such as Rogers and CanWest. In 2002, Dan joined CBC's newly formed Strategy & Planning Group. In November 2008 took on the role of Senior Director of Digital Programming, which oversees all digital content for CBC Radio and Television (except for the news division). In his time at CBC Dan has played a key role in the TV Entertainment Strategy, Evolution of Radio 2, HDTV, Podcasting, iTunes and Streaming media.

Renée Hill

Renée Hill, President of eyeReturn Marketing, has been an integral part of the organization since its inception, and launched the very first Voken™ in North America. Over the past 9 years, Renée has built eyeReturn into a company that services an enviable client list of agencies and publishers. Renée has managed the expansion of all of eyeReturn's rich media offerings to include streaming media, expanding units, advergames and an endless array of customized Online advertisements, all supported by an industry-leading suite of measurement and audit tools. Renée has pushed the envelope on the promotions side of the business - creating a proprietary self serve Contest Engine for clients that complements the other Online promotions offerings including user generated community based sites and contests. A veteran of advertising sales and marketing, Renée also has extensive experience on the agency and publishing side of the industry.

Paul Lin

Paul Lin, Account Supervisor BBDO Toronto/Proximity Canada, graduated from McGill University with a degree in Psychology. People fascinate him, and part of his being revolves around understanding the human condition. He applies this curiosity through his work as a marketer. Paul started his career 10 years ago at a start-up organization, when dotcom was big and the Internet was a shiny new toy. Since those early beginnings, Paul has worked across many different categories and clients. Most recently, his focus has been on potato chips and soda pop, working on the very successful Doritos and Pepsi brands within the Pepsi-QTG and Frito Lay portfolios. When Paul is not at work understanding how to make the Internet better for people, he can usually be found eating, talking about food, or watching the Food Network. He's a foodie at heart, and can recommend a great Toronto restaurant for any occasion.

Travis St. Denis

Travis St. Denis is the Media Planning Supervisor and Digital Lead on the Molson business at Mediaedge:cia. In 3 years with the company, he's been integral in making his clients and Mediaedge leaders in the digital marketing field. Travis' eye has always been toward innovative approaches for his clients based on a deep understanding of their consumers. Turning his sights toward social media, he's helping lead the charge to make it a reality for clients.

John Torre

John Torre, Vice President, Millward Brown Media Group, joined Dynamic Logic in 2002 working on the sales team in the New York office. In 2007 he joined the Millward Brown Media Group, which is comprised of media and digital experts from Millward Brown and Dynamic Logic. John manages business development in North America for the media solutions offered by the Media Group including D&A™, ChannelConnect™, and CrossMedia Research™. Prior to joining Dynamic Logic, John was a media sales executive, holding positions in Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment group and the sales group of NBC Internet, where he was responsible for selling digital media and cross-platform advertising. His sales career began at USA TODAY, where he spent two years as regional sales manager responsible for selling newspaper and Online advertising to the travel industry. John began his career in advertising in 1992 as a media planner at Ogilvy & Mather and spent six years in media and account management positions there and at Wells Rich Greene BDDP in New York City.

David U.K

David U.K is the Managing Director, Worldwide of Heavy.com, and a 16-year media veteran. In his current role at Heavy.com, U.K. oversees Heavy's International operations, including all revenue, ad sales, affiliate relations, content licensing and distribution. Prior to leading Heavy Worldwide, U.K. served as General Manager of Heavy Canada, where revenues tripled after his 2007 launch of the property. While at Heavy Canada, David launched three Heavy TV shows on Alliance Atlantis Networks: IFC, Showcase Diva and Showcase Action, and placed Heavy as a primary content partner with Virgin Mobile Canada. Previous to Heavy, David held the position of Vice President, Sales and Strategic Alliances for Standard Interactive, a premiere Online entertainment network for Canada's largest private broadcast company, Standard Broadcasting. Prior to Standard Interactive, David held international management positions at a number of prominent media companies, including: Promenade Magazine, New York (VP and Publisher); UGO Networks, Inc., New York (Director of Sponsorships, Sales and E-commerce); Shift Multimedia (East Coast Advertising Manager); Time Warner, Hong Kong (Senior Advertising Manager); among other companies. David's professional activities have included: Professional Speaker; Chair, IAB Canada Video Committee; Advisory Board, nextMEDIA: Monetizing Digital Media; Member IRC-, Pro-Financial Asset Management Inc.

Peter Vaz

Peter Vaz, Vice President, Director, M2 Universal Digital, is passionate about providing clients with an integrated and effective approach to using Digital media. Peter began his media career in India in 1989 and in three years rose to the position of Media Manager by consistently providing keen insight and creative media solutions for a variety of clients within the Financial, Consumer Electronics and Packaged Goods categories. Wanting to challenge his talents to the fullest, he joined M2 Universal in 1994 as a planner and research analyst focused on the traditional media business. His love of media and need to constantly challenge himself lead him to the uncharted waters of the Internet in 1995. By 1999, Peter was focused completely on Interactive media and in 2000 launched M2 Universal Digital -- a division dedicated to digital advertising. As Vice President, Director of M2 Universal Digital, Peter has successfully grown the business with a dedicated team working on blue chip accounts that include General Motors of Canada, RBC Financial Group, Microsoft Canada, SONY Canada, Dairy Farmers of Canada and Johnson & Johnson.

Chris Williams

Chris Williams, Managing Director, Media Contacts, has been in Interactive marketing for as long as Interactive marketing has existed. His experience spans client strategy and creative at agencies such as Arnold Advertising and BBDO Canada, in addition to Online media at Media Contacts. He has developed strong integrated strategic and creative solutions for such clients as Audi, Toronto Tourism, Canada Savings Bonds, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Tourism Commission, Monster.ca, Harris Bank, Excite.ca, Kanetix.ca, Pepsi, Miller Brewing (US), Chrysler, Apple, Bell Canada, Fedex and Chapters.ca. Awards include John Caples Awards, Marketing Magazine Awards and CDMA RSVP Awards. Chris also sits on the board of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.