People on the Move

Global marketing agency KBS announced the promotions of president of KBS Toronto, Nick Dean, to national CEO, Canada, and KBS Toronto chief creative officer Matt Hassell to national CCO. They will both be responsible for the national footprint of KBS in Canada, including KBS’ Montreal office. Current Canada CEO, Steve McCall will be elevated to international head of client service where he’ll continue to oversee BMO, one of KBS’ most important global clients.  

Following a two-year period of growth in Toronto, fueled by an all-time high of awards won and a slew of significant new business wins including ACE Bakery and CDIC, Dean and Hassell will be charged with leading KBS Canada on a national level. Both will report directly to Guy Hayward, global CEO, KBS.

“Canada is an important market for KBS. Our growth here will be driven by the quality of our creative output, which is why we’re pairing Nick and Matt to lead both our Toronto and Montreal offices. Over the past few years, they’ve been raising the quality of the work and building momentum for the Toronto office. We expect their tight partnership to do the same for both KBS offices,” said Hayward.

Dean and Hassell have known each other for the past 16 years and began their careers together at FCB Canada.

Current KBS Montreal president Annie Aubert and KBS Montreal executive creative director Sacha Ouimet will report to Dean and Hassell.

Audio post shop Mr. Bronx has expanded, with the addition of two new mix rooms and the hiring of mixer/sound designer Eric Hoffman and producer Claudia Gaspar. Hoffman has nearly a decade of experience as a sound designer and mixer, working with top NY shops for major brands including Pepsi, Reebok, NHL, YouTube and Heineken as well as numerous trailers and film projects.

Gaspar is a seasoned boutique studio jack-of-all-trades, with experience as a producer, studio manager and scheduler for NYC-based post shops including Headroom Digital Audio, Penny Lane Studios and Ataboy Studios. This growth coincides with Mr. Bronx’s recent expansion into film and television projects, having contributed ADR and dialogue recording for Ant-Man, Wet Hot American Summer, Bob’s Burgers and the upcoming animated feature film Sausage Party with Paul Rudd.

Hoffman’s most recent work with Mr. Bronx includes the Lee Daniels-directed Pepsi spot that was incorporated into the most recent episode of Empire on December 2. He also crafted the sound design for an installation at Niketown NYC, featuring a two-story LED chandelier and light show, now showing through the end of December.

Hoffman first met Mr, Bronx mixer/co-founder Dave Wolfe at audioEngine, where he worked for a total of seven years. Since 2010, Hoffman has provided sound design and mixing on a broad range of Beyoncé projects through her production company, Parkwood Pictures. Since joining Mr. Bronx, Hoffman has lent his talents to commercial projects for the likes of Bud Light, Cadillac, Walmart and Toyota.

In her time in postproduction, Gaspar has worked on a wide range of projects for clients such as Verizon, Toyota, Microsoft, Spotify and ADCOLOR. She has also produced ADR sessions and interviews for Zero Dark Thirty, 42 and The Last Ship.

Expert studio designer Brian Dorfman of Orchard Design, who has provided architectural design and technical consulting services to over 70 commercial facilities over the years, designed Mr. Bronx’s original studio as well as its new expansive mix room and isolated VO booth. With the addition of their third studio, the film and ADR suite, Mr. Bronx can take on a multitude of projects as well as seamlessly integrate sessions between studios for maximum efficiency.

Award-winning London edit house The Assembly Rooms has added Eve Ashwell as editor and partner in both Europe and the U.S. The signing adds another accomplished editor to the London roster and is a big step in the U.S. market, where Ashwell already has a growing reputation for her stateside work.

The company has been active in the American market since the beginning of this year, when it brought on U.S. EP Mary Knox, based in New York. Her representation company, Minerva Content, handles The Assembly Rooms nationally.

Ashwell is well known for both her comedy and narrative storytelling work, regularly teaming up with directors such as Daniel Kleinman and Pete Riski (Rattling Stick), Noam Murro (Biscuit), Charlie Crane (Knucklehead) and Mark Mulloy (Smuggler). During the past 12 years as an editor and partner at Cut + Run, she won a multitude of honors, including recognition from the AICE Awards, British Arrows, D&ADs and the Creative Circle.

In the U.S., Ashwell has worked with such agencies as Deutsch, Wieden + Kennedy and Energy BBDO. Recent projects includes ads and content for brands such as Coca Cola, Ikea, Zillow, Axe and McDonald’s, as well as an emotive new spot for Wrigley’s Extra Gum that has received over 70 million views online.

Nik Hindson, editor/partner at the Assembly Rooms, said of Ashwell, “Her dedication and creativity as an editor combined with her ideas and experience running a business make her the perfect partner to help us move the company forward in both the U.K. and the U.S.”

The Assembly Rooms is based in a Victorian townhouse in London’s Soho and was started in 2004 by editors/owners Hindson and Sam Rice-Edwards. It now has a roster of 10 editors.

Bicoastal Station Film has hired production veteran Michelle Towse as executive producer. Prior to joining Station’s staff, Towse was a freelance line producer there working with directors including David Gray, Scott Corbett and Mark Gilbert, and a production cost consultant for Bird Bonnette Stauderman where she worked with large, multi-national brands.

“I’m excited to finally be a regular commuter to Station!” Towse said. “I’ve always enjoyed working with Steve [Orent, Station’s managing partner, and Caroline [Gibney, EP/partner], and love the culture of the company. I look forward to working closely with the Station directors and continuing to create memorable and innovative work in commercials and branded content.”

Among Towse’s additional experience are several years as head of production for Slavin Schaffer Films, and 14 years line producing for a long list of esteemed commercial directors including David Shane, Harold Einstein and Jeffrey Fleisig through production companies such as HSI, MJZ and hungry man.

“I have been lucky to work with Michelle on many jobs when she was a line producer, and couldn’t be happier having her on staff as part of the Station family,” Orent said. “She is a smart, experienced producer who can deal with any production – that means big and small-sized jobs, integrated campaigns, at home or offshore. We know she will be a great resource for our clients, and continue her work as a collaborative producer for our talented roster of directors.”

Towse began her career in the dark room, working her way up to studio manager for Jamie Phillips, a high-end fashion photographer for clients such as Donna Karen, Liz Claiborne, Mikimoto and Macy’s, to note a few. As a freelance photo assistant, she garnered top-notch experience with esteemed rock photographer Danny Clinch, legendary Life Magazine photographer Gordon Parks, and advertising brand architect Peter Arnell. Towse worked for Annie Leibovitz, printing her photos from the Clinton Inauguration, coverage of Sarajevo and celebrity shoots, including Harrison Ford, Paul Michael Glaser and Evander Holyfield. And she also was a production coordinator on the documentary Unzipped, featuring Isaac Mizrahi.