Montreal-based Twist Image president Mitch Joel has announced the agency is officially opening an office in Toronto. Joel, who recently started writing a column about social media for the Montreal Gazette, confirmed the move on his blog and weekly podcast. Joel said it ‘has been a done deal for some time now,’ but finding the right people to fill the new digs took ‘a very long time.’ Joel is referring to Twist Image in Toronto as ‘TITO.’

The office will be located at Front Street and Spadina Avenue. Leigh Himel will lead Twist Image in Toronto as GM. Joel had been following Himel’s blog, Leigh’s Blitherings, since the two of them shared seats on a panel about social media several years ago. Himel was previously VP of strategy and innovation at Blast Radius. Prior to that, she was VP of client services for MacLaren McCann Interactive.

Also joining the team as creative director is Virginia Magaletta. Magaletta was previously a senior interactive designer at Taxi and also held senior creative roles at Fjord Marketing, Euro RSCG 4D and Ogilvy Interactive.