Omnicom Media Group (OMG) Montreal has restructured its digital division and appointed two VPs to co-lead the department.

Derik Fernandez (pictured, left) and Alexandre Simard are now both VP of digital activation, leading the 80-member department with a mandate to ensure the agency group meets the challenges of the constantly evolving digital market.

 “There is a shift happening across several areas of digital marketing, and our purpose as agencies is to help our clients navigate through these fundamental changes; to take part in their digital evolution,” Simard says. “Our focus is set on deconstructing success measurement and providing future-proof alternatives, collaborating with new expert teams such as IT and ad tech, designing our group structures to deliver thought leadership whilst maintaining rigorous execution standards and making people grow in the process.”

Simard has been with OMG since 2009 holding senior positions in various areas including marketing science, strategy, and technology. Most recently he was assistant VP of ad tech.

Prior to his promotion, Fernandez was director of digital activation. He has worked at OMG for more than six years and before that held media supervisor and strategist positions at Touche!, PHD Worldwide, and Marketel.

Fernandez says OMG wants advertisers to focus on media quality rather than quantity. “Our experts know how to leverage clients’ first-party data and we work hand in hand with our Canadian media partners to provide value and enhanced activation solutions. To that end, we will pursue our ongoing efforts to promote responsible media investments; bringing balance to a marketplace that should support local content producers and a diversified media landscape.”

In terms of changes the two VPs are looking at, Fernandez says, “We want to ensure that we are ahead of the crowd in regard to innovation and that we continue harvesting our digital marketers of tomorrow.”

The appointments of Simard and Fernandez follow the promotion of Stéphane Hue, the previous head of digital, who is moving to OMG Paris as precision marketing and media director to oversee all digital operations on Nissan’s global account.