Christine Saunders named CMO of Publicis Groupe Canada

In addition to leading Starcom, the long-time exec will take on duties as the "architect" of the company's growth strategy.

Publicis Groupe Canada has appointed Christine Saunders as chief marketing officer, a role meant to find opportunities for growth and tailor-made client solutions across the company’s portfolio of agencies.

A new position for the company within Canada, Saunders has been tasked with coordinating and optimizing growth efforts across Publicis Groupe and its agencies. In Canada, those agencies include Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis Worldwide, Starcom, Zenith Optimedia, Spark Foundry, MSL Group, North Strategic, Publicis.Sapient and Publicis Health.

Publicis Groupe is looking to take a more “streamlined and strategic” approach to leveraging its capabilities, which it believes will better serve clients. As CMO, Saunders will lead a growth team that will look across the Groupe, in Canada and abroad, for opportunities to do this, including by assembling tailor-made teams to address a client’s unique needs. Andrew Bruce, CEO of Publicis Groupe Canada, described the role as “the architect of [Publicis Groupe’s] growth strategy” in Canada.

“Christine intuitively understood the power of our country model and the connected community of experts it creates,” added Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Groupe. “The tailor-made solutions we shape for our clients provide a competitive advantage in a fiercely competitive marketplace.”

In addition to her new duties, Saunders will also maintain her role leading Starcom. Saunders first joined the agency in 2008, taking more senior positions until being named president in 2019 and CEO in 2021. Under her watch, the agency’s accomplishments have included topping COMvergence’s new business rankings for 2021 and winning Media Agency of the Year in 2022.

“My experience leading Starcom has made me intimately familiar with the evolution of the media and marketing landscape in Canada and our need to adapt,” Saunders said. “I look forward to helping our clients navigate this challenging landscape and solving their business problems.”