MiC reached out to some of Canada’s media agency leaders to find out their thoughts on the year behind, and the year ahead. Here, ZenithOptimedia’s always-entertaining CEO Sunni Boot talks about some of the challenges facing the industry today and how ZenithOptimedia plans to address them.

What are the biggest challenges facing media agencies today?

Completing the transition from a strategy/transaction business to a consultancy/strategy/transaction business.

How is your agency working to address them?

Hiring and training individuals to address and lead the new reality.

What media do you think could most benefit from a reconsideration of valuation? Why?

ROI is our global position – we work with clients and the media to establish KPIs that recognize and respect traditional metrics (CPM, CPRs CPCs, CPLs, CPAs) but that add a host of new metrics from engagement to advocacy

What are you most proud of at your agency in 2010? How will you top it next year?

Our client relations, our people, our 2010 success. In 2010, we had our best new business growth in over a decade. Very gratifying was the part that came from existing clients, that rewards our work with increased assignments.

Our people are simply the best! Last year when we asked our staff if they would like to add to their already busy lives by participating in a weekend walk, and developing and managing fundraisers for the Princess Margaret Weekend, hands shot up to volunteer and a very impressive program they put on. We went into training – rain and shine, we held fundraisers and we walked 32 kilometers to raise $47,000. How fortunate am I to work with this group.

How will we top it in 2011? By staying focused on our clients’ business, working with our media partners to deliver proven ROI.

This article originally appeared on Dec. 24, 2010 as part of an overview article called ‘The MiC media agency review: Corner office edition‘. Media in Canada will be running the features profiled in the article all this week.