Leo Burnett Canada has made a significant investment in new hires, adding seven new people across its planning, digital and design departments.

Announced this week, senior planners Zeb Barrett (formerly of John St.) and longtime media professional Esme Rottschafer (formerly of Saatchi & Saatchi, The Media Company and Capital C) have joined Leo Burnett’s planning department, along with Dustin Rideout, formerly director of digital strategy at Tribal DDB.

On the digital side, Edel Horgan joins Leo Burnett from UK website Pigsback.com, where she was commercial director, and David Bradshaw, formerly of development firm Computernik, has been named technical software architect and programmer.

The agency has also added two new senior designers: Chris Duchaine, formerly of GJP, and former freelancer Scott Lederer.

‘The hires are a combination of new business wins and the growing nature of services we’re providing to current clients,’ David Moore, president and CEO, Leo Burnett Canada, tells MiC.

‘For me these hires are a reflection of two things,’ he elaborated, when asked why Leo Burnett chose to expand the above departments. ‘Firstly, digital and design have become de facto mass mediums of the 21st century and secondly, that our increasingly complex world requires greater reliance on strategists who understand human behaviour and can help simplify and guide brand activities.’