What: Canvas Worldwide, a joint venture between Horizon Media and global creative powerhouse INNOCEAN Worldwide, has appointed Paul Woolmington as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 18, 2016.
Why it matters: Woolmington, an Advertising and Marketing Pioneer and Serial Entrepreneur will lead the New Media and Communications Agency Network. Canvas Worldwide accounts include Kia and Hyundai.
Canvas Worldwide, the joint venture announced earlier this year between Horizon Media and global creative powerhouse INNOCEAN Worldwide, announced that it has appointed Paul Woolmington as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 18, 2016. Woolmington will work out of both the Los Angeles and New York offices.
Sources at Horizon Media told Portada that Canvas is currently focused on the U.S market only, which means it has no presence in the Latin American market.
Prior to joining Canvas Worldwide, Woolmington worked as an advisor, advocate and consultant devoted to a portfolio of client, media, agency advisory, consultancy and board directorship roles for top brands and is an active angel investor.
Prior to his advisory role, Paul Woolmington founded and launched two successful independent media and communications companies, The Media Kitchen and Naked Communications Americas. Most recently, Paul co-founded and led Naked Communications Americas; a preeminent, objective media communications and management consultancy — the first of its kind. Paul worked at Naked to push clients to embrace the changing environment around them and to think about traditional media communications and marketing differently. The agency received several accolades, and Paul was personally recognized as one of the Top 10 most creative people in Marketing Services by Fast Company magazine. According to Fast Company, “The Media Maestro successfully disrupted the U.S. marketing scene with his agency’s approach to media agnosticism.
Prior to Naked and The Media Kitchen, Paul was one of the architects of media specialization in America as a leader of the launch and subsequent global roll out of Young & Rubican’s media operations, and The Media Edge (now MEC). Previously, Woolmington worked at global holding companies including IPG and WPP, and at MDC Partners.
“I have known Paul for many years and have tremendous respect for his leadership,” said Bill Koenigsberg. “Paul has launched two successful media and communications companies and has disrupted and redefined traditional communication and media models in the process.”
“We sought a chief executive with a shared commitment to creativity and invention, and Paul is a proven leader and one of the most strategic minds in the industry,” said Ahn, Kun-Hee, Global Chief Executive Officer of INNOCEAN Worldwide. “I respect his success and I am excited for Paul to build Canvas Worldwide into a leading media agency.”
“It’s a remarkable time of change for media and communications, and we have a true opportunity to envision a modern perspective on what clients need today,” said Paul Woolmington, Chief Executive Officer at Canvas Worldwide. “Change is disruptive, and I’m excited to partner with Bill and INNOCEAN Worldwide to build Canvas Worldwide and pioneer new approaches while the industry is in flux and full of opportunity.”
Canvas Worldwide has two main offices in Los Angeles and New York, and regional offices in Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta. Woolmington’s first role will be stewarding the agency’s first clients, Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America, as the business officially transitions to Canvas Worldwide this month.
