Lance Saunders, Executive VP and Managing Director, DDB Canada

Lance Saunders, DDB Canada | BCBusiness

From the 2013 Influencer Index: The head of DDB Canada has a predilection for pursuing passion projects

DDB Canada was always considered in the top percentile of Canadian agencies, but things started to go particularly well right after Lance Saunders’ arrival in its Vancouver office two and a half years ago.

Last November, DDB won Canada’s Agency of the Year (again) while its digital arm, Tribal DDB Canada, won Canada’s Digital Agency of the Year honours. Judges cited made-in-B.C. results—largely driven by Saunders—for clients like BC Hydro and the Big Sisters of Lower Mainland. Greg Klassen, SVP of the Canadian Tourism Commission—one of the agency’s crown jewels—says Saunders is “innovative, smart and an all-around go-to guy to get marketing problems solved” who doesn’t shy from professional outreach and client education. “He inspires his clients to take risks because he sticks his own neck out,” says Klassen. 

This predilection for pursuing what he believes in bubbled up after the June 2011 Stanley Cup riots, when Saunders rallied fellow creatives and marketers and launched ThisIsOurVancouver.com. “As a creative agency, our world is about harnessing emotion and this is about celebrating Vancouver and restoring its image to where it deserves to be,” Saunders said of his initiative.