Some bittersweet news.  AgencyLink co-founder Sheila Corriveau has a new gig.  She starts January 11 at the KPMG Global Resource Centre in a very senior global marketing role.  It’s a sad day because I will no longer work with Sheila on a daily basis.  It’s a sweet moment because she is taking on a fabulously challenging assignment.

KPMG has set up a Global Resource Centre in Toronto for Global Marketing & Communications, a reflection of the marketing talent we have in this country.  Sheila is the new Head of Program Delivery, a senior role responsible for vendor and agency selection and management, resource planning, and process development and improvement. It is a pivotal role on which the rest of KPMG’s Global Marketing function depends to deliver its marketing strategies.

It’s a fantastic opportunity for Sheila to stretch her global marketing wings. It is also a wonderful extension of the skills and passion she has for strategic marketing and the value of agencies and suppliers working in sync on a global level.  We like to think she honed those skills through her AgencyLink experiences these past two years, and in her time as a Global Network Director for Porter Novelli.

On a personal level, while I’m thrilled for Sheila, I am also saddened to be losing a trusted colleague. Sheila and I brainstormed and refined the AgencyLink business model over numerous coffee chats and meals more than two years ago, and jointly launched the business in January 2008.  She has been an instrumental partner in its success ever since.  My professional time with Sheila goes back to about 1996 when we were senior colleagues at an entrepreneurial communications firm.

I will always value Sheila’s insight, enthusiasm, integrity, and passionate spirit.  I hope to forever value her as a friend.

What’s this mean for AgencyLink?  For sure we will miss her.  Norman Rigg and I are, however, determined to work hard to continue to improve client-agency relationships.