MEET THE MENTORS

Janet Kestin

Janet Kestin

Janet Kestin is co-founder of the Swim leadership lab. In 2012, she and partner Nancy Vonk, were inspired to leave their long-time CCO roles with ambition to close the huge leadership skills gap for creative people. Today Swim supports the success of leaders at top agencies and creative companies around the world.

Janet was Co-Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Toronto with Nancy for 13 years. Their teams delivered work like Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty and “Diamond Shreddies”, garnering One Show and D&AD pencils, the Grand Clio, the Creativity Awards Grand Prize and two Cannes Grand Prix. Janet has judged The One Show, D&AD, Cannes Lions, and many others. She was the foreman of D&AD’s “Writing for Advertising” jury in 2014 and is among the chosen few featured in the 2018 edition of D&AD’s The Copy Book: How Some of the Best Advertising Writers in the World Write Their Advertising.

Janet and Nancy are the authors of Pick Me, a staple in advertising schools from Texas to Turkey. In 2017, their HarperCollins book, Darling, You Can’t Do Both (And Other Noise to Ignore on Your Way Up) was named a top book on leadership by Inc. magazine.

They were on Advertising Age’s 2012 list of “100 Most Influential Women in Advertising” and were among Creativity magazine’s “Top 50 Most Creative People” of ‘08. They have been honored with ‘women of the year’ awards twice, by Women of Influence and AWNY (Advertising Women of New York). They were inducted into the AMA Hall of Legends and are recipients of other recognition for their lifetime of achievements including the Les Usherwood Award (ADCC) in ‘21, the Hall of Marketing Gold and The One Club for Creativity Hall of Fame in ‘22.

Janet speaks at companies, schools and organizations who seek new ideas for advancing women's success, like UCLA, Google, and Lean In. In ‘16, she helped design the creative leadership stream at Factry, the school of creativity sciences founded by Sid Lee leaders.

Interested in the Mentor Exchange program?

ALL MENTOR PROFILES

Samuel Bussieres
Samuel Bussieres
Senior Director, Confectionery & Front of Store
Mondelēz
Dr. Barbara Crow
Dr. Barbara Crow
Dean of Arts and Science (Administrative Leave)
Queen’s University
Karrie Van Belle
Karrie Van Belle
Consultant, CMO | Brand & Digital Strategy | Communications Counsel
Christine Farrugia
Christine Farrugia
Founder & Principal
CF Coaching and Consulting
Saad Uddin
Saad Uddin
Co-founder and CEO
Native Touch
Corby Fine
Corby Fine
VP Digital Marketing & Performance
IGM Financial Inc.
Sarah Spence
Sarah Spence
CEO
TADIEM Inc.
Nik Djukic-Walker
Nik Djukic-Walker
Executive Director - Global Business Solutions
TikTok
Judy Lewis
Judy Lewis
Co-founder and Partner
Strategic Objectives
Tanya Kreinin
Tanya Kreinin
Chief Marketing Officer
University of Toronto
Rachel Olive
Rachel Olive
VP Media & Strategy
Sony Pictures Entertainment Canada
Mo Dezyanian
Mo Dezyanian
President
Empathy Inc.
Kristina Koprivica
Kristina Koprivica
Vice President, Corporate Marketing & Strategy
Kruger
Sandra  Sanderson
Sandra Sanderson
Senior VP of Marketing
Empire Company Limited
Janet Kestin
Janet Kestin
Co-founder, Partner
Swim
Ken	Wong
Ken Wong
Associate Professor
Queen’s University Smith School of Business
Jack Bensimon
Jack Bensimon
Co-Founder
Bensimon Byrne
Paul Rowan
Paul Rowan
Co-Founder & VP of Design
Umbra
Bryan Pearson
Bryan Pearson
CEO
LoyaltyOne Co
Nancy Marcus
Nancy Marcus
Senior Consultant
Kruger Inc.
Nancy Vonk
Nancy Vonk
Co-Chief Creative Officer
OGILVY & MATHER
Rem Langan
Rem Langan
Chief Marketing Officer
McDonald’s Canada
Parminder Mann
Parminder Mann
Compass Group Canada
Consultant
Jacqueline Grossman
Jacqueline Grossman
Chief Marketing Officer
Just For Laughs
Carol Reader
Carol Reader
General Manager & Marketing Executive
Muir Tapes & Adhesives
TERRI TINELLA
TERRI TINELLA
Board Member
Dare Foods Limited
MANSI VAGT
MANSI VAGT
Instructor & Expert in Residence
DMZ
Marie-Josée Vinet
Marie-Josée Vinet
Scotiabank
JASON BOYER
JASON BOYER
CMO
Deloitte Canada and Chile
DEBBIE FORD
DEBBIE FORD
Director Practice, Strategy & Growth
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
PINA SCIARRA
PINA SCIARRA
Managing Director
Accenture
PETER RODRIGUEZ
PETER RODRIGUEZ
CMO
Brand Igniter™ Inc
LISA RITCHIE
LISA RITCHIE
Global CMO
Sun Life Financial
ALAN C. MIDDLETON PhD
ALAN C. MIDDLETON PhD
Independent Author, Speaker, Teacher and Consultant
MATT KELLY
MATT KELLY
Managing Partner
LEVEL5 Strategy Group
SHALABH KAYASTHA
SHALABH KAYASTHA
Principal
Quantum Leap Partners
LIBIER GOMEZ
LIBIER GOMEZ
Managing Director
Sklar Wilton & Associates
KATHRYN FITZWILLIAM
KATHRYN FITZWILLIAM
Consulting
McCain Foods, CAMH, Loblaw
LEEANNE COMISH
LEEANNE COMISH
President
C2 Marketing and Productions Inc.
CHRIS BROCKBANK
CHRIS BROCKBANK
Chief Commercial Officer
Firma Foreign Exchange
VIRGINIA BRAILEY
VIRGINIA BRAILEY
Partner
Guided Futures Inc.
DEBBIE BOLTON
DEBBIE BOLTON
VP Volunteers
AMA Toronto