Team Members

Rachel kicks butt when it comes to media planning for AVC client campaigns. We can’t think of anyone who’s better at getting into the heads and hearts of our target audiences to understand their behavior and habits, then meshing that with the best media mix to launch our clients’ brands into the stratosphere. She’s got loads of experience from digital and social roles in Toronto and Hong Kong including for Hearts & Science, Cue Digital, The Associated Press, and Maxus Global. After all that screen time, getting back to nature by going on hiking and backcountry camping trips to places like Ontario’s Arrowhead Provincial Park, is key for Rachel. Traveling with family to places, like Thailand, and trying new experiences with her friends, like finding great new Phō places, are also huge. Just don’t ask her to visit the tiger exhibit at the zoo. Or the Christmas Market in the Distillery District. One’s too scary. The other’s too cold.

Working with colours and shapes is something Hassan loves the most about his Art Director role at AVC. They’re things he does as a hobby, but getting paid for them is pretty awesome. Hassan has helped some of the biggest corporate names around the world bring their brand identities to life. At AV he’s worked with national and global icons including Western Union, Tim Horton’s, H&M, and World Vision. In previous roles at agencies, like MullenLowe Group, Ogilvy & Mather and Anahata Studios in Lahore, Pakistan, Hassan worked with product giants including Nestlé, Phillip Morris and Samsung. He’s travelled extensively in Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey and the UK, where one of his favourite things to do is roam around city streets, taking photographs, sketching and soaking in all the culture and history around him. For fascinating sights and colours, Istanbul tops his list. He’s a self-proclaimed biryani junkie, but, frustratingly, won’t eat cake. Andy Warhol and Karim Rashid are his heroes, but being in enclosed spaces is his kryptonite.

Dawn has always been on the move. She has set her sights on leaving her footprints all over the world. Backpacking in China, UK, Australia, US, and Canada.

Originally from Hong Kong, Dawn earned her MSc, majoring in Business and Information Technology in the UK, and is a certified Communications and Advertising Accredited Professional (CAAP) in Canada.

She has put her rich background to good use. Working in the advertising industry for over 15 years with clients from different industries such as insurance, retail, telecommunications, financial, automobile, government, and public service. Dawn also wears many hats, taking up different roles in new business development, account servicing, media management, and production.

Some of the accounts she has handled include Allstate Insurance Canada, 3M, Walmart, and Procter & Gamble brands such as Tide, Pantene, Olay, Oral B, and Crest.

As a graduate of Translation and Interpretation, Dawn speaks fluent Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, capable of reading and writing in Traditional and Simplified Chinese plus English.

In her spare time, Dawn likes to garden. Her greatest accomplishment is setting up an indoor tropical paradise with a 12+ foot Strelitzia Reginae (Bird of Paradise). And yes, it’s still growing.

We’re excited to see how she’ll grow your brands too as AVC’s Account Manager.

Zeno has always wanted to be an artist. He grew up watching Japanese animé and created his own comic books when he was in school that his classmates couldn’t get enough of. Today, he still collects animé action figures (and toy cars) because they fulfill something in his heart, he says. He also has way too many cameras, but since he’s also a photographer, we think he can explain away that particular collection pretty easily. As our Creative Director, Zeno loves coming up with concepts that get our clients noticed. He’s been driving AVC artistic vision for more than 12 years, bringing out-of-the-box ideas that help our clients break new ground and rocket into new markets. A man of contradictions, Zeno loves movies like Predator and Alien, but spending time gardening with his mom is probably something he could do all day, if he had the time. Zeno would like to run his own photography studio someday, but for now, we’re stoked he’s leading us in all things creative. Now if only we can get him to make us all into comic book heroes.

Working with a creative team and brands that have a positive impact on the lives of Canadians are the best parts of Joycelyn’s role as AVC’s Owner and CEO. A daughter of immigrant parents from the Philippines, Joycelyn understands the hopes and struggles of newcomers and is proud to engage with and help bring multicultural communities together. She thrives on working with clients, exploring ways for them to grow their businesses, expand their reach, and surpass their goals. With a marketing background that spans almost 20 years at global organizations like Western Union and KPMG, Joycelyn’s the ultimate big-picture thinker who brings a uniquely positive, anything’s-possible approach to every new strategic ask. She combines this with a wealth of marketing knowledge and a firm grounding in financials, making her a true force to be reckoned with. She’s also a huge Star Wars fan (we’re talking e-v-e-r-y episode). Adventurer (ask her about her white water rafting or pole jumping exploits). Musician (she can teach you how to play piano). Lover of family gatherings (near and far). Fan of simple foods (plain rice and a fried egg, anyone?). And collector of throw pillows (we’ve got nothing for this one).

The best part of Shah’s day is when he’s coming up with new ways for us to grow AVC new business. He says he gets his positive approach from his father, but we think he’s also always smiling because he hits the beach whenever he can and spends a lot of time thinking of how he can help people – at work, home … and just in general. (Awwww!) Shah spent the last decade making waves in brand and marketing roles at some of Pakistan’s most accomplished companies, like Raaziq Group, METRO CASH & CARRY, and Servis Sales Corporation. He’s our resident guru when it comes to winning new business and managing relationships with national and global powerhouse clients including Western Union, Estée Lauder, MAC, Clinique, H&M, WINNERS, Maserati, BMW, Cineplex and Elizabeth Arden. He’s also a massive Manchester United fan (we try not to mention Liverpool around the office) and has a daring streak: he’s been cliff diving, caving and paragliding. Which probably helps balance off all his PS4 all-nighters.