I’m very pleased to announce that Douglas Walker, Managing Director of the World Rock Paper Scissors Society (yes, really) and highly regarded blogger/podcaster/ad industry veteran, has joined the SMG team as Director of Client Services effective July 2nd, 2008. Doug has over 15 years’ agency experience, is a seasoned pro, and will be a tremendous asset in continuing to help us grow our business. Here’s the blurb from his official bio:

Doug Walker has seen the power of viral and word-of-mouth communications first hand. He has conducted a unique experiment to become the world’s leading authority on the subject of “Rock Paper Scissors“. The experiment was a massive success and led to interviews by hundreds of media outlets including Rolling Stone, CNN, BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Today Show to name a few. He is the author of The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide (Simon & Schuster, 2004), was the subject of a feature film documentary at the 2007 Calgary International Film Festival (Audience Choice Award) and runs the annual World Championships of Rock Paper Scissors in Toronto.

Prior to joining SMG, Doug was Experiential Marketing Manager at Venture Communications, and was responsible for developing the agency’s online and digital practice. He’s spent more than a decade developing and implementing online strategies for some of Canada’s highest profile brands including General Motors, Molson Breweries, IBM, Microsoft, Rogers AT&T and Scotiabank.

Responsible for leading and managing SMG’s global client services, Doug will divide his time between SMG’s newly established (and centrally located) western office in Calgary, Alberta (“SMG West”) and our head offices just outside Toronto, Ontario.

Please join me in welcoming Doug to the SMG team!