Jenny Smith

President and Executive Creative Director

With over 20 years in the advertising business, Jenny is no stranger to creating internationally recognized, award-winning work. She’s ranked one of the top creatives in Canada, has won hundreds of awards including a few gold Cannes Lions, and has judged every ad show in the country. Perhaps one of her biggest accomplishments was representing Canada at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity where she had the honour of judging in 2009 and again in 2018 – the only woman east of Toronto to be invited twice. But unlike most ad veterans across the country, Jenny lives nowhere near Toronto. Or Montreal. Or Vancouver (although she likes shopping in those places).

She has worked on local and international brands including Irving Oil, Air Canada Jazz, Tango, Maple Leaf Foods, Atlantic Lottery, McCain Foods, Sobeys, Labatt, Eaton’s, A&P, Sprite, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Ikea, Harry Rosen, Nalcor, NL Hydro, Purina, Crime Stoppers, Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation, Quidi Vidi Brewery, Nova Scotia Tourism, Bell Aliant, Western Union, AHL, Opera on the Avalon, Air Labrador, True North Seafood, Brunswick Sardines, and many more.

After working for other people for 15 years, she took a giant leap and launched Ray in 2013 – a strategic and creative boutique that’s proven to be one of the hottest shops in Atlantic Canada. So far, her team has received many accolades and awards including the Top 50 Start-Ups in Canada according to PROFIT and Canadian Business and Maclean’s, E&Y EOY Finalist, NLOWE Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year Award, ICE Best of Show, St. John’s Board of Trade Winner in Growth and Sales, and various other creative-related awards – all in just 4 years.

She lives in St. John’s with her husband and is a proud mother of two children, James and Mary. Who like some of her work.

[email protected]

Terri Roberts

Creative Director

As Creative Director, Terri likes to shake things up, creating powerful marketing solutions for her clients along the way.

With nearly 20 years of experience, she’s helped to create successful campaigns for brands like Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Maple Leaf, Irving, Air Canada, Brock University, Capital Mitsubishi, MINI St. John’s, RMM, The Cahill Group, and Lamb’s Rum.

One of the most decorated copywriters in Atlantic Canada, Terri has won a host of metal bits and pieces from shows like ICE, CASSIES, London International, Applied Arts, ADCC, Marketing, Extras, Crystals, Media Innovation Awards, Canadian Marketing Awards, HSMAI, Atomic, and Promo Awards.

For fun, Terri designs tea towels, drinks rosé, and hangs out with her giant rescue dog Buckley. She’s also recently discovered surfing, which may or may not end well.

[email protected]

Tracy Russell

Chief Client Officer

When we heard Tracy loved wine, we knew she was exactly who we were looking for.

Plus, it certainly didn’t hurt that as a senior marketing professional with nearly two decades of experience, Tracy has successfully created and executed countless national brand strategies and integrated marketing campaigns that have been recognized by the Canadian Marketing Association, Media Innovation Awards and MarComm International Awards. Prior to joining Ray, she spent 14 years at Johnson Insurance as their Director of Marketing, where she – when she wasn’t developing award-winning campaigns –  led their content, social media and national sponsorship strategies. We love Tracy’s obsession with branding, passion for good creative, and her keen insight into the creation and maintenance of strong, trusting client-agency relationships.

And somehow, she still has time left over to be a dedicated hockey mom to two active boys and two black cats. Tracy also loves spending her weekends camping at the trailer. We don’t know how she does it. Maybe it’s the wine.

[email protected]

Courtney Wells

Senior Designer

Courtney Wells loves design. And we love her.

A graduate of CNA Graphic Design Program, Courtney is a bright mind with equally bright hair, and a special affinity for the colour purple.

With ten years’ experience in the ad and design business, she’s not afraid of a deadline or juggling multiple requests. Throughout her career, she’s worked her special blend of magic for clients like RRFB, Dairy Farmers, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Mental Health Awareness, RNC, Marble Mountain, and Newfoundland Power.

This ICE Award-winning production designer also loves playing with words. So much so, she started a side gig of putting Newfoundland sayings on stickers and buttons. And she puts her love for typography to good use for pro-bono initiatives like the Vagina Monologues.

A self-proclaimed sci-fi nerd, Courtney is a big fan of comic books, peanut M&Ms, and the Beatles. When possible, all three at the same time.

[email protected]

Terry Hudson

Digital Lead

There are cowboy songs written about Terry. Those songs are written by Terry. One song at a time, they tell us more about a guy with a taste for cheap bourbon and expensive scotch.

But what the songs don’t tell you is that Terry is a talented, award-winning web developer with over 18 years of experience working with clients like Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Tourism PEI, East Coast Music Awards, Atlantic Canada Airports Association and Whitecap Entertainment, just to name a few.

When Terry’s not writing cowboy music, designing websites that have won international awards, or enjoying cheap bourbon (sometimes all at the same time), he writes poetry, designs and builds furniture, and chips away on his home renovation that’s scheduled to be finished in 2045. He’s currently writing a theme song for Ray*.

*this part may not be true. 

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Chris St. Croix

Strategy Director

Chris is a know-it-all. No, really, he knows everything – or at least he likes us to think so. And what he doesn’t know, he’ll find out. A serial-obsessive, he loves to dive deep into wiki pages, podcasts, subreddits and YouTube to get a handle on whatever strikes his fancy – whether it’s coffee, sneakers, or woodworking. And we put that inquisitive nature to work researching new opportunities and uncovering strategic insights that ensure we ask the right questions and find the right answers.

Chris has worked as a writer, copyeditor, designer, production coordinator, and video editor for over 30 years, including projects with Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Irving, and Air Canada.

In his spare time, Chris is a pretty awesome baker. We’re all convinced he should try out for Bake Off, but he contents himself with making cookies, pastries, and cakes for us (alright, not just us). And he hosts an annual cookie-themed Christmas party, hunkering down in early December to create hundreds of delicious treats of all kinds.

Robin Cook, CAAP

Media Director

This veteran Media Director and Communications & Advertising Accredited Professional with more than 25 years in the business knows her way around a blocking chart, TikTok, and the kitchen. A self-professed foodie, Robin is an award-winning media powerhouse who has worked throughout Canada (Vector Media, Cossette, Target, Revolve) for clients like Export Development Canada, National Gallery of Canada, Bell, PEI Tourism, Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Irving, Polaris Industries, Timber Mart, BathFitter, Red Wing Shoes, VON, and City Wide Communications.

With a keen strategic mind and major media chops in everything from planning and buying to post-campaign reporting, Robin is well-versed in all off-and-online media channels (PR, print, broadcast, out of home, direct mail, SEM, paid social media, programmatic, digital), has planned and executed media campaigns across the globe, and handles seven-figure budgets with ease.

A proud mom of two boys, Robin is also a published author, world traveler, business advisor to the Board of Directors for Atlantic Assisted Reproductive Therapies (AART), and an Excel nerd (hey, it’s not for everyone), which means she possesses some serious time management skills. We also hear her brownies deserve an award of some sort, which everyone at Ray hopes to confirm in the very near future.

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Matthew Egginton

Senior Developer

Matt is originally from Wales, one of the wettest countries in Europe, known for its changeable maritime climate. In 2009, for reasons only he can fathom, he decided to move to Newfoundland. One of the few places in the world where the weather is worse (or at least colder and snowier). Although we do share a burden of an accent that sounds weird to the mainlanders.

He’s used his time since then wisely, exploring our beautiful island – especially the East Coast Trail – and occasionally being taken for walks by either Lily (his Golden Doodle) or Charlotte (his Newfoundland). Don’t worry, we’ll get the puppy pictures sorted for the website as soon as possible.

Prior to working at Ray, Matt spent many years as a freelance web developer, coding for WordPress, PHP, Javascript and a little bit of everything else. He’s built backend systems that run industry-leading membership sites, and prefers to work closely with clients and brings a creative, problem-solving lens to all of his projects.

In his downtime, he loves taking pictures, and creating things from wood or from pixels. He also, apparently, makes a mean latte, which we will all be evaluating on an ongoing basis.

Kate Greenwood

Strategy and Communications Manager

Similar to the crime podcasts that she listens to in the morning, Kate enjoys getting into people’s minds and thinking about what makes them tick.

Prior to working at Ray, Kate spent more than three years honing her public relations and communications skills consulting for industries like health care, oil and gas, natural resources, post-secondary, and public services. She loves finding killer insights that lead to powerful communications solutions for her clients.

A lover of higher learning, Kate has an undergraduate degree in Business Commerce (with a focus in marketing) and a minor in Psychology, plus a Master of Science in Strategic Marketing which she achieved while studying abroad in the UK.

When she’s not working for Ray, Kate enjoys reading as much as physically possible and hiking new trails. She’s also the mother of two adorable cats, Frida and Guinness, who are in a constant loop of battling each other, cuddling each other, and sleeping.

[email protected]

Josh Tucker

Marketing Advisor & Business Development Lead

Josh, self-described as being “one pour-over and a hoppy IPA away from your basic millennial hipster,” has been working in Canada’s communications and public relations sector for over a decade, with clients like Tangerine, Young Adult Cancer Canada, CBC, CFL, Best Buy, Microsoft, Spin Master Brands, Bandai Toys, Dove Men+Care, and Ben and Jerry’s.

After many years on the mainland, he’s returned to his roots in St. John’s and brings a knack for creative, integrated campaigns and effective evaluation to his position at Ray. He’s particularly proud of his work in social impact and corporate social responsibility projects and believes that business can be an agent for positive change. Although he has conflicting feelings about helping to launch the children’s entertainment juggernaut that is Paw Patrol.

Josh is an avid hiker and camper and tries to get outdoors as much as possible, any time of the year, and thankfully for the canine members of our team he’s a shameless petter of any dog that will sit still long enough to be admired (no job too big, no pup too small!). And we’ve added yet another foodie and home baker to our team, which will make office days extra yummy.

Apparently he is also a music lover and reformed drummer, but we’re not sure about letting him set up a drum kit in the conference room just yet.

 

[email protected]

Sarah Park

Writer

Sarah has worked at advertising agencies all across Canada. No, literally. From St. John’s to Vancouver, she has created campaigns for brands like Sobeys, The Source, Shaw Communications and Maple Leaf (Vienna Sausage). Her other notable clients include Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, Larsen, A&W and Mr. Lube. Sarah attended George Brown College, University of Toronto and Humber College, but she is most proud of participating in a comedy-writing workshop taught by a writer from The Colbert Report.

Sarah is a wordsmith pro and has written copy for many national brands. Her wit and ability to say things in a creative way that truly connects with people is why her clients (and us) love her so much. She’s fast, she’s funny, and she’s fabulous.

Before she worked as a writer, she was a chef. And a damn good one too. She loves all food products. This, coupled with her ability to express how great things taste, is a true advantage for clients.

Cassie Bennett

Account Manager

An avowed optimist, Cassie is seemingly unperturbed by the chaos that naturally surrounds the world of advertising. Channeling her inner Scandinavian grandmother she approaches every challenge with a calming positivity, ensuring projects move through the agency with ease.

Ever curious, her interest in uncovering the “why” behind audience behaviour and actions contributed to a move account-side since graduating with her degree in Communications from Memorial. Despite a short tenure in the workforce, she’s already collaborated with an impressive range of clients, such as techNL, Oceanex, LNG Newfoundland and Labrador and the St. John’s Board of Trade.

Despite not living in tropical climes, Cassie is a year-round ice cream aficionado with a 3-cone-a-week habit (peaking at 5 in August!). Doesn’t seem very Hygge of her, but we look forward to learning more.

Jennifer Wellsman

Production Manager

Jennifer is proof that smart, organized, motivated people are capable of taking on just about anything. We’ve convinced her to come back to agency life and take the reins at getting us organized and moving in the right direction. Agency chaos is a real thing, and at a certain point you need to bring in a professional.

With a background in graphic design and publishing, Jennifer returned to NL in 2003 after stints in London, UK and Ontario. She worked as an agency studio manager for many years, before deciding to open her own business after the birth of her first child.

For a decade she was a personal chef for people too busy to cook for themselves, and ran a cooking school that specialized in teaching kids the joys of food, flavours and making something for yourself. Apparently, she wanted to tackle a bigger challenge so she traded teaching children for wrangling creatives.

Despite a career in making food for others, she still loves to cook for her family, and enjoys a good bottle of wine and some fancy (and not so fancy) chocolate. So she’ll fit right in around Ray. Her love of untangling confusion and figuring things out will come in handy, and probably explains her soft spot for cozy mystery reads.

 

[email protected]

Martin Ojapah

Intermediate Developer

An avid world traveller and polyglot, Martin’s love of adventure and discovering new cultures led him from his home in Nigeria to Ukraine where he studied computer science and learned to speak Russian. He then moved on to Newfoundland, completed a master’s degree at Memorial University, and fell in love with the province. Martin is a full-stack developer with a keen eye for detail and fluent in tools and frameworks like React, Angular, and MySQL along with languages like Java, Python, and JQuery. (His friends call him Pixels.) He enjoys mentoring budding developers and interns and has volunteered at several coding camps for children both in Newfoundland and Nigeria.

This budding artist enjoys design, building models, and eating ice-cream (no matter what the weather is like). He plays the bass guitar with his band Monday Chops and will soon join the other talented musician co-workers for a Ray supergroup. Stay tuned for a debut concert.

Maya Rosa

Graphic Designer

Originally from Brazil, Maya perfected her English by watching Friends and memorizing the lyrics to every Beyonce song. Now, she’s creating designs for us, and we’re crazy in love.

A natural risk-taker at heart, Maya never says no to a challenge. Whether that’s in her everyday projects or the decision to jump on a plane without knowing exactly where she was going. Maya’s wide-ranging interests and architecture studies inform the distinct approach she brings to design, and her work reflects her cheerful and confident personality, often incorporating the colours of her home country.

In her spare time, Maya loves to travel. Ironically she’d never heard of Newfoundland before moving here, but we’re happy to hear she was pleasantly surprised. And now, so are we.

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Lisa Hynes

Finance and Office Manager

Whether it is coordinating travel and finances or making sure we fill out our timesheets, Lisa does a bit of everything around here. ‘Finance and Office Manager’ could be putting it modestly, as she literally helps to steer the ship. From keeping the cheese drawer well stocked to keeping track of invoices. Maybe she should go by ‘office navigator’ instead.

Nautical puns seem fitting as Lisa has recently returned home to Newfoundland. While she may be shy about her accomplishments, she counts 20 years of accounting experience in heavy industry in Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Ottawa among them.

Lisa is thrilled to be back home in Newfoundland amidst traditional music and the great outdoors. When she’s not at the office, woodworking, or hiking with her dogs, Lisa can be found watching hockey, going to concerts and festivals, and dancing. Although we’re not sure if this is all done at the same time.

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Buckley

Human Wellness Specialist / Bone Crusher

With nearly a decade of experience studying humans in close proximity, Buck decided it was time to get out of bed and get down to work.

Today, he spends his days at Ray in his dual role as a Human Wellness Specialist / Bone Crusher.

A trained Zen master, Buck can sense tension from 50 feet away (he says it smells like hot dogs). To keep things calm, Buck strategically places himself in the middle of meeting rooms, and divides his time equally between each participant, whether they are receptive or not.

Though he has a complete disregard for deadlines, Buckley never misses a chance to personally greet each and every client, courier, and mail carrier with ample enthusiasm.

He’s also been known to drag his treasured blanket around the office, steal boots and place them thoughtfully in high-traffic areas, and cajole anyone into a quality head rub.

To keep his mind sharp and natural creative instincts finely tuned, Buck often partakes in active play during business hours. His favorite games include ‘Who’s at the door?’ and ‘Get the kibble out of the old coffee cup by pushing it around on the floor with your nose while people Snapchat it until it’s all gone.’

Bodie

Junior "arf" Director

When we first met Tracy’s puppy Bodie, we thought that his appetite for bugs made him a natural for the digital team, but it was his love of a soul-restoring nap that cemented his position on the creative side of the agency. Everyone knows the best ideas come when your brain is well-rested.

When faced with something new, he’s initially cautious, but once he’s really done his research he sinks his teeth into whatever is put in front of him. He’s quick on the uptake and doesn’t like to be fenced in, but will also put in the long hours gnawing at the problem to find a solution.

Although he can be loyal to a fault, he’s a natural peacemaker, reaching out to other teams to collaborate whenever he can, even if they find his approach a bit avant garde and unexpected. 

And by other teams, we mean Tracy’s cats. Who tolerate him. Barely. 

They’re clearly account side.