Les Merson isn’t just a marketer—he is a visionary strategist whose leadership blends empathy, storytelling, and community insight into every campaign he oversees. As Vice President of Marketing and Communication, Les has partnered with prestigious institutions and local enterprises alike, lifting brand presence and forging meaningful connection through sharp strategy and creative clarity.

Across barriers of scale and sector—from post‑secondary institutions to nonprofits, public agencies to entertainment venues—Les applies marketing as a transformative tool rather than mere promotion.

Professional Background: Marketing Communications and Brand Strategy

Before ascending to executive leadership, Les spent years refining his craft as a communications consultant and creative director. His marketing portfolio includes clients such as a major university, provincial public utilities, cultural nonprofits, tourism institutions, and professional sports teams. In each project, he combined narrative insight with audience sensitivity to deliver campaigns that resonated on both emotional and strategic levels.

He also co‑developed marketing curriculum and taught graphic design and marketing courses—bringing together theory, visual design, and campaign execution in a classroom setting. His teaching approach mirrors his marketing philosophy: anchoring visuals and messaging in authentic context and audience understanding.

Les’s versatility extends across producing documentaries, designing layouts and print media, coaching marketing teams, and leading interdisciplinary design projects—experiences that collectively shaped his holistic approach as a senior marketing executive.

Core Capabilities: What Defines His Marketing Leadership

Les’s marketing leadership is defined by a comprehensive set of strengths:

• Brand & Campaign Strategy: From branding identity to promotional messaging and activation planning, Les consistently aligns campaign objectives with mission-driven storytelling.

• Integrated Communications: Seamlessly blending editorial, digital, social influencers, and event marketing for campaigns across diverse platforms.

• Audience & Market Insight: Deep understanding of community context—used for positioning and messaging across educational, nonprofit, and consumer-facing sectors.

• Team Leadership & Mentoring: Developing, coaching, and empowering teams to deliver marketing excellence under a shared vision.

• Measurement & Alignment: Using performance metrics to evaluate ROI, manage budgets, and adjust strategy in real time.

Les Merson’s Approach as Vice President, Marketing 

As Vice President of Marketing, Les Merson brings together strategic insight, design fluency, and compelling narrative to shape brands that resonate deeply. His leadership combines three pillars:

1. Strategic Narrative Development – Crafting campaign storylines rooted in values, audience identity, and community relevance.
2. Multichannel Integration – Coordinating at‑scale campaigns across print, social media, digital platforms, and public engagement events.
3. Team and Stakeholder Partnership – Building and mentoring high‑performance teams while working closely with partners, agencies, and institutional leadership.**

Under his direction, marketing initiatives become immersive storytelling experiences—not just brand outreach, but platforms for connection, awareness, and action.

Strategic Impact: Projects & Campaigns

Though specific campaigns from his Vice President tenure are proprietary, Les’s portfolio reflects projects that align with major marketing leadership roles. Given his previous clients and consulting history, it’s plausible that as Vice President he’s overseen:

• Institutional branding and integrated campaigns for post‑secondary education clients.

• Public awareness and community engagement campaigns for civic, cultural, and nonprofit sectors.

• Cross‑platform promotion for events, exhibits, or documentaries (for instance associated with cultural or educational projects).

• Collaborative experiences between marketing, design, editorial, and production—delivered under unified strategic vision.

In each project, Les emphasizes clarity of purpose, emotional connectivity, and measurable results—aligning marketing ROI with broader organizational goals.

Leadership Style: Empathy, Vision & Collaboration

Les’s leadership is not based on authority alone, but on trust, co‑creation, and mentorship. He develops marketing teams by:

• Encouraging creative risk‑taking within strategic guardrails.

• Embedding data‑driven feedback loops for planning and adjustment.

• Teaching marketing as storytelling—focusing on message and impact rather than just channels.

• Building partnerships across departments—working closely with design, sales, finance, communications, and external agencies.

He has also been recognized for inclusive leadership—in his prior practice, his team earned honors as an inclusive employer and diversity‑focused creative leader.

Broader Career Context: Marketing vs Communications Consulting

Les’s background identifies him as both marketing strategist and communications consultant. His earlier roles included hands‑on production (film, design, writing), while marketing leadership positions require oversight of strategic initiatives, budgets, and teams at scale.

Combining both worlds, he is equally comfortable at the drawing‑board ideation stage and at corporate boardroom presentation—making him exceptionally adept at translating vision into execution.

Reflections: Lessons from a Marketing Leader

Les Merson, Vice President, Marketing offers key takeaways for any marketing professional or organization:

• Start with purpose: Why does your brand matter? Determine your core narrative before planning channels.

• Make campaigns human: Connect with real communities, not just consumer segments.

• Integrate deeply: Blend media, messaging, and design across platforms for consistent storytelling.

• Lead by mentorship: Invest in team development for lasting performance and creativity.

• Measure with meaning: Use data to inform strategy, refine messaging, and demonstrate impact.

Moving Forward: A Legacy in Progress

As a marketing executive, Les continues to evolve. His experiences in education, filmmaking, design, and community engagement inform his strategic perspective—and keep him grounded in relevance and adaptability.

His leadership reflects a modern model: marketing that is rooted in empathy, executed with clarity, and measured for impact—not just on ROI, but on awareness, inclusion, and connection.

Conclusion: The Essence of Les Merson, Vice President, Marketing

Les Merson’s trajectory from broadcaster to communications consultant to Vice President in marketing speaks to a deep intuition for narrative, design, and audience. His leadership style is collaborative, metrics-driven, and rooted in an unwavering belief: that marketing is more than visibility—it’s value communicated, experiences created, and communities engaged.