Our leadership team

Richard Kellam

President & Chief Executive Officer

Arriving with a fresh vision, an appetite for learning and growth, and more than 35 years of experience in general management, customer development and marketing communications, Richard Kellam is well set up to lead DCM into the future. His resume reads like a who’s-who of major brands. Before coming to DCM, Richard was Chief Executive Officer of Advantage Group International, a leading consulting and business development company serving major global enterprises.

I do this work because I’m passionate about the potential of exceptional marketing. I’ve learned something new in every position I’ve held, and I bring that to bear in every role I undertake.”

Richard’s professional learning began as Brand Manager for Playtex Limited. He took his on-the-job education to higher levels with positions at Robin Hood Multifoods, Molson Breweries, Mars Inc., and The William Wrigley Company. By the time he became Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Goodyear, he had earned the leadership expertise and industry reputation to teach a master class. Richard’s formal education was taken at the University of Western Ontario.

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James E. Lorimer

Chief Financial Officer

With more than 20 years of experience as a finance professional in capital markets, James knows a thing or two about aligning business and finance strategy. As CFO, James plays a key role in guiding the long-term direction of DCM, providing the proper financial planning, analysis tools, and leadership to the organization. Previously an investment banker, private equity fund advisor, and a senior member of an executive search firm, James is all about collaborating with people to develop and implement capital markets and M&A strategies.

James’ extensive career as an investment banker began at Midland Walwyn Capital (now Bank of America Merrill Lynch), leading small- and mid-cap growth companies with high growth. He later co-founded Clarus Securities, a leading Canadian institutional-focused investment dealer, where he served as head of investment banking and as a member of the executive committee. Before joining DCM in 2015, he held a senior role with Ludwig Wessel & Associates, a boutique executive search firm specializing in the capital markets. He also advised a private equity fund and its portfolio companies on debt and equity financings and mergers and acquisitions. James holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

It’s been exciting transforming the business from printing to marketing and communications; our clients value the transparency and insights into our new strategic direction that we’ve offered throughout the transition.”

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Steve Livingstone

Senior Vice President, Digital

When our clients are looking for real-world guidance on how technology can improve their businesses, Steve leads the way. An award-winning sales leader with an exceptional track record in enterprise account management and digital transformation, he helps organizations use digital solutions to simplify and modernize complex workflows.

Most recently Director of Sales at a multi-national digital consulting agency, he has helped transform some of the biggest brands in North America. Drawing from experience that includes SaaS/cloud, data, and analytics, he builds and supports game-changing digital strategies that make DCM’s clients more efficient and uncover new opportunities for them to grow. Steve holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University.

Digital evolution is constant: The learning and improving never stop. That’s what excites me about what I do—the fact that there is always a better, more innovative way to do things. Continually exploring that, and seeing the impact it has for clients, is very satisfying.”

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Patrick Aussant

Vice President, IT Operations

A seasoned IT executive with extensive experience in change management, Patrick knows how to rally a team around a new path forward. As VP, IT Operations since 2019, Patrick is responsible for planning, implementing, upgrading, and maintaining the infrastructure, applications, and cyber-security at DCM. Under Patrick’s leadership, his groups consistently deliver great internal and external customer experiences—ensuring maximum uptime, stability, and security in the company’s computer systems and networks.

Over the course of his 30 years in information technology, Patrick has developed a deep knowledge in acquisition, merger, and ERP implementation. Previous to DCM, he was Senior IT Director at Relizon Canada. Patrick studied Business Administration at UQAM, Montreal, and Information Technology at Control Data Institute, Montreal.

IT should be transparent. It should provide our internal teams and external customers with easy access to timely, accurate information so seamlessly they don’t even know it’s there. That is my vision for IT.”

Sharad Verma

Senior Vice President, Strategy & Marketing

It takes insight and foresight to assess big-picture challenges and turn them into meaningful opportunities, supported by the right solutions. Sharad is a master of interpreting complex client requirements and market trends, and responding with ideas grounded in both evidence and aspiration.

With over 25 years of experience in digital marketing and management consulting, Sharad has helped a diverse set of clients create value through innovative marketing and consumer solutions. Backed by his own entrepreneurial experience founding and running a successful digital agency, he brings together DCM’s multi-disciplinary teams to solve problems and drive sustainable business performance for our clients.

My job is to unify our teams around one central mission: to ensure our customers get the best solutions for their business—from strategy to execution—that will improve the bottom line.”

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Jason Sharpe

Senior Vice President, Commercial Leadership

Taking an idea from concept to commercialization requires an innate ability to balance opportunity with risk while maintaining a bird’s-eye view of constantly evolving market trends. Jason’s ability to do that, and help clients leverage their potential, is second-to-none.

A business development and sales professional with over 20 years of experience, Jason has a unique knack for helping clients drive value in their organizations. To that end, he pushes the DCM sales team to think not just about volume of ideas, but finding the best, brand-right ideas on an enterprise-wide basis. Ideas that meet client objectives, fulfill the needs of their customers, and move metrics in the right direction.

You have to start by knowing how the client measures their success—by understanding their higher-order needs. Only then can you bring forward ideas that align with their growth strategy.”

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Karen Redfern

Vice President, Customer Technology Solutions

Technology is a tremendous enabler, but only when it truly fits the client’s needs. Karen makes certain DCM’s solutions are fully aligned with those needs and ensures our clients are well looked-after, from implementation to ongoing support.

Drawing from two decades of experience guiding enterprise-wide deployments and operational processes, Karen continually strives to ensure evolving market trends and client challenges are reflected in the capabilities of our platforms and services. An intuitive leader and natural problem-solver, she works closely with clients across all sectors to help them acquire and adapt the solutions that will best support their workflows and move them forward.

At its heart, technology is about helping people solve problems. My job is to ensure we do that by taking a client-focused approach to every solution we deliver.”

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Asem Moqbel

Vice President, Procurement

Balancing the complex supply chains that support a multinational company like DCM requires deep knowledge and broad oversight. Asem brings plenty of both to the role, building on more than 15 years of experience leading all facets of supply chains, including planning, procurement, contracts, inventory management, and logistics. Always looking to increase value for DCM and for our clients, he brings to his role a wealth of knowledge in business planning, process automation, system integration, and driving efficiency across the organization.

Asem is currently the driving force behind DCM’s disciplined effort to influence spend and realize cost savings across all segments of our business. He is relentless in his focus on reducing total cost of ownership. He has spearheaded the improvement of company-wide procurement practices; strengthened our strategic supplier relationships; and been instrumental in continually improving the methods by which we interact with our supplier network.

The more efficient our supply chains, the more efficiently we operate and the more effective our solutions for clients. It’s all part of one big ecosystem.”

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Christine Custodio

Senior Vice President, Operations

Christine plays a crucial role as the bridge connecting sales and operations—the person who ultimately ensures the work we do for clients comes to life in the way we’ve promised it will. She guides the execution and oversees the quality of complex, national campaigns and programs for some of North America’s biggest brands.

With more than 25 years of experience delivering business and consumer communications, Christine draws from extensive direct marketing expertise. She combines her solid track record rolling out innovative multi-channel campaigns with an in-depth knowledge of digital workflow automation. Together they lend her a well-rounded perspective on marketing and an eye for efficiency: If there is a way to do something better, Christine will find it.

My general approach to work is, there is a solution for everything, but it takes a committed, cohesive team to deliver it. When we put our heads together and collaborate—with each other and with our clients—we prove time and again that we can do it, no matter how big the challenge may seem.”

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Geneviève Gravel

Vice President, People & Culture

As VP, People & Culture, Geneviève supports DCM in all aspects of Human Resources, mentoring and motivating team members to grow and flourish personally as much as professionally. With her strategic vision, Geneviève leads her team to proactively align HR goals with the goals of the business. She provides valuable expertise on how to best support DCM associates, strengthen recruitment practices, and implement clear policies and procedures. Fueled by empowering positive change, Geneviève continues to hone her communication expertise with the latest HR courses and skill-building programs.

During her 25-year career, Geneviève negotiated labour relations between associates and unions before cultivating her passion for a more behavioural-based HR approach at Delta, AccorHotels, Rolls-Royce Canada, and, since 2014, DCM. A certified Life & Business Coach and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coach, Geneviève has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Montreal.

When you stop dealing with the associate and start dealing with the human being, you can figure out what really drives that person—and help them find where they need to be.”

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