Meet the Team

CEO

Ryan Townend has spent his life in pursuit of entrepreneurship. He discovered his business sense – coupled with creativity – during his childhood, and refined his business acumen at the University of Saskatchewan at the College of Commerce.

The early days of his career were spent in marketing at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm and – where he was able to apply his marketing talents in a not-for-profit setting.  Choosing to advance his career to media, he moved to Calgary where he met his business partner Tim Beingessner.

William Joseph was born on a Thursday afternoon – William being Ryan’s middle name and Joseph being Tim’s.  The goal was to create an advertising agency that would be based in strategy and praised for its creative.  From humble beginnings, the agency grew from Ryan and Tim to a team of industry experts with operations in Canada and the United States.  

The thrill of opening new locations of the firm is an adrenalin rush for Ryan. He relishes the opportunity to mentor young marketing professionals.  And, he believes that making the communities in which we operate better than before we arrived is key to what we do.

As CEO, Ryan manages the key relationships of the agency in all markets and helps provide vision and insight for the company.  His vision, combined with Tim’s business acumen, has provided a great balance for the agency over the ten years.

When not working in the office at William Joseph, Ryan can be found on his motorcycle riding to the mountains near Calgary, enjoying the nightlife that the Las Vegas strip has to offer, or dining at quaint restaurants on Broadway in Saskatoon.   Each city has a lot to offer.  He is lucky he gets to experience it all!

CFO

Tim Beingessner takes a strategic approach to business and life. He carefully considers each issue put before him and helps guide the vision of his business partner Ryan Townend.

A native of Regina, Tim began his career in the newspaper industry in graphic design. He managed several printing shops before moving to Calgary and settling in at Printwest, where he led the national sales team for innovation.

When the opportunity arose, Tim found a natural fit to partner with Ryan Townend to launch William Joseph.  His years of business experience were a perfect complement to Ryan’s visionary enthusiasm. As CFO, Tim continues to manage the finance and operations divisions of the agency.

General Manager

Heather earned her MBA with a specialization in Marketing at the University of Calgary in 2008 after spending the beginning of her career working with the Cirque du Soleil. As a senior marketing strategist at William Joseph, Heather successfully created communications strategies and managed a number of William Joseph’s largest campaigns, including BHP Billiton and the Jubilee Auditoria of Alberta. Heather assumed the role of GM and is in charge of strategic and operational oversight for William Joseph.

Business Developer

Bret J was raised as an Army Brat and he attended 9 different schools before he graduated from High School. His Kindergarten teacher stated on his final report card that “Bret always has something to say and will make an interesting adult” and he has tried to live up that evaluation ever since.

Bret joined the William Joseph team in Las Vegas in March.  He has worked in the hospitality and restaurant industries, in insurance and as a corporate training professional. Bret has a Bachelor’s Degree from Southern Utah University in Interpersonal Communications/Management and a Master’s Degree from Gonzaga University in Organizational Leadership. His expertise includes business development, training and development, strategic planning and organizational development. 

Account Manager

Liz has managed numerous, successful William Joseph campaigns, and clients appreciate her enthusiasm, marketing savvy, and presentation skills. In addition, Liz has been involved with broadcast and non-broadcast video production for over fifteen years. Originally from a theatre background, she has scripted, produced, and managed numerous video projects for William Joseph.

Account Manager

With an educational background in Journalism Arts and Communications Studies, Amy is a great new addition to the William Joseph team in Saskatoon. After completing her studies at SAIT and the University of Calgary, Amy worked as a newspaper reporter in Airdrie and also as a campaign coordinator for a national non-profit cancer organization in Calgary before returning to her roots in Saskatchewan. Having spent the last four and a half years working in the agency world (with the exception of the last year which was spent being a new mom to her baby girl), Amy has gained marketing and advertising experience in many different sectors including retail, non-profit, credit unions,  health, economic development and more. In her spare time, Amy is known for her party planning abilities (she’s also the current volunteer Chair for the Festival of Trees Gala Evening) and enjoys spending summer weekends at the lake boating, golfing and hanging out with family and friends.

Director of Client Services

Scott brings 13 years of client-side experience to the agency. While at WestJet and RBC Financial Group, he managed both national and regional marketing efforts, including a significant focus on sponsorship marketing and community investment. At WestJet, he created the company’s first branded sponsorship and community investment programs – WestJet Fun ‘n Festival Series and WestJet Cares for Kids – as well as the employee volunteer program – WestJetters Caring for our Community. At RBC Financial Group, he oversaw regional marketing communications efforts for the Prairie region, including work on activations of sponsorships of the Olympics, Hockey Canada, Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

Creative Director

Jason is a graduate of the Alberta College of Art + Design. In his 11 years of agency experience, Jason has worked with a variety of clients including Mercedes Benz, the BBC, Ferrari, and The Forzani Group. His strong design portfolio and work experience establish Jason as a creative force. Jason enjoys opera, theatre, and music, and is an avid fan of the Alberta Ballet and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

Office Manager

Jarret is a graduate of MacEwan University with a Bachelor of Commerce in Management, and is currently in pursuit of a CMA Accounting Designation. His love of numbers and analytics helps to keep the “behind the scenes” of the company running smoothly so those involved in the production side are able to concentrate on just that. In whatever spare time Jarret can find outside of his studies, he enjoys spending time with his fiancé, family, and pets Saoirse (Seer-sha) the Beagle and Spike the Cat.

Art Director

Kris is a graduate of the Alberta College of Art + Design and is a senior professional member of the Graphic Designers of Canada. He has been trained from a young age in the fine arts, including drawing, painting, and sculpture. Kris possesses a keen eye for detail, excellent conceptual and copywriting skills, and a deep understanding of visual communications as a whole. Kris has been responsible for creating work for a number of clients, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary, the Jubilee Auditoria of Alberta, the University of Saskatchewan, and the YWCA. Kris enjoys playing violin, riding his motorcycle, skiing, and competing in distance running competitions.

Art Director

Tyler is a graduate of the Alberta College of Art + Design with a major in design and a minor in advertising and illustration. He has been fortunate enough to work on a wide range of world-class brands including Shaw, The Forzani Group, Auto Trader, Puma, Nike Canada, project RED, Blizzard, and Dell. His first love is print design and typography, and he is always looking for new ways to transfer this passion over to the interactive landscape. In his spare time, Tyler enjoys music, traveling, skateboarding, snowboarding, and being surrounded by his close friends and family.

Marketing Strategist

Courtney is a graduate of Queen’s University, where she earned her Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree specializing in Marketing and Business Strategy. Courtney brings significant experience and insight from the client side, where she worked for two of Canada’s top restaurant brands: Kelsey’s Restaurants and Montana’s Cookhouse. Courtney managed all levels of marketing strategy for these brands, producing exceptional traditional and non-traditional Campaign Plans. She has experience working in television, radio, direct mail, e-mail, web and social media. Courtney excels at driving brand strategy and knows what it takes not only to develop a strategy, but also to execute it flawlessly. After spending seven years in Ontario, Courtney returned to her Western roots to join the strategy team at William Joseph.

Marketing Strategist

Shannon is a graduate of the Haskayne School of Business, where she earned her Bachelor of Commerce degree specializing in Marketing.  Shannon has several years of experience from the client side, where she worked for B2B and B2C firms.  At the restaurant Edo Japan, Shannon was instrumental in creating and executing national marketing campaigns for over 100 restaurants.  She has extensive experience in managing all aspects of retail marketing from developing signage, to POP materials, to creating CRM strategies. In her free time, Shannon enjoys dragon boating, outrigger canoeing, and travelling.

Web Developer

Esther completed the Multimedia Productions Diploma (Honours) at Lethbridge College and possess ten years of hands-on technical experience in all-things-web-related. Prior to William Joseph, she has been the primary IT professional who proposed and engineered a content management system which automated and streamlined many repetitive tasks and allowed accessibility for non-technical users. Through freelance contracts and working  with a variety of sectors including educational, non-profit, and publishing; she has honed excellent oral and written communication skills that has allowed her to fully participate in meetings/training to effectively satisfy budgets, schedules and job requirements. Having moved to Lethbridge, Edmonton and New York in the past ten years, Esther makes Calgary home to enjoy snowboarding, kayaking and camping in the Rocky Mountains.