Kevin Kivi.
Media agency executive Kevin Kivi has launched True North Executive Coaching & Leadership to help industry leaders make decisions and drive impact.
Kivi brings more than 25 years of experience in Australia, the US and Canada. He held senior executive roles at Carat, Mediacom and Mindshare, leading major client businesses across Toronto, Melbourne and New York.
"I've seen firsthand how consolidation and short-term thinking can chip away at a company's soul," Kivi said.
"What once made this industry magnetic—creativity, mentorship, identity—is being replaced by efficiency at the expense of meaning."
Kivi worked with some of the world's largest advertisers, including P&G, Ford Motor Company, Mars Wrigley, PC Financial, Burger King, Alberta Blue Cross, Tim Hortons, Kraft Foods, General Mills and Bayer Healthcare.
He also served on the board of directors for Vividata and mentored future leaders at Sheridan College's Pilon School of Business.
The consultancy offers executive coaching, leadership workshops, strategic advisory services and speaking engagements. It aims to help leaders establish direction, build cultures where talent thrives and adapt to change while maintaining core values.
Kivi said leaders today face competing priorities and relentless uncertainty.
"The most common thing I hear from leaders today is, 'I'm losing the why,'" he said.
"And when leaders lose their sense of purpose, it's only a matter of time before their teams disconnect too."
He said the advertising and media industry faces an identity crisis as legacy is erased in the name of scale.
"Leadership today isn't just about managing margins—it's about creating meaning," Kivi said.
"In an era where automation is rising and identity is fading, we need emotionally intelligent, courageous leaders more than ever."
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