Ian Grais studied economics at the University of British Columbia and then advertising and design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, prior to founding Rethink in 1999 with partners Tom Shepansky and Chris Staples. Ian’s passion for creative problem solving, art and design have helped him become one of Canada’s most awarded creative thinkers. He’s been named the number one creative director and art director in the country numerous times, including being the only art director in the country ranked number one five years in a row. Ian has served on the jury of the top industry award shows, including the ANDYs, Cannes, the CLIOs, Communication Arts, D&AD, and the One Show. Today he serves on the Rethink Board of Directors, helping guide the company’s overall strategic and creative direction.

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Chris Staples is one of Canada’s leading creative thinkers. In fact, since 1997, he has been named the number one creative director in the country an unprecedented nine times (including six times with co-creative director Ian Grais). Chris has an honours degree in journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa. He started his career in Edmonton, before moving to Vancouver in 1990 as a writer with Palmer Jarvis (now DDB). Three years later he was creative director, helping lead that shop to three Agency of the Year titles in five years. He’s won a slew of national and international awards, and has served as a judge at Cannes (twice), the Clios (twice), the One Show, D&AD and the Communications Arts Annual. In 1999, Chris started Rethink with Ian Grais and Tom Shepansky.  Today he serves on the Rethink Board of Directors, helping guide the company’s overall strategic and creative direction. In his spare time he travels incessantly and watches far too much reality television.

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Tom Shepansky is a community-minded Rethink Founder with a business background and an entrepreneurial mindset. He started Rethink in 1999 with Chris Staples and Ian Grais who have been the co-creative directors since inception. Tom started in Edmonton studying business at NAIT and the University of Alberta. He then worked at two local agencies in account service roles. He moved to Vancouver to work at Palmer Jarvis (now DDB) where he rose to Director of Client Services. Tom currently sits on the Rethink Board of Directors with his two other Founders. He oversees the finances and helps drive the strategic direction of the company while continuing to coach and mentor the next generation of Rethinkers. Outside of Rethink, Tom serves on a couple of advisory boards and invests in companies where he finds like-minded Founders with shared values. He’s actively involved in the community as Vice Chair of the St. Paul’s Foundation Board where he’s served for the past 10 years and he’s also in his second term as a Board Member with The Vancouver Foundation. Tom is passionate about music and plays bass guitar in his band “Never too late.” He can also be found hiking or riding up a mountain on the North Shore of Vancouver where he lives with his wife Roxanne.

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