Team BAM
Who’s who
Selling homes, winning awards and revolutionizing the new home building industry’s advertising and marketing since 2000, Team BAM is here to serve. Meet our professional team of movers and shakers:
John Amardeil
President
Want to know the meaning of fast-paced? Just meet John. His love for effective-strategy marketing is only comparable with his love for racing cars. Straight in his opinions yet respectful, this Chief steward walks the walk and talks the talk. He will take the needed horsepower to add value to every step of the marketing plan.
Motto:
Think fast, act smart
Track records:
- Years in the industry: since 1979
- New homes sold: more than 20,000
- Graduate: BA Queens University, MBA York University
- Favourite track: Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Suzanne Wicentowich
Client Services Manager
The Navy SEALs have their G.I. Jane. BAM has our very own Suzanne. One of our most senior team members, Suzanne is living proof that some things never change — whatever mission she’s assigned, no matter how difficult, no matter how time consuming, there’s one thing you can count on: It. Will. Get. Done.
Motto:
Think of the big picture
Fast facts:
- Education: BBA from Simon Fraser University
- Favourite thing about work: the diversity in the office
- Little known fact: she’s a great knitter — learned it from her grandmother
- Guilty pleasure: indulging in expensive makeup
Lara Kirkland
Client Services Manager
When the going gets tough, the tough get calmer. In a place as fast-paced as BAM, performing under pressure is an invaluable skill! Born in the UK, raised in Ontario and somehow fluent in French, Lara isn’t just the type of person who can remain unfazed when things get hectic — she’s also the pinnacle of politeness.
Motto:
Enjoy life and don't take it or yourself too seriously
Fast facts:
- Education: Advertising and Marketing Communications Management, Durham College
- Favourite thing about work: seeing your vision, collaboration and hard work realized!
- Something she’ll never do: never say never
- Favourite quote: “Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.”
Jacinto Salcedo
Creative Director
Have you ever met a graphic designer who actually reads the copy? Well, this guy does... He takes a moment and comes up with an idea. You can almost see his brain working. Jacinto will never get bored of making sketches and fine tuning art. Other than that, he thinks he is cool as a cucumber just because he is from the tropics… (and he is… from the tropics, I mean!)
Motto:
Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working (Picasso)
Fast facts:
- Voice range: baritone
- Used to teach: History of Graphic Design
- Salsa lessons: free
- Hardcore addiction: dark chocolate
Tony Marques
Senior Art Director
Have you heard the voice of creative experience? We have — and it belongs to Tony Marques. Whether Tony’s discussing design, travelling, or Chinese food, it pays to listen. It’s not because of his outstanding portfolio, or because of his CNN anchorman voice, which makes everything he says sound like the absolute truth. It’s because of his ability to consistently produce bold and stunning creative.
Motto:
Jumping off the deep end is a good thing
Fast facts:
- Bucket list: design a type face
- Guilty pleasure: anything apple (pie, pastry, turnover, cobbler, iPhones)
- Little known fact 1: Tony actually enrolled in a physiotherapy program, where he lasted all of 5 months
- Little known fact 2: he swears he looks like Clint Eastwood (we’re thankful he didn’t try to pull that one during his job interview)
Jim Robinson
Senior Production Artist
Jim is trained in Graphic Design and works closely with Jacinto to execute BAM’s designs. Beloved in the office for his efficiency, meticulousness and eagle’s eye for detail, Jim is also much loved for his speedy and dry sense of humour. Just don’t call him Bill.
Motto:
When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.
Fast facts:
- Favourite food: coffee
- Guilty pleasure: Trailer Park Boys
- You won’t catch him: eating onions
- Weekends: hockey, poker, and scotches that start with “Glen...”
Levon Dallakyan
Studio Manager
Don’t even think about it. There is no escape. Every single piece of artwork needs to go through the expert production eye of Levon. He is BAM’s secret weapon, ensuring the quality of our outputs from conventional and digital press to multimedia and Internet. And yes, he has the fastest computer in the whole office.
Motto:
You better do it semantically...
File hierarchy:
- Degree: Computer Science
- Fruit portions a day: 10
- Favourite movie: Forrest Gump
- Favourite novel: Flowers for Algernon
Rachel MacKay
Client Services Coordinator
While being awesome at your job is ideal, having a personality that matches your workplace culture is also very important. On both fronts, Rachel excels. Besides possessing excellent organizational skills, Rachel is a self-avowed grammar stickler and pun aficionado, which comes in handy when sending multiple emails, voicing an opinion about copy, or making a joke (of which she has a well-stocked arsenal).
Motto:
The wisest men follow their own direction. — Euripides
Fast facts:
- Favourite thing about work: collaborating with brilliant, immensely creative people
- Bribery tools: cheesecake, chocolate or bacon
- Something she’ll never do: become a snake handler. Or a mime. (She finds both equally scary.)
- Little known fact: Rachel competes as a member of a Simpson's Trivia Team. Seriously.
Benny Hakak
Digital Marketing Manager
The latest addition to the BAM team hails from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but after several years in Toronto, he’s finally gotten used to Canadian winters. Although Benny has worked with a wide variety of marketing channels and strategies, he always had a particular crush for digital initiatives, which became his area of expertise. A huge soccer fan, Benny is already warming up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Motto:
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.
Fast facts:
- Guilty pleasure: Hawaiian Blizzard from Dairy Queen
- Education: BA in Marketing & Advertising, ESPM University; Certificate, E-Business & Web Marketing, University of Toronto
- Something most people don't know about Benny: volunteered in a Kibbutz in Israel, picking bananas and pears
- Favourite drink: lots of coffee
Alain Latour
Social Media Manager
Having worked as yoga instructor, salesman of all kinds, bookstore clerk, TV show co-host, and freelance writer, Alain can identify with pretty much everyone, which serves him well as eBAM’s Social Media Manager.
A graduate of U of T’s CCIT program, Alain has been known to obsess over which specific word will get more Facebook “Likes”. Which is why we’re not surprised to find him, now and then, muttering to himself at his computer.
Motto:
There are no bad ideas.
Fast facts:
- Guilty pleasure: Peanut butter
- Something most people don't know about Alain: he served two years in the army
- Alain’s favourite thing about work: it's like a family
- Alain’s least favourite thing about work: sitting all day can kill you, you know?
Brian Leung
Online Marketing Specialist
Think a U of T-educated biochemist can’t make a great Online Marketing Specialist? Think again. Having also obtained a degree in Business Administration and a Google AdWords certificate, Brian combines a great deal of passion for online marketing with an impeccable work ethic. The results? A zealous employee who does a great job of ramping up all our Google ad and e-campaigns.
Motto:
No balls, no glory.
Fast facts:
- Favourite thing about work: absolutely loves the feeling of coming up with a smart, creative solution to a problem
- Favourite food: a nice rare steak that’s been aged to perfection
- Little known fact: Brian can see perfectly in one eye, but the other is pretty near-sighted
- Guilty pleasure: eating, oh, a dozen times a day
Damian Clarke
Accounting Administrator
Whoever said that “numbers people” aren’t “people’s people”? Just meet Damian. But don’t be fooled by his kindness. He will keep an eye on every nickel and dime! And as he works only one day a week, when he is around we all get happy… why? Because it’s payday! Any recent news? Well… just married, big time!
Motto:
In God we trust
(same as on the U.S. dollar bill)
Fast facts:
- Alcohol policy: zero tolerance
- Hope policy: there is light at the end of the tunnel
- Smile policy: free
- Policies policy: a man of principles
JohnAmardeil.com
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They say...
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“BAM has really impressed me with their development of Empire’s ECO² campaign, our new green program. Since we started working with them, BAM has worked hard – looking at all aspects of our business, from every sales centre to our design centre – to revitalize our current sites. BAM has gone outside the box to help us think of ways to increase traffic and sales.”
— Paul Golini Jr., Executive Vice President — Empire Communities
We’ve been there
Mission Statement
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To provide the highest level of quality and service in strategy, creative, management and production that will truly delight and amaze each and every customer we are privileged to serve.