Lauren McCrindle and Erin Wendel Join The Hive as Chief Creative Officers

It’s been three years since the Hive embarked on a transformation to become the world’s greatest creative collaborator. This ultimate goal post has established the foundation for culturally attuned, commercially impactful work for brands across its North American client-base. Now the agency takes another bold step in bringing home two of New York’s most respected creative leaders, who are returning to their home country of Canada. 

Lauren McCrindle and Erin Wendel join the Hive as the agency’s first co-chief creative officers. Their long tenured partnership began in Toronto, quickly seeing the pair find success across the globe – first in Prague with Lowe and Partners, followed by a stint at Minneapolis success story Fallon, and most recently at McCann New York as EVP, executive creative directors at McCann. 

The pair's leadership has been at the forefront of ground breaking work for the past seven years at McCann New York, one of the world’s most creatively-awarded agencies over the last decade. The pair’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, recognised with the industry’s top awards and perhaps most importantly their collaborative spirit have earned them the respect of their peers and client-partners alike. Their latest work, a documentary for US Bank called 'Translators' received six shortlists, and won a gold and two silvers at this year’s Cannes Lion International Festival Of Creativity, along with the gold for the inaugural Cannes Lions AYA Inclusion Award. 

“I believe that growth and transformation are not just goals, but integral parts of our journey as a company.” says Jared Stein CEO at The Hive. “Lauren and Erin’s move to The Hive marks a significant step in our agency’s growth and commitment to creative excellence. From the moment we met, their philosophy, their approach to creativity, and their innovative thinking was perfectly aligned with our mission to fuel creativity, in order to transform the advertising industry with ground breaking ideas and compelling narratives that captivate and inspire.”

Lauren McCrindle commented, "Joining The Hive is an exciting new chapter for us. We’ve admired their work from afar and are eager to contribute to their innovative and collaborative way of working. The Hive’s commitment to creativity and culture makes it the perfect environment for us to thrive and further push boundaries." 

Erin Wendel added, "The Hive’s ethos of challenging the status quo through radical collaboration resonates with us deeply. We look forward to leveraging our experience and passion to build on the agency’s success and create impactful, purpose-driven work that resonates with audiences." 

McCrindle and Wendel’s appointment as co-CCOs is effective immediately. They will be responsible for overseeing all creative output at The Hive, working closely with the Hive’s chief strategy officer Dustin Rideout.