Christina Yu leaving Lowe Roche for Red Urban

Omnicom’s startup Toronto agency Red Urban has hired Christina Yu as executive vice-president and creative director, ending her four-year tenure at Lowe Roche.

Yu, who has been vice-president and creative director at Lowe Roche since 2005, is the first Red Urban employee to be named aside from president Peter Housley.

She is tasked with overseeing all creative products and assembling its debut creative team.

“Red Urban required a progressive, creative leader and Christina is the perfect choice,” said Housley in a statement. “With her understanding of communication design, digital and emerging technology, Christina will be instrumental in launching Red Urban. She’ll be providing our new clients with inspired thinking, verve and industry-defining creative solutions.”

Yu called the chance to launch a new agency “a rare opportunity,” and a “tremendous chance to innovate and really differentiate how an agency can do business and what it can achieve for clients. Our vision is to create Red Urban as a fast-moving, forward-looking agency; one that uses technology to transcend media channels and creatively grow a client’s brand.”

The full-service though “digitally-led” agency will officially launch in January with Volkswagen Canada as its first client.