“This Will Be a Defining Year for Leo Toronto”: Exploring Anchie Contractor’s Leadership Mandates

Late last year, Leo Toronto revealed some critical changes intended to guide the agency as it entered 2026. Aside from the launch of agentic AI solution Hi Leo, its executive leadership team (ELT) was restructured, all with the purpose of helping the shop better operate and service client partners in an era of emerging technologies, demands, and prolific change.

As part of this, an emphasis was placed on introducing a new strategic growth and operations mandate internally, which saw Anchie Contractor join the ELT as managing director, strategic growth, operations. Coming aboard from her position as head of design and strategic growth at Leo Design – a role she still retains – her mandate was simple but ambitious. From launching new product and services offerings to advancing AI-driven creativity, efficiency and performance, she, along with fellow ELT members Stephanie McRae (SVP, head of HR), Patsy Boodhoo (EVP, head of finance), Natasha Dagenais (managing director), Tahir Ahmad (CSO), and Angus Tucker (CCO) would lead the next stage of Leo Toronto’s transformation, and help it become Canada’s number one agency in the process.

To learn more about what this ambition looks like on a practical level, and how the agency is already working in pursuit of these wider goals, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Anchie for a chat.

LBB> Anchie, congratulations on your new position! What does joining Leo Toronto’s executive leadership team represent to you, both on a personal and professional level?

Anchie> Thank you! For me, joining Leo Toronto’s executive leadership team represents a meaningful moment. Professionally, it is an opportunity to help shape the future of the agency at a time when the industry is moving quickly and creativity has never been more essential. Being part of the group guiding our next chapter energises me, because it means championing creative that is always in service of the work and the impact it drives for clients.

On a personal level, it feels like a homecoming. I spent five formative years at Leo Toronto from 2015 to 2020, so returning to the agency in a leadership role carries special significance. Leo has placed a great deal of trust in my leadership, and the chance to help influence culture, talent and the work at the highest level is something I take real pride in. It feels like the right challenge at the right moment.

LBB> Coming into the role, what were your main aims and ambitions? And, with a month already under your belt, how have you been working to achieve these?

Anchie> I wanted to spend my first month listening deeply, understanding where the friction points were, and aligning our leadership team around a shared set of priorities. That kind of clarity is essential if we want to keep pushing our creative standards and stay obsessed with work that genuinely moves the needle for clients.

I also came in knowing I was starting from a place of real strength: Leo was just ranked the number two agency in Canada, and that momentum is incredible. The question for me became how to accelerate it. Over the past month, I have focused on identifying any inefficiencies that might be slowing us down, and introducing AI solutions that not only remove friction, but also prepare our teams for what’s coming next in our industry. Used thoughtfully, AI becomes a strategic enabler, helping us work faster where it matters less, think bigger where it matters more, and free our teams to spend more time on the craft itself. The more space we create for creative thinking and problem solving, the stronger the work becomes. This is the foundation we are building on for 2026.

LBB> Another one of your mandates is elevating Leo’s operational engine – tell us about this! Where were things at when you took on this position, and where are you hoping to take things across the year?

Anchie> I believe that in order to elevate Leo’s operational engine, it starts with recognising that there is always room to be better. To be faster and to respond in real time to an industry that never stops moving.

When I stepped into the role, the foundation was already strong. What we needed was to increase the speed and precision of the engine that supports our teams and work. So, this year, we are building proprietary tools designed to remove friction and give our people more time to think, make and push creative that is truly in service of the work. The goal is to spend less time navigating processes, and more time building intelligent ideas that drive impact for clients. That is where the craft lives, and that is where our focus is going.

LBB> At the same time, you’re also expected to launch new product and service offerings. What can people expect from Leo in this regard?

Anchie> This is the exciting part! We’re expanding our product and service offerings to fundamentally change how we solve problems for our clients, helping our teams move smarter and faster in service of more impactful work. AI tools like Hi Leo are a great example, and they’re evolving quickly to meet the needs of every department, from powering agentic research to taking the admin out of the creative process. As they evolve, they’re becoming an embedded part of how we develop ideas, uncover insights, and build work that is more ambitious. These tools allow us to respond to client challenges with greater depth, speed and precision.

We are also developing new proprietary tools that will introduce premium capabilities within our design team, and open the door to new types of work. There is more to come in this space, and while I cannot share everything yet, people can expect offerings that genuinely elevate the output!

LBB> With that in mind, what would becoming the ‘number one’ agency look like in your eyes? How will you know if you’ve made it?

Anchie> Becoming the number one agency is about staying steadfast in what has always defined Leo. It means grounding everything we do in human insight, and using that understanding to create intelligent ideas that are beautifully crafted and genuinely in service of the work. When we do that consistently, the results follow.

We will know we have made it when our clients see us as truly indispensable partners. That trust and reliance is what helped take us to number two, and it is what will carry us to number one. Awards and rankings matter, but being the partner clients cannot imagine working without is the real measure.

LBB> Moving over to you, how has the shift to managing director been? Has it been a challenge to juggle this, as well as your responsibilities at Leo Design?

Anchie> The shift has been exciting. Stepping into this role and helping shape the future of an amazing agency is a big mandate, but it is also an energising one. We are transforming the agency for the future, and being part of that evolution is something I am genuinely proud of.

At the same time, Leo Design remains a priority for the agency because the craft it brings directly elevates the work. That is why continuing to lead Leo Design alongside my new responsibilities made complete sense. The two roles work hand-in-hand, and together, they allow me to stay close to the creative output while guiding the broader direction of the agency.

LBB> How would you say your prior position prepared you for this new mandate? What were some of the key learnings which have helped you since stepping into this role?

Anchie> My previous roles prepared me in very real ways for this mandate. They reinforced the importance of collaboration and a true team mentality, not as buzzwords, but as an actual operating model. When teams are aligned, open, and working toward the same goals, the work gets better and the creative becomes more meaningful. That belief has shaped every leadership decision I make.

I also learned how essential it is to have a clear path forward and a shared ambition. Vision has to be set from the top, and our president, Ben Tarr, has done exactly that. He has been very clear about where we are headed while protecting what makes Leo what it is. That combination of clarity and respect for the craft has been invaluable as I step into this role.

LBB> You’re not the only one who joined the executive leadership team in December – how does it feel to be part of this newly-expanded offering? What has the first month of collaboration been like?

Anchie> This is a team that has excited me. I have known almost everyone on it for more than a decade, so stepping into this group felt natural from day one. There is a shared sense of momentum and ambition that you can feel immediately.

What has stood out most in the first month is the level of alignment. We are all very clear on where Leo needs to go next, and everyone brings complementary strengths that make the collective stronger.

LBB> Finally, what are you most excited about for the coming year, with regards to the future of Leo Toronto?

Anchie> What excites me most about the coming year is the opportunity to build the next chapter of Leo’s growth. We are evolving in ways that reflect how clients work today, and are launching new offerings that will make us an even stronger partner.

I am also excited about continuing to shape and strengthen our culture. When you create an environment where people feel supported, inspired and obsessed with creative in service of the work, everything rises. The thinking becomes sharper, the craft becomes stronger, and the ideas become more impactful.

And of course, the work itself is what drives me. I am looking forward to creating ideas that are not only creatively ambitious, but genuinely transformative for clients. If we stay focused on that obsession and keep pushing our standards, this will be a defining year for Leo Toronto.