By now you’re already familiar with what we do.
It’s only fair that we show you who we are: a bunch of people brought together by our shared love for great communication.
Well, that and our shared need for income.
or use the arrows on your keyboard to navigate
Chris Bolivar
Managing Director
Krystin Royan
Creative Director
As the Managing Director of FREE, Chris brings his enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit to every meeting. He finds opportunities that others miss and he makes great situations better through leadership, methodical processes and strategic decision making. In his spare time, Chris also competes in Ironman triathlons.
As Creative Director of FREE, Krystin is an ideas man through
and through. Even with over 100 awards on the local,
national and international levels to his name, Krystin
takes most pride in his co-producer credit on his two
beautiful daughters. He has even been named to Strategy
Magazine’s top 100 copywriters for the last 5 years.
Valéry Goulet
Art Director
Michael Brechtel
Director of Strategy
You can’t spell team without Valéry. Well, you can, but ours
wouldn’t be complete without her. Originally from sunny
Quebec,where she earned her Master’s Degree, Valéry
consistently commits to creating effective design
experiences for every project she works on.
A visual reference to the golden days of advertising on
Madison Avenue, Brechtel leads the Strategic team and
informs the creative process, sharing insights uncovered
through innovative research. As each project evolves he
ensures that there’s a reason for everything we do – you
know: that it’s all strategic. Michael brought TEDx to
Edmonton and is a founder of artsScene. He’s a good guy.
He wears bow ties.
Andrew Benson
Creative
Vince Fournier
Creative
More beard than man, Andrew has been working as a designer
in marketing and communications for over seven years.
His approach brings together a multi-talented background including musicianship and screen printing posters for bands around town. Also, his wife bakes delicious treats for the office.
When Quebec had its historic buy-one-get-one-FREE sale, we got a hell of a good deal. Like any Nordiques fan, Vince has technical expertise that extends across multiple platforms. He knows how to turn a great idea into a remarkable experience.
Jeff Gonek
Account Manager
Jamey Hawtin
Account Manager
Successful accounts management that makes the client
experience a breeze is Jeff’s calling card. Also his calling card?
The ability to mix a Manhattan with a lady on his
shoulder–he’s a dancer. Because of his arts background,
Jeff understands the need for creativity in all aspects
of our business.
Jamey works well with others. Being an effective accounts
manager who understands what’s needed for a project to
find success, Jamey instills a process for clear and open
communication in any project. Her seven years of experience
allow for a holistic understanding of a client’s direction
and goals.
Danny Israel
Account Manager
Steffen Janzen
Strategist
Innovative Thinking and Solid Communication Skills are
the names of Danny’s right and left fists, respectively.
They are also useful terms in describing what Danny brings
to a project. If you don’t remember him for his golden tan,
you will for his ability to see the right problem and solve
it efficiently.
Always the one to show up unexpectedly at this copywriter’s
desk, Steffen the strategist is known just as well for his
echoing laugh and office stealthiness as he is for his ability
to approach a problem from all angles.
Jon Manning
Copywriter
Katrina Panis
Creative
After making Jon, his parents stopped having kids. They
finally got it right. Jon is a daytime copywriter and a night
time 80’s cover artist. If he’s not writing, he’s playing music
and vice versa. His passion for this industry, its people and
the work we create makes him an authentically unique asset
to our brand.
Katrina is adept at creating memorable spaces, and comes from
an exhibition design background–meaning she’s awesome
with power tools. Katrina knows how to create an experience
from the ground up that gets people talking.
Melenie Read
Administrative Assistant
Caitlin Scruggs
Creative
When she’s not spinning mad beats on her turntables, Melenie is the first smiling face you see when you enter FREE and the last one you see when you leave. She knows the importance of first impressions, and is always ready to take your call.
Caitlin makes design look easier than it is. Her personality
and charm make her a great fit in our team, and the work
she creates clearly reflects the wishes of our clients and the
needs of their clients too. She knows how to take old ideas
and make them shiny and new again.
Alicia Schaeffer
Creative
Lorianne Slauenwhite
Media & Resourcing
If she didn’t have a middle name already, we might suggest
“work ethic” as a healthy alternative. Alicia knows the
importance of finishing what you start. That being said,
her hard work is remarkable because of the results
it produces.
She knows how to negotiate the best media deals for our
clients in the fastest time. Lorianne brings a great deal of
leadership to her position and understands what it means
to exceed expectations. Having been in this industry and
market for eight years, she has created partnerships from
which our clients benefit.
Michael Wichuk
Creative
He’s critical of his own work more than anyone else, which
makes Mike a valuable member of the Creative team.
He doesn’t let up until things look just right. His ability to
bring strong concepts to life while adhering to the Client’s
objectives allows for the best visual solutions that just
make sense.