Frank Palmer (businessman)
{{short description|Canadian advertising executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Frank Palmer
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|09|02}}
| birth_place = Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Canadian
| occupation = Businessman, advertising executive
| years_active = 1969–present
| spouse = {{Unbulleted list | {{marriage|Kathy Rice|1964|1985|reason=div.}} | {{marriage|Marika Bujdoso|1992}}}}
| children = 2
}}
Frank Palmer (born September 2, 1940) is a Canadian advertising executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.{{Cite web|last=Canada|first=D. D. B.|title=Frank Palmer Moves on from his Indelible DDB Legacy|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/frank-palmer-moves-on-from-his-indelible-ddb-legacy-700069401.html|access-date=2020-06-24|website=www.newswire.ca|language=en}} He is Chairman of Palmer Stamnes DDB{{Cite web|title=Ex-CEO Frank Palmer returns to DDB's Vancouver office in major shakeup|url=https://biv.com/article/2020/06/ex-ceo-frank-palmer-returns-ddbs-vancouver-office-major-shakeup|access-date=2020-06-24|website=Business in Vancouver|language=en}} and was president, chairman and CEO of DDB Canada until April 2019 after merging his advertising company Palmer Jarvis into DDB in 1998.
Early life
Palmer was born in Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia on September 2, 1940.{{cite news |last1=Felicity Stone |first1=Felicity Stone |title=BCBusiness |url=https://www.bcbusiness.ca/Weekend-Warrior-Frank-Palmer |access-date=October 29, 2019 |date=July 12, 2018 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Happy Birthday Frank! |url=https://www.ddb.ca/en/news/happy-birthday-frank |website=www.ddb.ca |access-date=October 29, 2019}} He studied at the Vancouver School of Art (currently known as Emily Carr University of Art and Design), where he graduated with a degree in design and illustration.
Career
After graduation, Palmer started his career as an illustrator for advertising agencies and television.{{cite news |title=DDB Canada Chairman and CEO Frank Palmer to Leave the Agency {{!}} LBBOnline |url=https://lbbonline.com/news/ddb-canada-chairman-and-ceo-frank-palmer-to-leave-the-agency/ |access-date=October 29, 2019 |work=lbbonline.com |date=November 9, 2018 |language=en}} He also worked as a commercial artist for KVOS-TV.
Later, Palmer entered the advertising business and joined Trend Advertising on April 1, 1969, along with his partner George Jarvis. Trend Advertising later became Simon, Palmer and Leckie, and after a few years, the company's name was changed again to Palmer Jarvis.{{cite news |last1=Calvert |first1=Paige |title=Frank Palmer celebrates 45 years of being in the business… and that's no joke! |url=https://www.ddb.ca/en/news/frank-palmer-celebrates-45-years-of-being-in-the-business-and-thats-no-joke |access-date=October 29, 2019 |work=www.ddb.ca |date=April 1, 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Kolm |first1=Josh |title=Frank Palmer to leave DDB |url=http://strategyonline.ca/2018/11/08/frank-palmer-to-leave-ddb/ |access-date=October 29, 2019 |work=StrategyOnline1 |date=November 8, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Lloyd |first1=Jeromy |title=Frank Palmer looks beyond DDB Canada |url=http://strategyonline.ca/2019/03/18/frank-palmer-looks-beyond-ddb-canada/ |access-date=October 29, 2019 |work=StrategyOnline |date=March 18, 2019}} Palmer remained the president and CEO of the company until 1998, when he sold the company to Omnicom Group, which merged it into DDB Worldwide's Canadian office and renamed it Palmer Jarvis DDB. Palmer also became the chairman and CEO of the merged company, and in 2004, Palmer Jarvis DDB was renamed DDB Canada.
Palmer served the company in a full-time capacity until December 31, 2018, after which he continued on a part-time basis. After serving for exactly 50 years in the marketing and advertising business, Palmer retired from DDB on April 1, 2019, and Brent Choi was appointed as the new CEO and CCO for the company.{{cite news |last1=Canada |first1=D. D. B. |title=DDB Canada names Brent Choi as new CEO and CCO |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ddb-canada-names-brent-choi-as-new-ceo-and-cco-300778775.html |access-date=October 29, 2019 |work=www.prnewswire.com |date=January 15, 2019 |language=en}}
In 2019, he funded the "Frank Palmer Creative Design Scholarship" for digital design students at Vancouver Film School.{{cite web|date=October 21, 2019|title=Frank Palmer Creative Design Scholarship|url=https://vfs.edu/scholarships/frank-palmer-scholarship|access-date=October 29, 2019|website=Vancouver Film School|language=en}}
On June 23, 2020, DDB Canada announced that Palmer had returned to DDB, coming out of retirement.{{Cite web |title=DDB Canada restructures leadership, rebrands Vancouver office |url=https://strategyonline.ca/2020/06/23/ddb-canada-restructures-its-leadership-rebrands-vancouver-office/ |website=StrategyOnline|date=June 23, 2020 }} He and his business partner Bob Stamnes had taken over the company's Vancouver office and rebranded it as Palmer Stamnes DDB.{{Cite web|last=Canada|first=D. D. B.|title=DDB Canada Announces a National Strategic Restructuring of Its Executive Leadership|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ddb-canada-announces-a-national-strategic-restructuring-of-its-executive-leadership-800846105.html|access-date=2020-06-24|website=www.newswire.ca|language=en}} Palmer's return to DDB followed the resignation of CEO and CCO, Brent Choi.{{Cite web|last=GmbH|first=finanzen net|title=DDB Canada Announces a National Strategic Restructuring of Its Executive Leadership {{!}} Markets Insider|url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/ddb-canada-announces-a-national-strategic-restructuring-of-its-executive-leadership-1029335470|access-date=2020-06-24|website=markets.businessinsider.com|language=en-us}}
Awards and honors
The American Marketing Association inducted Palmer into the Canadian Marketing Hall of Legends for his work in the marketing and advertising industry.{{cite web |title=Frank Palmer – Chairman and CEO – DDB Canada |url=https://www.bedifferentorbedead.com/images/uploads/Palmer_BIO.pdf |publisher=BeDifferentToOrBeDead |access-date=October 29, 2019}} He was also given a Gold Medal Award by the Association of Canadian Advertisers.
In the popular culture
[http://www.douglas-mcintyre.com/book/let-s-get-frank Let's Get Frank] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223012540/http://www.douglas-mcintyre.com/book/let-s-get-frank |date=February 23, 2019 }}, a biography on Palmer's life in the business industry, was written by Robin Brunet and published in 2018 by Douglas & McIntyre.{{cite news |last1=Derdeyn |first1=Stuart |title=The tale of Frank Palmer making Palmer Jarvis into a Canadian advertising giant – Vancouver Sun |url=https://vancouversun.com/business/local-business/the-tale-of-frank-palmer-making-palmer-jarvis-into-a-canadian-advertising-giant |access-date=October 29, 2019 |work=VancouverSun |date=January 16, 2018 |language=en}} Palmer has been referred to as "Vancouver's answer to Don Draper" as mentioned in Vancouver Magazine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanmag.com/qa-with-vancouver-advertising-legend-frank-palmer|title=Vancouver Magazine|last=Mckenzie|first=Kevin Hinton & Ryan|date=June 19, 2018 |publisher=Vancouver Magazine|language=en|access-date=November 5, 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Frank}}
Category:Businesspeople from Vancouver
Category:20th-century Canadian businesspeople
Category:21st-century Canadian businesspeople
Category:Canadian chief executives
Category:Canadian company founders
Category:Canadian advertising executives
Category:Canadian graphic designers