Todd Shannon (BCom’07) & Gareth Musico (BCom’07) named Telfer’s Young Achievers 2024

Todd Shannon and Gareth Musico graduated from Telfer School of Management with Bachelor of Commerce degrees in 2007. Years later they reconnected and bought a business together. And then founded another. 

Today, their company, HUMANCONTACT, a cutting-edge communications and creative agency—where Gareth serves as President and Todd as the Chief Creative Officer—continues to be a welcoming place for Telfer students. They hire CO-OP and Connexions participants, and host visits for Telfer’s marketing students during field trips to Toronto.  

Todd won the Ottawa Business Journal Top 40 under 40 Award in 2023 for his business accomplishments and is an active member of the Ottawa Alumni Engagement Council. Meanwhile, Gareth is the fearless leader who runs a tight ship behind the scenes, committed to bringing people together, live and digitally.  

Proud advocates of experiential learning, Todd and Gareth are engaged alumni passionate about giving back to their alma mater. For their impressive business acumen and selfless contributions to Telfer’s students, we are proud to name Todd and Gareth our Young Achiever Award Winners of 2024.  

From sharing 4 years at Telfer to buying a business together

Todd and Gareth knew of each other at school, but they weren’t close, Todd specializing in Marketing, and Gareth in Finance and International Business.

While Todd started his career in the sustainability industry, got his MBA and then worked in strategic planning at Bell Canada, Gareth travelled, moved to Toronto, and got a job at HUMANCONTACT. It wasn’t until 2011 that the two future business partners reconnected at a friend’s birthday party.

“That was the first time we probably had a serious conversation together,” says Gareth with a laugh. “We learned I liked business operations and finance and Todd liked copywriting and creative. Everything I prefer to do, he doesn’t, and vice versa. We thought our skill sets were too complementary to not find a way to work together.” 

Later that summer, the two played basketball and continued the conversation. Todd interviewed with HUMANCONTACT in the fall and started in January 2012. The two made a move to buy the company in 2013 and a partnership was born, with the deal closing in early 2014.

Thoughtful new leadership

HUMANCONTACT was founded in 2005. When Gareth came in, it was a small company of five people, that mainly produced large-scale corporate events. When four major competitors collapsed, leaving employees without jobs, management decided to take a different path. The founders didn’t want to sell the company for spare parts—they wanted to leave a legacy, and to ensure the relationships they had built over decades were left in the right hands.  

Todd and Gareth decided to purchase the business. The handover was gradual, in an intentional plan spanning three years, with the best interests of employees and clients at heart. “It allowed us to focus on what we wanted to do with the business,” adds Todd. “This meant diversifying, expanding our services, bringing creative in-house rather than outsourcing, and increasing our value proposition.”  

At the end of those three years, the business had expanded to nearly twenty employees. Today, a decade after the purchase, HUMANCONTACT has a headcount of nearly sixty people.

Innovative entrepreneurship

Todd and Gareth became founders themselves in 2020 when the pandemic threatened their business. They created Merjj, a digital employee engagement software.  

This year, Merjj is participating in Telfer’s MBA Consulting Project—over 4 months, students will devote a minimum of 800 hours to the company. By the end, Todd & Gareth will receive a competitive analysis and market entry research for an Augmented Reality application that offers employees an online space for collaboration and events, reflecting the workplace of the future.  

Reminiscing on the Telfer student experience 

Todd: The value of experiential learning and team projects 

Todd graduated high school in a double cohort of twelve- and thirteen-graders. Attending university with students who were a little more prepared, Todd found the transition difficult.  

“When I arrived at Telfer, I felt like a fish out of water. I struggled with the first-year curriculum but found my footing in 2nd and 3rd year. I got involved with the Telfer Marketing Association and helped plan the Marketing Ball, which helped me feel more engaged,” says Todd.  

But it wasn’t until the 4th year that Todd truly felt things come together. Although he didn’t do Jeux du Commerce (JDC) like Gareth, because of limited finances to spend on extracurriculars, Todd found himself in the classroom.  

Promotional Planning Practicum team project: A right of passage for marketing students 

“The Michel Cloutier Marketing Competition is the #1 thing that jump-started my confidence, creativity, and collaboration,” shares Todd. “Just this morning, I hosted a breakfast event at our Ottawa office and someone from my Promotional Planning Practicum (PPP) team was there, and we were talking about the experience, many years later.”  

The annual competition is the capstone project of the course. Todd actually won the case with his team: “It made me feel like I belonged in my degree. I failed two classes in 1st year but I figured it out in the end.”  

While studying, Todd worked as a Data Analyst researching sustainable products with a Statistics Professor. After graduating, he got a summer job at a marketing firm, where he met his wife and worked for four years.  

Aspiring to also run marathons (which he’s done many times since), Todd’s boss connected him with an ultra-marathoner who had founded a non-profit, Impossible 2 Possible (i2P). Todd enjoyed creating marketing materials while learning storytelling and design. He continued volunteering there during his MBA and while working at Bell, eventually turning his passion for creative work into his full-time job. 

Gareth: All the student clubs and an international exchange 

“Todd got the highest mark in PPP!” adds Gareth. “That was not the case for me. I went to a French high school in Southwestern Ontario and since uOttawa is the only bilingual university in Ontario, it was at the top of my list.” 

In his 1st year, he got involved in CASCO, which introduced him to lifelong friends. Growing up in a theatre family, Gareth’s talents were perfect for the student club. By 3rd and 4th year, he was involved in finance and HR clubs and JDC, coaching the team in 2008. Gareth struggled with grades in marketing and HR, but his strength in math guided him to the finance specialization.  

He made the most of his BCom, also going on an international exchange to Lund, Sweden. “If you have the opportunity, it’s the most valuable experience,” says Gareth. “I’m still friends with people I met 20 years ago.” He graduated with a double major, in international management in 2006 and finance in 2007: “You can never go back to university, so it was nice to get an extra year before going out into the world.”  

Gareth got a job at BMO after school but didn’t see himself in banking forever, yearning for more creativity. He turned down their offer and asked for extended leave. On April 30th, he handed in his last paper. Four days later, he was in Tokyo.

Gareth spent four months travelling the world, visiting friends he met in Sweden. When he came back he had to figure out what to do. It was 2008—the height of the financial and economic crisis—so it took 6 months to find a job. He worked at a marketing company for a year and then started at HUMANCONTACT in 2009. 

A happy workplace: Experiential learning and employee empowerment 

Promote from within and grow together

When Gareth and Todd joined the company in entry-level jobs, they did whatever was necessary. As their careers progressed, they took management roles, a challenge in a complex client-facing business. “It’s hard for someone to come into the leadership role without understanding all the elements of what we do,” adds Todd. Instead, they prefer to promote from within to reward the staff for their commitment and time at the company.  

Promotion from within is part of the diversification strategy the two business partners implemented when they bought the agency. With an in-house creative team, they became more versatile and robust, gaining a wider client base. With only the corporate events that HUMANCONTACT was known for, the agency wouldn’t have made it through the pandemic.

“Our principle is to develop good people,” says Gareth. “We believe good people, with good habits and good values create great work. We encourage autonomy, even if it means failure.”  

At HUMANCONTACT, he prioritizes "honest failing," teaching staff to try, fail, and learn within limits. “When individuals grow, they become more valuable to the company,” Gareth adds. “This company’s greatest asset is its people.” 

Alumni giving back to marketing students 

As for experiential learning, the two Telfer grads designed a comprehensive graphic design internship program, to give back to students, and to get a fresh perspective. Many interns go on to become full-time designers. And that’s not all. The duo recently opened their doors to marketing students to tour the agency’s Toronto office and hired a CO-OP student this year. Todd has also mentored an MBA student. 

“We benefit from being exposed to different demographics and personalities,” adds Todd. “I always think back to the struggling version of myself who would have loved having someone to talk to, who’s been through it and who can provide some guidance. I just wanted to have someone like me as a student.”  

Alumni advice to current Telfer Bachelor of Commerce students 

“When you see a senior person at the office and they take an interest in you, talk to them,” says Gareth. “Management is invested in the growth of their company and therefore invested in your growth. Ask valuable questions and deliver on execution. At school, go to class in person, and meet your teacher. Senior people are around to help you and they want to help you, you just have to ask.” 

Today, both business partners believe that the network you meet at school is just as important as what you learn. They still stay in touch with former classmates and professors and make time to connect with new people. You never know who you’ll meet and eventually end up in business with! 

We are grateful to Todd and Gareth for their continued support of Telfer students. We can’t wait to see how much more they will accomplish in their roles at HUMANCONTACT, changing the world, one client at a time.