Raul Garcia Joins Courage as Executive Creative Director

Toronto-based creative agency Courage solidifies its reputation as the shop for high-demand talent after naming internationally awarded advertising vet Raul Garcia as executive creative director. 

With 23 years of experience under his belt, Raul’s work has been at the forefront of pop cultural conversations across North America, landing on the cover of the Toronto Star, in The Mercer Report, and throughout talk radio. His sharp attention to detail and culture has also caught the attention of the likes of Pharrell Williams, Zoe Kravitz, 50 Cent, and Lizzo. He’s earned recognition from nearly every major international awards show and taken home a Grand Effie, a D&AD Black Pencil, a Titanium Cannes Lion, and a Cassies Grand Prix. In 2023 alone, Raul won multiple golds for his work on Bill it To Bezos at the One Show, Clios, LIAAs, as well as a graphite pencil at D&AD, and a Gold Lion at Cannes

Raul is Courage’s latest major hire, following notable expansions across every arm of the agency including creative, accounts, and production.

“Raul is one of those creatives that we refer to as a ‘gamer’. He’s always been in the mix with great work, no matter where he goes,” said Joel Holtby, co-founder and co-CCO of Courage. “He also instantly gelled with our people. We really wanted to have a leader come in and add to what we are building—to help foster teams, drive the work and work closely with our clients.  Raul proves you can be an incredibly talented creative and have a heart at the same time.”

After creating for some of North America’s biggest shops—including Leo Burnett, Rethink, Grey, David&Goliath, and Momentum Worldwide, to name a few—Raul says he is excited to officially join a team that has “bought into the end goal” of uniquely helping brands and people find their courage. 

"What really stood out about Courage was the enthusiasm from the employees and clients to do things differently,” said Garcia in a statement. “To really stand for what we believe in is embedded into the fabric of this place, which I find very special. Dhaval Bhatt, Joel Holtby, Niki Sahni and Tom Kenny have really fostered a ‘we, not me’ culture that most agencies strive for, and to be part of that is really refreshing."