LaForce announced the appointments of Erin Grant (pictured right) as head of strategy & growth and Toby Leston (pictured left) as associate senior vice president (ASVP), creative strategy, new roles created to deepen the agency’s strategic creative offering and further strengthen its presence in Los Angeles. Grant will report to agency President Olita Mills and Leston to EVP Shauna Solum. 

“Erin and Toby represent a powerful convergence of strategy and creativity at a moment when brands are navigating a complex and fast-moving cultural landscape,” said Olita Mills, President of LaForce. “Erin brings a sophisticated, growth-minded approach to building strategies that move brands forward, while Toby is an engine of out-of-the-box thinking, shaping work that is impactful and impossible to ignore,” Mills concludes.

Grant, who began her career at LaForce before moving to the brand side and has held agency roles where she led enterprise expansion and built high-performing teams. With deep category expertise across fashion, sport, consumer tech, and luxury, Grant has guided brands including Formula 1, Bonobos, and Grindr. 

“This feels like a homecoming for me. LaForce has a legacy of shaping conversations that matter, and I’m excited to build on that foundation,” said Grant. 

At LaForce, Grant will partner with leadership and will have a broad remit across the company’s service offerings. Based in Los Angeles, she divides her time between New York and the West Coast. 

As ASVP, Creative Strategy, Leston will lead LaForce’s creative approach to deliver culturally resonant work. With experience across the UK and EMEA markets, he brings a unique perspective as an earned creative, developing ideas that organically drive influence and conversation. Leston’s career spans senior roles at leading global agencies where he has led brands across a range of consumer sectors. 

“Discovery has fragmented across feeds, search, and now AI answers, and earned storytelling is the one thing that travels across all of it,” said Leston. “I'm excited to lead creative at LaForce helping brands drive impact.” 

LaForce is a full‑service agency delivering best-in-communications for the world’s favorite brands and emerging innovators. As culture-obsessed, digital-first, earned specialists, the agency brings a unique understanding of how people think, behave, and engage.

Image courtesy of LaForce