Samantha Pickard brings an international outlook to Strut and a vast understanding of the North American and Australian music and entertainment industries. As a thirty-two-year entertainment industry-veteran she contributes a diverse skill set through her years working as a retail buyer, artist manager, promotions and event manager, GM of an entertainment publishing company, in addition to her 15 years leading the public relations, marketing and event team at Strut Entertainment.
The road to Canada began when Samantha took on a three-year role in Radio Promotions at Sydney based, Australian music industry trade magazine, The Music Network (TMN). When TMN partnered with Quebec-based music industry heavyweight, Donald Tarlton (aka Donald K Donald), to launch a Canadian version of TMN, The Canadian Music Network (CMN) in 2001, Samantha landed the role of General Manager and relocated to Toronto.
Over a five-year span, CMN’s in-house publishing arm took on the publication of the JUNO Award and Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards programs. In that time, Samantha also established the Canadian Entertainment Magazine to service the home entertainment business, the Canadian Entertainment Network Awards as well as an independent event-planning firm, Splash Event Management.
Over fifteen years ago Samantha re-launched Splash under the name Strut Entertainment, with an eye to offering a degree of personal attention and customized service other, larger companies couldn’t. Event planning is still part of the suite of services Strut provides but owing to the vast network of contacts Samantha has developed in the corporate world and entertainment industry, public relations, social media, marketing, and influencer services – for clients in the entertainment, music, and lifestyle industries – are the driving force of the business.
Samantha has executed hundreds of public relations campaigns and events including G'Day Toronto for Tourism Australia, the Rolling Stones 50 Years Tour, Walk Off The Earth, the Taylor Swift Speak Now and RED campaigns, Lauv, Commander Chris Hadfield, The Weeknd, Rush, Hanson, Marianas Trench, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, Finneas, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jungle, Girl In Red, Jimmie Allen., Howie D and Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys), Fossil, Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, The Trews, Dita Von Teese, Cavendish Beach Music Festival, The Glorious Sons, Dan Mangan, The Tea Party, Blue Man Group, So You Think You Can Dance Canada, numerous campaigns for Warner Bros Canada, Gaiam, Universal Music Canada, CIMA, Anthem Entertainment Group, The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), New Balance Canada and Jabra.
A former board member of CARAS (The JUNO Awards) and executive board member of CMAO, Samantha is also a sought-after guest speaker and mentor and has working with companies including Toronto’s Centennial College, The SOCAN Foundation, Canadian Public Relations Society, MetalWorks, Music Publishers Canada, Rotmans Commerce Women in Business and for the Urban Music Association, she is also a long-term mentor for Canadas’ Music incubator and founder of Strut Social.