Pinterest announced it’s opening a Toronto office amid several other large-scale investments in the city.
In September, Ottawa-based Shopify announced an investment of $500 million in the city thanks to the expansion of its Toronto office, while US-based companies Instacart and Microsoft also announced their intention to expand their presence in the area.
The Pinterest office will open on October 1.
Closer to home, Toronto-based innovation hub MaRS announced it would open a Waterfront location to accommodate the rising need for office space from startups and enterprises. Its 780,000-square-foot tower is currently 99.8 percent full.
Pinterest said it has a large Canadian presence, with 12 million people in Canada using the platform, according to comScore. The company noted it will use the office to serve local advertisers.
“We have a strong, passionate user base in Canada and there is a great opportunity for businesses to connect with these people that are actively considering what to do or buy next,” said Jon Kaplan, global head of partnerships at Pinterest. “With the addition of a proven industry expert in Erin who will lead our growing new office, we are committed to the Canadian market and the many businesses we look forward to working with.”
The Pinterest office will open on October 1 and overseen by new country manager Erin Elofson. Elofson most recently led sales teams at Facebook Canada, and previously spent 11 years at Microsoft Canada acting as the global lead for the company’s partnership with BMO Financial Group.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to lead Pinterest Canada,” said Elofson. “Pinterest is already deeply embedded in our culture and Canadians love Pinterest because they want to discover and try new things. They are relentlessly seeking inspiration to enhance their own lives. Canadian businesses have the opportunity to offer the right products and services to Pinners to help them realize those aspirations and I’m looking forward to working with these businesses.”
Photo via Unsplash.
