Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 19, 2026) - Nikki Stone, former Chief Commerce Officer at WPP (formerly GroupM Canada) and a senior executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience across global media and commerce organizations, today announced the launch of YQ, a strategic advisory firm focused on helping founders and executive leadership teams build resilient, value-aligned, high-performance companies designed for sustainable growth.

As organizations across North America and worldwide face mounting competitive pressure, ongoing economic uncertainty and rapid digital acceleration, Stone has launched YQ to help navigate these challenging times while addressing what Stone calls the Paradox of Growth - the tension between rapid expansion and long-term resilience.

"YQ partners with founders and executive leaders to build not only high-growth companies but also innovative and resilient organizations," said Stone. "We help organizations build resilience and architect sustainable scale into their operating model."

In addition to launching YQ, business futures architect Nikki Stone will also produce strategic content and tools - including a leadership-focused podcast series, a thought-leadership platform and a foundational book - providing founders and business leaders with an additional ecosystem beyond the advisory firm.

Turning Resilience into Growth

YQ works directly with founders, CEOs, boards and executive teams to embed clarity, leadership alignment and disciplined execution into the core of their organizations. Stone's approach - informed by decades of executive leadership within global holding companies - has helped enterprises transform, scale and modernize integrated growth strategies.

Industry Perspective

Stone has served in an advisory capacity to various organizations including Vertiqal Studios - where she serves as a Board Member - and has supported leadership alignment and long-term strategic development within the company.

In her advisory role, Stone is also working closely with the Vertical Impression team to unlock the full potential of their proprietary real-time analytics platform - industry-leading technology that measures consumer attention and engagement across out-of-home and short-form video, translating every impression into actionable insights and measurable outcomes for brands.

The YQ Framework

Developed through Stone's experience in senior leadership roles across various organizations including GroupM (WPP), Zenith Media and Publicis Groupe, the YQ Framework centres on two core components:

• The Y - The Drive: defining a precise North Star that aligns leadership, clarifies decision-making and anchors long-term strategy; and
• The Q - The Execution Quotients: the embedding of critical capabilities required for sustainable scale

Together, these elements form the YQ leadership operating system designed to support innovation while protecting long-term resilience.

Executive Background

Prior to launching YQ, Stone served as Chief Commerce Officer at GroupM Canada, part of WPP, where she led national growth initiatives and expanded integrated commerce capabilities across media, creative and performance disciplines.

Her career also includes senior leadership roles at Zenith Media and Publicis Groupe, overseeing digital transformation, enterprise restructuring and large-scale P&Ls.

Over the course of her career, Stone has:

• Scaled divisions to $600M+ in client billings
• Built and launched new commerce divisions within global holding companies
• Guided companies through complex renewals and acquisitions
• Earned recognition through MIA, CMA and D&AD industry awards

She currently serves on several boards, advising on governance, growth strategy and organizational performance.

About YQ

YQ is a strategic advisory firm led by business futures architect Nikki Stone, that partners with founders, CEOs and executive leadership teams across North America to architect innovative, resilient organizations positioned for sustainable long-term growth.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/284410

Source: YQ