Weidu Network has learned that Substack recently announced it has hired former Google Canada executive Mark Swierszcz as its first Partnerships Lead in Canada. This appointment aims to support the platform's continued growth in the Canadian market, which has become one of Substack's key markets outside the United States and the United Kingdom.

Based in Toronto, Mark Swierszcz served as Google Canada's Head of Creative Effectiveness for six years before joining Substack. A Substack spokesperson stated that during his tenure at Google, he was responsible for enhancing the creative impact of Canadian advertising on Google and YouTube. Prior to that, Swierszcz also led YouTube's creator strategy in Canada and oversaw digital operations at MTV and MuchMusic.

In his new role, Swierszcz will lead Substack's expansion and partnership strategy in Canada. According to Substack, Canada is the platform's third-largest global market, with thousands of Canadian publications and over 500,000 paid subscribers already on the platform. This year, Canada became one of the first markets to receive support from a local leadership team.

In a statement, Farrah Storr, Head of International at Substack, said: "Canada has become one of Substack's strongest markets outside the U.S. and U.K., thanks to organic growth from creators and audiences. Hiring Mark Swierszcz allows us to meet this demand locally, as we make deeper market investments around the world."

Substack was co-founded in 2017 by University of Waterloo (Canada) alumni Chris Best and Jairaj Sethi, along with New Zealand journalist Hamish McKenzie. Headquartered in San Francisco, the platform allows creators to publish content independently and manage subscribers, taking 10% of subscription revenue plus transaction fees. As of March 2025, Substack has over 5 million paid subscribers globally, making it one of the widely used newsletter services for journalists and independent creators.

Following the completion of a $100 million Series C funding round, Substack is accelerating its global expansion. After Canada, the platform plans to add Partnership Leads in Australia, New Zealand, and several European regions to further expand its international presence.