About

Career History

Ipsos

Senior Vice President, Public Affairs (Canada) | January 2025–present

Role: Holds a national business-development mandate for Ipsos Public Affairs, with a focus on energy and opportunities in Ottawa and Alberta. Leads pursuits from initial problem definition through research design with specialist teams, pricing, proposal development, pitches, statements of work and contract negotiation, then transitions delivery to research colleagues. 

Select Contributions: Co-led Trump, Tariffs and Turmoil, a 12-wave monthly study of Canadian responses to U.S. political and economic developments, and led 2026 research on Alberta separatism. Serves as an editor and contributor to Ipsos Canada’s Endurance Economy platform, writing POVs and presenting the framework to corporate and public-sector audiences. Conceived and led a Calgary energy-sector event that generated new business opportunities, and provides media commentary on politics, public policy, energy and Canada–U.S. relations.

Loyalist Public Affairs

Vice President, Strategic Communication and Research | May 2023–December 2024

Role: Led the strategic communication function at a boutique public-affairs consultancy, managing a two-person team and remaining accountable for client relationships, work quality and delivery. Developed communications plans, messaging, stakeholder analysis, media strategies, monitoring, reputational-risk advice, advocacy materials and rapid briefings on government announcements. 

Select Contributions: Advised clients in regulated industries, sports betting, the agency sector and charitable organizations. Also led several quantitative research assignments from design through supplier management, analysis, reporting and strategic recommendations.

Ipsos

Vice President, Public Affairs (Canada) | January 2019–May 2023

Role: Worked as a full-cycle research consultant, account lead and business developer, managing major energy and regulated-industry accounts and generating new business across financial services, government, education, international development and the not-for-profit sector. Designed and delivered national tracking studies, segmentations, advertising and message testing, focus groups, community surveys and international research. 

Select Contributions: Conceived, sold and led Context Energy, a syndicated 29-country study of roughly 24,000 respondents. Won a global NGO client and developed a recurring multi-country research program on belonging. Secured Ipsos’ inclusion on the Government of Alberta’s master standing offer and delivered research on its proposed school curriculum and energy. Also led Ipsos’ drafting and client services for Ontario’s Future of Work report and served as a media spokesperson and thought-leadership contributor.

Government of Alberta

Director of Communications | July 2016–December 2018

Role: Served as head of communications for Economic Development and Trade and, subsequently, Education. Reported to the deputy minister, sat on departmental executive committees, advised ministers and managed teams of up to approximately 14 employees and a seven-figure operating budget. 

Select Contributions: Primary author on Alberta Jobs Plan: Building an Economy for the Future and directed its communications launch. At Education, oversaw communications and stakeholder consultations for the proposed new curriculum and directed communications for more than a dozen school openings across the province. Worked closely with school boards, unions, local stakeholders, media and political offices, and served as a departmental spokesperson.

Suncor Energy

Manager, Government Relations (Core) | June 2014–June 2016

Role: Managed a three-person team in a role strengthening the governance and administration of Suncor’s government-relations function. 

Select Contributions: Established a company-wide process for identifying and reporting government contacts, introduced mandatory lobbying-compliance training and coordinated federal and provincial filings. Represented Government Relations on the risk committee and contributed to Suncor’s submission to Alberta’s royalty review. During the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, served in the emergency operations centre and helped coordinate evacuations, government and airline liaison, and accommodation.

Government of Canada

Director General and progressively senior communications roles | May 2000–June 2014

Role: Progressed from public-opinion research analyst at PCO to senior communications and executive roles at Environment Canada, CIDA and Natural Resources Canada, culminating at Director General. Led teams ranging from specialist units to an organization of more than 70 staff and managed multi-million-dollar budgets, with authority over staffing, classification, contracting and spending. 

Select Contributions: At PCO, coordinated research for three prime ministers, created the Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool still used for major federal advertising, and managed communications across national-security and environmental portfolios. At Environment Canada, expanded Ministerial Services from roughly eight to 26 employees and reorganized media relations, monitoring, speechwriting, events and research. At CIDA, led internal communications, stakeholder outreach and public-opinion research and supported major humanitarian responses. Seconded as the communications member of the 2011 Canada–U.S. Beyond the Border Working Group, coordinating government-wide communications and co-authoring What Canadians Told Us. 

At Natural Resources Canada, joined the Task Force on Energy Security, Prosperity and Sustainability in September 2011 as Director, Operations, while concurrently spending three months completing the Beyond the Border assignment. In July 2013, assumed leadership of the task force as Executive Director, reporting to the Associate Deputy Minister. Led the task force’s communications and policy support for Responsible Resource Development, working with the Major Projects Management Office on stakeholder consultations, Cabinet-level and ministerial briefings, a major announcement and accompanying technical briefing. Secured Budget 2013 funding to turn a staff proposal into a $10-million internal departmental grant programme, and managed the task force’s budget and staffing through interdepartmental secondments.

From January to June 2014, concurrently served as Director General, Operations, in the Public Affairs Sector while retaining the Executive Director role. Led separate teams and budgets, including approximately 70 employees and six director- or manager-level direct reports responsible for internal communications, speechwriting, public opinion research, media monitoring, web and branch operations.