Experience

• 

  Gowling WLG

  • Ottawa, Ontario

  • Counsel, Government Affairs, Advocacy Group, Gowling WLG

    • Apr 2017 - Present
    • Ottawa, Ontario

    • Advocate on behalf of global clients across multiple industries (i.e., agri-food, nuclear energy, advanced manufacturing, information technology). Help clients shape public policy, challenge regulations or pursue legislative change. Actively foster industry and stakeholder relationships and partnerships in the implementation of advocacy campaigns. • Member the ESG National Task Force.

• 

  Canadian Meat Council

  • Ottawa, Canada Area

  • Director, Legal & Regulatory Affairs

    • Apr 2012 - Apr 2017
    • Ottawa, Canada Area

    • Created legitimacy around CMC’s voice on trade (CETA, CPTPP and Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement) and market access issues; represented industry interests before government and elected officials.• Helped shape transformational change in food risk management systems at a time when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada were pursuing aggressive regulatory modernization agendas. Member of CFIA Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.• Strengthened profile and visibility of the CMC with events ranging from annual conferences to trade forums, including lobby days. • Enhance CMC’s influence on public policy issues with the building of coalitions among supply chain partners. • Corporate Secretary to CMC Board and staff support to one of its Standing Committees, initiated governance review with Board support and active engagement.• Facilitated reduction in regulatory compliance costs in negotiations with the CFIA.• Core member of government industry working group that steered the WTO U.S. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) dispute to a successful outcome for Canada. • Member of Canadian delegation at Codex Alimentarius Committee meetings. • Invited as industry panelist for the business roundtable discussions at the WTO Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) symposium on e-certification.

• 

  McBride Bond and Christian LLP / Steinecke Maciuara Leblanc / McGuinty Law Office Professional Corp.

  • Ottawa & Toronto, Canada

  • Student at Law & Lawyer

    • Jul 2008 - Mar 2012
    • Ottawa & Toronto, Canada

    • Over the course of 4 years in boutique law firms, affirmed an aptitude for legal research, and offered a fresh perspective to lawyers in the management of unusual research, and in the path to advancement/closure of case files.

• 

  Insurance Bureau of Canada

  • Ottawa, Canada

  • Executive Director, Government Relations / Executive Director, GIO

    • Feb 2001 - Aug 2005
    • Ottawa, Canada

    • Represented the $30B Canadian property and casualty insurance industry to influence policy, and to advance the organization’s strategic objectives. Secured the adoption of amendments to the Bank Act prohibiting the expansion of bank powers in insurance. Assumed complete ownership over the founding and executive leadership of the General Insurance Ombudservice, the industry’s consumer complaint resolution mechanism, to comply with amendments to the Insurance Companies Act.

• 

  Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario

  • Ottawa, Canada Area

  • Director, Communications and Marketing

    • Apr 1999 - Aug 2000
    • Ottawa, Canada Area

    • Acted as spokesperson for hospital, overseeing and actively engaging in all aspects of promotion, media relations, and event and publication management. Effective PR management of CHEO’s Code Orange crisis enabled CHEO’s foundation to surpass its fundraising targets during the 1999 Telethon.

• 

  CBC/Radio-Canada

  • Ottawa, Canada Area

  • Director Of Corporate Relations

    • Nov 1997 - Mar 1999
    • Ottawa, Canada Area

    • Directed lobbying strategy and activities and strengthened consultative mechanisms for CBC/Radio Canada executives with Ministers and MPs. Conducted a successful campaign to defeat proposed legislative amendments to the Access to Information Act.

• 

  British Columbia Telephone Company / Stentor

  • Ottawa, Canada Area

  • National Director, Government Relations

    • Nov 1985 - Oct 1997
    • Ottawa, Canada Area

    • Held progressively responsible management positions in government relations and regulatory affairs at BC Tel (now TELUS) and Stentor, the national alliance of Canada’s telecommunications’ carriers at a time when the industry was evolving towards a competitive marketplace. Played a leadership role in establishing positive relationships with legislators, government officials, stakeholder groups, industry leaders in Canada and abroad, contributing to advance the strategic objectives of BC Tel/Stentor on regulatory and public policy matters, including complex bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations. Achieved notable success with LD forbearance. • Enhanced BC Tel’s participation in public policy development by introducing a legislative monitoring system and conducting analyses on a variety of bills and procedural matters.• Established Stentor Telecom Policy Inc. (STPI), the national public policy advisory and advocacy arm of the Stentor alliance, by guiding all operational, organizational and logistic requirements on time and within budget.

• 

  Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada

  • Ottawa, Canada Area

  • International Business Development Advisor & Project Manager, Halifax Summit Office

    • Jun 1993 - Jun 1995
    • Ottawa, Canada Area

    • Revitalized export programs to profile service industries. Skills were recognized with a reassignment within the department to the Halifax Summit Office. Designed the IT program of the G8 Summit and spearheaded its implementation, coordinating the aims and efforts of the different private and public sector organizations involved in its execution.

• 

  Petro-Canada International Assistance Corporation (PCIAC)

  • Ottawa, Canada Area

  • Program Planning Officer

    • Jun 1983 - Oct 1985
    • Ottawa, Canada Area

    • Participated in the development and implementation of a $50 million program designed to support non-petroleum producing countries seeking assistance for gas and oil exploration. Facilitated the establishment of partnerships with International Financial Institutions, leading to increased program funding opportunities for PCIAC.