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Sectors

Description

Global’s infrastructure practice is fully engaged with governments across Canada making unprecedented investments in infrastructure spending and asset renewal. Multiple levels of government, stakeholders, and lengthy project stages and approvals increase the level of political risk. We understand that sound policies, processes, effective engagement, and clear communications are critical to ensuring that infrastructure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and provide long-lasting value for communities. We have extensive experience working at all stages of the infrastructure life cycle including long-term planning, securing project approvals and funding, construction, and operations and maintenance. We provide a variety of support including project concept and business case development, opportunity identification, and project approval campaigns. We map stakeholders and issues around specific projects to help reduce risk, design and execute local community engagement and communications strategies and provide issues management planning and support.

 

 Download our 2020 Infrastructure and Construction overview.


Lead Contacts:
John Allen
Telephone: 416-642-2903
Email: jallen@globalpublic.com

Philip Cartwright
Telephone: 613-783-6085
Email: pcartwright@globalpublic.com

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Team

Team Lead

Philip Cartwright

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/philip-cartwright-2/">Cartwright

Senior Vice President

Telephone: 613-783-6085

Email: pcartwright@globalpublic.com

Philip Cartwright leads Global Public Affairs’ Transportation, Infrastructure & Communities practice and co-manages Global’s Ottawa team. With over 15 years’ experience in public affairs and public policy, Philip develops and executes government relations and related corporate development strategies in every transportation sector – rail, air and marine. He provides advice on all aspects of regulatory, legislative and policy development, ensuring integration of Parliamentary, political and policy considerations.

Philip’s clients have included airlines, airports, Class-1 railways, global resource producers and commodity shippers, port and terminal operators, tourism industry stakeholders, manufacturers, financial institutions, technology firms, trade associations and industry coalitions, among others. Philip joined Global Public Affairs in 2007 from the Privy Council Office where he worked in various secretariats including Machinery of Government, Cabinet Confidences and Senior Personnel and Special Projects. Prior to living abroad in South Africa, Philip also worked with other professional services firms including an international public opinion polling firm.

Philip is a Founding Board Member of the Canadian Advocacy Network and is Chair of the Ottawa Chapter of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (North America). He previously served as President of the Government Relations Institute of Canada (2017-2019), the national organization representing government relations professionals, and on the boards of the Canadian Transportation Research Forum and the Canadian Club of Ottawa. Philip has also been actively involved as a volunteer with the National Arts Centre. He holds a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management (Hons.) degree from Carleton University’s Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs and an Executive MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

Team Lead

John Allen

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/john-allen-2/">Allen

Vice President and National Infrastructure Practice Lead

Telephone: 416-642-2903

Email: jallen@globalpublic.com

John Allen  is Vice President and National Infrastructure Practice Lead, providing integrated government relations and communications support. He works across sectors, with a primary focus on infrastructure, trade, and investment. As part of this work, he established the Infrastructure Lab as a platform for positive dialogue between industry and government to get the most value from infrastructure projects. Prior to joining Global, John spent nine years in Brussels where he worked at the European Parliament, the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU, and an international public affairs firm – working with leading international companies, foundations, and organizations. He currently sits on the board of the British Canadian Chamber of Trade and Commerce and the EU Chamber of Commerce in Canada. John has an MBA from Vlerick Business School in Belgium and a BA (Hons) in Geography from the University of Birmingham (UK).

Sonia Boskov

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/boskov/">Boskov

Associate Consultant

Phone: 347-543-8791
Email: sboskov@globalpublic.com

Sonia Boskov is an Associate Consultant in the Energy, Environment and Resources practice group based out of our Ottawa office. In this role, she provides strategic research, logistical support and monitors media and policy development.

Prior to joining Global, Sonia worked as a Research Coordinator at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. She has also held a number of volunteer positions in research, advocacy and politics at organizations including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, McGill University, Journalists for Human Rights and the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal.

Sonia holds a Master of Applied Politics degree, with a specialization in public policy from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from McGill University. As part of her master’s program, she completed a Major Research Project in the form of a professional policy analysis of Ontario’s Indigenous Education policy.

Nicole Brassard

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/nicole-brassard-2/">Brassard

Vice President, British Columbia

Telephone: 604 -240-5788

Email: nbrassard@globalpublic.com

Nicole Brassard is the Vice President, British Columbia of Global Public Affairs and is responsible for all day-to-day operations and the strategic direction of Global’s Vancouver and Victoria offices. She is also the co-chair of Global’s Technology Practice and assists clients in the sector from conception to commercialization.

Nicole provides government relations, stakeholder engagement, and communications expertise with a focus on the Transportation, Infrastructure and Technology sectors. Since joining Global in 2018, Nicole has successfully delivered complex public affairs solutions in the country’s most challenging policy areas. Coalition building, media relations, and creative advocacy campaigns are her specialty and provide Global’s clients with a fresh approach to traditional government relations. With over 12 years of political involvement, she has extensive experience managing election campaigns and continues to provide strategic counsel at the federal level.

Prior to joining Global, Nicole was the Director of a federal political party managing stakeholder engagement and grass roots policy development in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Territories. She also worked in law for more than a decade for several national and international law firms in their corporate and insurance practice groups.

Emilio Caputo

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/caputo/">Caputo

Consultant

Phone: (236) 464-0585

Email: ecaputo@globalpublic.com

Emilio Caputo is a Consultant for the Victoria Office, where he provides political advice and advocacy, government relations, communications support, and strategic research.

Resulting from several years of political experience, Emilio is well-connected with government and volunteers with municipal, provincial, and federal politicians. He has also been involved in various campaigns with the NDP over the years. At Global Public Affairs, he works predominantly with clients involved in energy, environment, natural resources, and emergency preparedness and response.

Emilio has experience in Government, working at the Legislative Assembly and Elections B.C. and has previously been employed in the university setting, historical preservation, and the arts. Owing to his academic pursuits, he is a published author and an experienced events coordinator.

Emilio has spent most of his life in Northern B.C. and hails from McBride originally. He graduated Valedictorian from the University of Northern British Columbia, where he earned an Honours Degree in History and Minors in Political Science and Philosophy.

Curtis O’Nyon

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/onyon-curtis-2/">O’Nyon

Senior Counsel, Federal and Municipal Relations

Telephone: 613-294-2757

Email: conyon@globalpublic.com

Curtis O’Nyon is Senior Counsel, Federal and Municipal Relations. With over two decades of experience in the Ottawa political environment, he is a sought-after advisor and strategist for corporate, non-profit and political organizations. In that time, he has built and fostered relationships with government staffers, politicians and the corporate sector in Ottawa and across Canada. Curtis has proven experience managing industry associations, businesses, non-profits and government. His clients count on him to develop and implement strategic advocacy plans and to provide comprehensive public and government relations advice.

His knowledge of municipal governments and their intergovernmental relationship within the federation is based on working closely with municipal governments across Canada for over a decade.

Curtis holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, both from Carleton University.

Rick Roth

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/roth/">Roth

Vice President Strategic Communications, Ontario

Phone: 416-597-3473

Email: rroth@globalpublic.com

Rick Roth is the Vice President Strategic Communications, Ontario, at Global Public Affairs, helping clients navigate the new Government in Ontario under Premier Doug Ford.  Rick works with clients seeking opportunities to collaborate with the public sector to achieve their business objectives.

Rick has more than a decade of experience in government, crisis communications and public affairs, holding senior positions in Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.  Most recently he served as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks helping shape Ontario’s Environment Plan; a detailed vision ranging from the protection of air, land and water, addressing litter and waste as well as Ontario’s new approach to Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Previously Rick spent more than two years as the Senior Manager for Issues and Reputation Management at Scotiabank, one of Canada’s largest and most international banks.  There he crafted crisis communications plans for the Bank and their senior executives ranging from issues around cyber security, international trade and commerce as well as in retail and digital banking.  Rick also led the Bank’s external communications strategy during their quarterly earnings as well as numerous mergers and acquisitions.

Rick served within the Government of Canada as the Director of Communications to Canada’s Foreign Minister as well as with Canada’s International Trade Minister; leading the communications team in promoting Canada’s foreign policy and trade priorities around the world, responding to the fluid and unpredictable nature of international relations.  Rick’s term with the federal government concluded with the Minister of International Trade during the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), where Rick led the communications roll-out and stakeholder strategy.

Rick is passionate about international relations, crisis communications and politics, and has built a positive reputation among his colleagues in the media, both in Canada and around the world.

Rick is a graduate of Brock University with a B.A. in Political Science with a Concentration in Public Law.

Elizabeth Wagdin

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/elizabeth-wagdin-2/">Wagdin

Senior Vice President and General Manager

Telephone: 416-597-3476

Email: ewagdin@globalpublic.com

Elizabeth Wagdin is Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Global Public Affairs office in Toronto. With over 10 years of experience working in public affairs, she provides counsel and strategies to a diverse range of clients. Elizabeth works with clients to advise and execute meeting programs, lobby days and receptions at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill. Her expertise spans sectors such as natural resources, energy, infrastructure, transportation, retail and consumer goods including both private and not-for-profit organizations. Prior to joining Global in 2006, Elizabeth worked with the Toronto District School Board as Constituency Assistant for the Trustee of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. Currently, she sits on the board for the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada. Elizabeth completed the International Association for Public Participation’s Certificate Program in Public Participation and holds both a Bachelor’s of Business Administration (Hons) and a Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Guelph-Humber.

Paul Whittaker

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/whittaker/">Whittaker

Senior Associate

Phone: 780-935-9285

Email: pwhittaker@globalpublic.com

Paul Whittaker has a proven track record in both the public and private sectors, with over 35 years of experience providing strategic policy and communications advice. His expertise lies in a broad range of policy issues in areas such as economic development, resource policy, international trade (US / EU / China / Japan), and regulatory issues. His strength lies in being able to work with clients and governments to develop workable solutions to challenges faced.  Given his background, Paul has had the chance to work with all levels of government in developing solutions that serve both the interested parties and the public. 

Paul previously held senior positions within the Government of Alberta as Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs, and as Deputy Minister of International & Intergovernmental Relations. He also served as Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, serving Premiers Klein and Stelmach, as well as their Cabinet Ministers. More recently, Paul served as CEO for Alberta Forest Products Association, working directly with Ministers, MLAs and Mayors, as well as with industry CEOs, to represent the interests of Alberta’s forest products companies.   

With a background of service on several key Boards in the province, Paul’s experience goes beyond industry and government. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Capital Region Housing Corporation (an Edmonton based affordable housing provider), is a member of the University of Alberta Board of Governors and has served in the past on several economic development-focused Boards and Panels at the municipal and national levels. 

Matt Williamson

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/williamson/">Williamson

Vice President, British Columbia

Phone: 250-858-7895

Email: mwilliamson@globalpublic.com

Matt Williamson leads the Global Public Affairs team in Victoria and Vancouver as Vice President, British Columbia.

With two decades of experience across Western Canada in public policy, communications, and issues management, Matt knows how to navigate the machinery of government to deliver meaningful results for Global’s diverse and growing roster of clients.

Matt is driven by the unique collaborations between industry, Indigenous and Crown governments, and civil society working to advance Canada’s energy transition, protected areas expansion, and economic reconciliation.

Matt works across a wide range of sectors including energy and environment, transportation and infrastructure, health and life sciences, and technology and digital economy.

Prior to joining Global, Matt served as Director of Communications to the Premier of Manitoba, Deputy Director of Communications and Issues Management to the Premier of Alberta, and Chief of Staff to the Energy Minister of Alberta.

Vince Amodeo

https://globalpublicaffairs.ca/staff/amodeo/">Amodeo

Director and Technology Practice Lead

Telephone: 416-597-3478

Email: vamodeo@globalpublic.com

Based in Toronto, Vince is a Director and Technology Practice Lead at Global Public Affairs. Vince supports clients in navigating policy challenges and market access for emerging technologies. He provides strategic and tactical intelligence to clients by monitoring and analyzing current affairs and policy developments at the provincial and federal levels. With specific focus on policy and regulatory developments pertaining to data, privacy, government modernization, government funding and procurement, Vince also supports market entry efforts and stakeholder relations programs as it relates to the growing Canadian technology ecosystem.

Vince has worked on numerous political campaigns at all levels of government, with involvement ranging from issues and volunteer organization to senior leadership roles.

Vince holds a Master of Science degree in International Relations with a specialization in Economics from the University of Edinburgh, and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University.

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