Created and managed the company’s annual public relations plan, media relations strategies, and PR agency resulting in increased external profile and reduced budget.KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: • Media Relations: Due to a lack of time in executive calendars, urgent and short notice media opportunities were often missed. Stepped in and acted as the company spokesperson for mainstream media requests. This increased our impressions/audience and built stronger relationships with journalists including Lorraine Sommerfeld, Adam Mayers, Rob Carrick, Jacqueline Nelson, Ellen Roseman, Pat Foran, among others. • Social Media Strategy: With increasing public reliance on social media, Aviva was in danger of falling behind and not engaging our customers and brokers. Created a succinct social media plan – going in slowly and assuming control of all that we say on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Aviva Canada now enjoys the most engaging social media presence in the insurance industry. Journal de l’assurance later recognized the company as the industry leader in social media. • Brand Strategy: Needed to change the long-standing belief that insurance companies only rip people off. Part of the Aviva story is that the company settles over 200,000 claims a year, with a 98% satisfaction rating. Engaged with happy customers to tell their stories. Promoted Aviva through customer experience and recovery stories such as The Hitch House, Harry and Karen, Alberta Floods and This is Aviva. The results were a more engaged employee base and easy-to-use examples of how Aviva helps customers every day.

Lead internal communicator for 700+ employees at multiple locations, both networked and non-networked. Accountable for internal communication strategies, policies and processes, as well as communication counsel to executive team.Key Accomplishment: • Employee Engagement: Found a lack of consistent, centralized communication protocols combined with employees in multiple locations that may or may not be networked was disengaging for staff. Created regular communication touch points including intranet revamp (all communications link back to intranet), email distribution and monthly meeting with non-networked staff (including food). The result was a 14% increase in employee engagement scores gathered via internal survey.

Accountable for organization’s communication strategy including public relations plan, internal communications, employee engagement, and corporate social responsibility. Started as a college work placement, ended as a member of Altamira’s Executive Committee and communications leader.KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: • Strategic Counsel: Growing company needed a formal plan for internal communications, public relations and community relations. Actively engaged leaders in communication plan creation, hired additional team members including a PR manager, senior writer and coordinator. The result was higher employee engagement scores and increased media exposure.• Brand Management: With the increased demand for media interviews, and the CEO’s objective of an increased media presence, developed proactive strategy for media interviews. Regular lunch tour and media lunch and learns attracted journalists including Ellen Roseman, Shirley Won, ROB TV producers, Rob Ferguson, and James Langton among others. This strengthened relationships and increased media coverage of content that supported company goals.• Digital Communication: Developed and managed company’s web strategy, engaging clients and potential clients through the creation and ongoing development of the Altamira Broadcast Centre and associated e-marketing campaigns. Contracted external vendor to build an easy-to-use digital solution that could efficiently and effectively engage with customers and financial planners across the country.• Media Relations: Created an in-house television studio capable of conducting live interviews with stations across Canada. The initiative significantly reduced the amount of time that portfolio managers spent engaging with the media while also increasing television interview frequency by 150%.