The Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University's Ted Rogers School of Management promotes diversity and inclusion as the key to Canada’s competitiveness. The institute leads research, develops programs with real-world impact, influences legislation and policy, and helps organizations understand how equity, diversity and inclusion are good for society and for business.Role profile: Plan and develop the strategic direction for marketing and communications. Build, lead and mentor a team to execute on-brand plans with clear messages, effective tactics and measurable outcomes that increase the institute’s reach and engagement. Manage a large portfolio of vendors (designers, editors, translators and others) to help the team execute communications. Oversee production of all cross-channel content and tactics, including bilingual reports, integrated marketing communications and editorial content, more than 100 events per year, and the institute's websites and social media platforms.

Consult with and provide strategic and marketing communications services to clients. I've helped clients with strategic planning, brand positioning, publications, websites, multimedia storytelling, thought leadership and content marketing.

Career sabbatical to pursue a Master of Journalism, specializing in investigative and data journalism.

Sunnybrook Research Institute is the $100M top-10-ranked research enterprise of Sunnybrook, Canada's fourth largest teaching hospital, which is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. It leads in the discovery and commercialization of therapies and medical technologies. As founding director of communications, reported to and advised the vice-president, research; was a member of the Research Executive Committee, the senior management team; and led internal and external strategic and marketing communications. Highlights:▪️ Built the institute's first communications office; led a team to execute communications strategies and plans, supporting growth in staff to 1,309 from 600, and in revenue to $109M from $74M.▪️ Pitched and produced a signature science event with celebrity headliners and global speakers. It sold out, drawing 1,200 people; brought 100 youth from five diverse schools; was tweeted by the Prime Minister; and landed 10M+ print, broadcast and online media impressions.▪️ Led the institute’s digital communications strategy; used analytics and SEO to grow web content to 2,800 pages from 600 pages; and created multimedia content for web and social media. ▪️ Led strategic and creative evolution of, and design and content for, the institute's flagship magazine, reaching 10,000+ in print and online.▪️ With the Foundation, led and helped steward major and transformational scientific research fundraising proposals and cases for support that garnered $20M+, attracted additional funds and leveraged community and media relations.

Reported to and advised the vice-president, research on stakeholder relations and issues; was a member of the Research Executive Committee, the senior management team; and led a team of eight across two portfolios: 1) strategic communications and 2) strategic research programs, which oversees complex, large-scale proposals of high monetary value. Highlights:▪️ Created and executed the institute's first communications strategy; included producing communications plans to bridge the gap between science and the public across multiple channels.▪️ Launched SRI’s flagship publication as a “hybrid” magazine-report informed by journalism to engage diverse audiences. It was the first of its kind in the Ontario health sciences system.▪️ Led the digital communications strategy, growing content and engagement: increased web pages by 33% and monthly visits by 677% (to 70,000 from 9,000), with four pages per visit; created novel functions to enhance stickiness, like a funding database and a mouseover plain language glossary, later adopted by the hospital for its site. ▪️ Developed the institute’s first internal communications program; included building the first Intranet, and producing publications, staff resources, and town halls and other events.▪️ Secured more than $200M in funding through leading and co-leading multi-institutional proposals and projects, including $75M to build the Centre for Research in Image-Guided Therapeutics, the hospital’s largest award. Led marketing communications to promote the centre.

▪️ Recruited to raise the profile of research with diverse audiences. Drawing on a background in journalism and science, pitched and wrote articles and press releases about medical research. ▪️ Developed the institute’s first web site, reaching 450 pages after 10 months; boosted monthly visitors by 1700% (to 18,000 from 1,000); created online templates for scientist profiles, which increased traffic and engagement, and were adopted by the corporate site for clinician profiles.