Biography
My journalism skills have been augmented by broad international exposure and significant experience in communications and public relations, most recently as a Senior Advisor with APCO Indonesia, the Jakarta subsidiary of Washington-based APCO Worldwide, a strategic communications and public affairs firm. Work with APCO involved activities for a range of clients, including ASEAN, multinational companies in the mining, and oil and gas sectors, a large Indonesian insurance company, and a group of export credit agencies involved in the debt workout of Asia Pulp and Paper, the largest debtor in emerging markets. The project for the export credit agencies entailed the management of complex relationships with multiple clients and eleven embassies, as well as implementation of a large public affairs and communications strategy.
As a journalist, I have worked for news magazines, wire services and newspapers. I have reported from Indonesia, East Timor, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. In Canada, I have covered Parliament Hill and national politics, energy and environmental issues, business, science and technology. In new media, I led the creation of some of Canada's best-known websites, including Yahoo Canada and the news and public affairs operations of Canoe.ca.
In addition to APCO, previous employers have included Asiaweek magazine; Maclean's Magazine, in Toronto and Ottawa; The Canadian Press in Ottawa and Moscow; and United Press in Ottawa and Winnipeg. I was press secretary to the leader of the New Democratic Party in Toronto and was the public relations director of the Alberta Federation of Labour.
I have worked as a freelance journalist for a range of publications, including Business Week; Maclean's, where I was the Asian Contributing Editor; the Vancouver Sun; Dynasty Magazine (China Airlines); and Wine and Dine Magazine in Jakarta. I have made numerous appearances on radio and television.
I am the author of Alberta Labour, A Heritage Untold (Lorimer, 1979), and was a board member of the Foreign Correspondents Club in Jakarta. I am a PADI-certified divemaster.