With our cohort's time in OLIP now wrapping up, we were very grateful to have the opportunity to meet with Mitch Davidson, an OLIP alumnus whose career has spanned government, politics, public affairs, and policy development at the highest levels of Ontario’s public sector. During our conversation, Mitch reflected on his time in OLIP and discussed the diverse career path he has pursued since completing the programme. He answered our many questions on current affairs and gover

The OLIP interns enjoyed an informative discussion with our esteemed partner, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), and met with Alex Phillips, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, and Chad Schella, Vice-President of Government Relations. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce serves approximately 15 million clients worldwide, with operations ranging across the United States, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe. It was a

This past week, the OLIP interns enjoyed a break from the city and ventured to Elora, Ontario, to visit the facilities and farms of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. Coordinated by Thomas Brandstetter and guided by our generous hosts, Evan Chaffe, Aynur Izzettin, Jaclyn Horenberg, Kara Sickle, and Mel Reekie, we had the opportunity to learn about the BFO’s 60-year advocacy for the province’s 19,000 beef farmers. Starting off with a fascinating presentation at the BFO’s Research Ce

We recently had the pleasure of meeting with Sky Shi, an OLIP alumnus whose career journey since the program has taken him into the heart of Canada’s international trade and foreign affairs landscape. During our conversation, Sky reflected on his time in OLIP and discussed the career path he has pursued since completing the programme. He also answered our questions about entering the workforce and navigating professional opportunities after OLIP. Sky emphasized that one of th

The OLIP interns greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet with our esteemed partners, Santis Health, and speak with Consultants, Dylan Brenneman and Avneet Dhaliwal. During our discussion, we had the opportunity to discuss the organization’s innovative approach to the healthcare system, as well as their objectives to advocate for the country’s health and life sciences sectors. Their approaches navigate policy development and analysis, as well as community engagement, and w

The OLIP interns enjoyed meeting with our programme partner, Burson, and speaking with Shanice Scott, Senior Account Director; Mik Opolski, Senior Consultant; Hailey Budgell, Consultant; and Stefanie Di Cosmo, Consulting Intern. Established in 2024 and formerly known as Burson Cohn and Wolfe (BCW), Burson is a global public relations and communications firm based in New York City, with an international presence spanning North and Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East

The OLIP interns greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet with the Canadian Beverage Association (CBA), our esteemed partner, and engage in a fascinating discussion with President Krista Scaldwell and Erich Schmidt, Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs. Prefacing our discussion, we explored the CBA’s role in leading Canada’s sustainable and collaborative non-alcoholic beverage sector. For example, the beverages represented by the CBA range from soft drinks

We were honoured to visit the offices of Ontario Power Generation, the crown corporation responsible for over half of Ontario’s electricity generation. It was a pleasure to speak with Timothy Gopaul, Senior Manager Provincial Government Relations, and two of our energy expert alumni: Jake Sikora, Senior Manager Stakeholder and Government Relations and David Donavan, VP Corporate Business Development and Strategy. It was wonderful to continue our journeys exploring Ontario ene

It was a pleasure to meet with and learn about the Ontario Nurses Association this past week. The OLIP interns had the opportunity to chat with Imreet Kaur, Government and External Relations Specialist; Andre Fast, Government and External Relations Specialist; and Leanne Cooke, Senior Advisor at the Office of the President and Board of Directors. Starting as a nurses’ union, ONA now represents thousands of healthcare professionals across the province, ranging from an amalgam