PRESIDENT AND CEO

Mark Quinn is an experienced and effective government relations professional ranked numerous times in the Top 100 Lobbyists by the Hill Times and a founder and President of Quinn Public Affairs. He is an experienced strategist and negotiator who works closely with Indigenous leaders, senior Ministers, federal government officials, and corporate stakeholders. Mark has over 25 years experience in such key areas as strategic planning, negotiation, communications and media relations advice, policy/legislative initiatives, and public/private sector collaboration.

Mark has worked as a Chief Territorial Negotiator for the Government of Nunavut on the Denesuline Treaties, a former Chief of Staff to the Minister of Indian Affairs & Northern Development (now CIRNAC and ISC) and as a former Special Assistant to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment. He was Campaign Manager (2010) in the re-election of former Ottawa Mayor, Jim Watson.

Mark holds an Honours BA in Political Science and History from Trent University and a Masters of Philosophy in International Peace Studies from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. He was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his work on Indigenous public policy.

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO)

Austin Quinn is Quinn Public Affairs’ Chief Operating Officer leading daily operations out of the Office of the President. He oversees all corporate aspects of the firm ranging from compliance to quarterly performance indicators to contract management. Austin brings a keen insight on identifying efficiencies and in addition to providing support on client files he manages the HR, Finance and Information Management pillars of QPA.

His previous background saw him working in both Canada and the United States in the deregulated energy industry as an innovator in new ‘process infrastructure’ which was integrated and adopted industry-wide. He developed processes, procedures and policies to ensure compliance in accordance with provincial and state utility commissions and assisted in the first, successful, Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the deregulated energy industry in North America.

His experience includes not only "grass roots"/mid market companies but also, large, multinational entities at the executive level including a Fortune 70 company. Austin attended Carleton University here in Ottawa and is delighted to be back in Ottawa working with Quinn Public Affairs.

COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA SPECIALIST

Beth Gorham is a veteran journalist and communications professional who brings a wealth of experience in journalism and public affairs in Canada and the United States.

Beth began her career in journalism. She worked for The Canadian Press for 20 years as a reporter and news manager, rising to become the Ottawa Bureau Chief and Washington Correspondent. With a keen interest in Indigenous Peoples, Beth won a National Newspaper Award in 1994 for coverage of the gas sniffing crisis in Davis Inlet, Labrador.

She served as Director of Public Affairs at Carleton University - one Canada’s fastest growing comprehensive universities - where she led a team of more than a dozen communications professionals.

Under her leadership, the team was responsible for reputation management, digital and traditional communications as well as marketing.

QPA clients will benefit from her expertise and insight into strategic communications to reach their audience and influence decision-makers.

VICE PRESIDENT GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Bill Schaper brings a wide range of public policy, government relations, and communications experience gained in Canada and abroad. Before joining Quinn Public Affairs, Bill spent more than ten years as the Director of Public Policy for Imagine Canada, the national umbrella for Canada’s charitable and nonprofit sector.

He has previously served as the interim Director of Communications and as Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (as it was then known). In this role, Bill played a key role in shifting the Department’s focus towards economic development, leading to initiatives like the First Nations Financial Authority and the First Nations Land Management Act.

Bill also spent three years working at the National Audit Office in the United Kingdom, where he gained experience auditing multi-billion-pound government initiatives and served as a press spokesperson dealing with national and international media. Raised in Southwestern Ontario and with degrees from Western University in London, Bill began his career as a legislative assistant to two Members of Parliament, straddling the transition from the opposition to the government side of the floor.

BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AND LOBBYIST

An advisor to two Prime Ministers as well as ministers, premiers and party leaders, Jamie Carroll builds on strategies, techniques and networks honed over more than two decades. Jamie was also the architect of a successful national leadership and National Director (CEO) of the Liberal Party of Canada.

As an entrepreneur and lobbyist, Jamie empowers communities and other clients who are pursuing their priorities with governments at all levels. Jamie has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Lobbyists by The Hill Times.

Jamie has a keen understanding of the issues surrounding meaningful reconciliation, access to shared resources, UNDRIP and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities and peoples across Canada.

He serves as a director for mental health charity #SickNotWeak. He has worked extensively on defence and national security procurement files in Canada including air, land and sea projects. Other experience includes work with several of Canada’s largest energy companies including Shell, ExxonMobile, TransCanada Pipelines. Jamie holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of King’s College and works comfortably in both of Canada’s official languages.

BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AND LOBBYIST

Kelly Mitchell, founder and president of KWM Consulting, is a highly astute practitioner of government. QPA has a long association with the KWM Consulting group. Together, we have developed a 20-year working relationship based on achieving the client’s objectives at both the federal and provincial levels. Kelly served as Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor to several Ontario Ministers.

Kelly served on two provincial government transition teams providing him with a unique education in both the structure of government and how decisions are made. He brings a wealth of experience based on his leadership in government procurement and policy decision-making, and extensive history of working with private organizations, including large multi-national corporations. During his time in government, he helped enhance the economic climate for northern communities, forestry, mining and resource-based tourism.

Kelly holds an Honours BSc in Forestry from Lakehead University and was a Registered Professional Forester. Prior to becoming involved in government, Kelly worked for forest products companies in northwestern Ontario where he was involved with forest management plans, GIS and information management.

SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR/LOBBYIST

John Giokas is a retired, bilingual lawyer who worked in criminal and Aboriginal law and policy for thirty years. Half that time was spent as legal counsel in private practice, legal counsel at the federal Justice Department and as Director of Legislation and Law Reform at the Canadian Bar Association.

For the rest of his career, he worked on contract for several federal government departments, including Justice Canada, Public Safety, Canadian Heritage and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

John has also worked as a special advisor to two ministers of Indigenous Affairs and has worked on contract for three Indigenous organizations (Assembly of First Nations, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and the Manitoba Metis Association), two commissions of inquiry (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the Indian Claims Commission) and a Canadian Heritage task force on Aboriginal languages.

He has published extensively in print and in electronic form in the fields of Indigenous law and policy, has testified before parliamentary committees on many occasions and has served as the registered lobbyist for QPA.

STRATEGIC ADVISOR

Kevin brings over 35 years experience in the federal government, principally as a former Public Servant at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, where he held a leadership role in the Indigenous Affairs Directorate.

During his time with DFO, Kevin, in partnership with Indigenous groups from across the country, championed the co-development and co-delivery of DFO’s Indigenous capacity-building programs. Upon his retirement from the Public Service, Kevin was awarded the David C. Bevan award for Outstanding Career at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Kevin previously served as Executive Assistant to the Governor General of Canada, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Canada, as well as a senior political advisor to several Ministers of Fisheries and Oceans, the Minister of Natural Resources, as well as to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

QPA clients will benefit from Kevin’s experience, insight and pragmatic, solutions-oriented advice.

COMMUNICATIONS/LOBBYIST

Marc is a fluently bilingual communications consultant and writer with over thirty years of experience in government environments. He has worked for numerous ministers including the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (now CIRNAC and ISC) as head of a communications operations centre (war room) in 2001. His clients have included national and provincial political parties (election campaign war room operations), private corporations, associations, Crown corporations and several government departments. Among the services he provided these clients were communications consulting, the preparation of strategic communications plans, the preparation of communications materials, media monitoring, media training, and media relations management.

Marc brings knowledge and experience of matters relevant to Indigenous peoples across Canada. Over a period of several years, he has written close to one hundred articles on issues concerning Indigenous commercial fisheries for publication in Indigenous media.

He holds a Masters degree in political science from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelors degree in political science from Carleton University.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATONS STRATEGY

Alastair leads QPA’s digital communications services. He served in leadership roles with three cabinet ministers two universities, and an international public affairs agency.

A graduate of the University of Ottawa, he is an accomplished public affairs executive with a proven track record in communications, government and stakeholder relations, and marketing.

Prior to joining QPA, led a federal effort to develop a digital identity agreement with the Province of British Columbia coordinating inter-departmental relations as well as all technical, legal and privacy teams and on the TMX Pipeline Task Team at Natural Resources Canada. He also served as the Director of Communications at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and as a communications officer at ISED.

When not serving clients, Alastair is an avid runner, father and photographer.

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Willi Puerstl has 30 years of experience working in the national media in many capacities: producer; editor; and cameraman. He has worked in the film, broadcast, commercial, government and corporate sectors; including projects for First Nations and the Nunavut Planning Commission.

Wili is a lifetime member of the National Press Gallery in Ottawa and for the past 15 years has owned and operated his own video production company, Skyfly Productions Inc. Willi’s portfolio includes documentaries, live streaming, event videos, training videos and news - utilizing a wide range of audiovisual media.

Willi’s original educational background is in sports, physical education and film. Later he studied broadcasting at Algonquin College. He is fluent in English, German and Spanish.

In 1984 Willi came to Canada as the National Head Coach for the Olympic Ski Jumping Team, having been a former world ski jumping champion for Austria.