John Owens has been involved with the Canadian communications industry for the thirty-four years, the last seventeen through his own company. Equally comfortable with senior and technical personnel, Owens believes strongly in the importance of defining core messages and developing strategies to propagate those messages with a clear, concise and powerful voice. He prides himself on his ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholder groups and his grasp of significant and usually complex communications issues.
In his close association with Hill and Knowlton and through his own consultancy, he focuses on meeting specific communications challenges for both private and public sector organizations, challenges which frequently involve crisis communications, issues management, corporate messaging, stakeholder relations and reputational protection.
In this capacity, he has delivered or participated in media training/crisis communications workshops and group sessions for: Petro-Canada, Fairmont Hotels in BC, California and New England, and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, among others.
He has also been engaged to provide counsel on handling specific situations by: Menu Foods (pet food contamination), Canada Post (labour relations), Canadian Medical Association (personnel matters), Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (various), Royal Canadian Mint (labour relations), United Way of Ottawa-Carleton (agency relations), Mutual Life (acquisitions), NAV CANADA (corporate downsizing and labour relations) and Air Canada (pilots’ strike).
Owens also provides senior-level writing services and counts the Canadian Transportation Agency, the Canadian Red Cross, Deloitte, Interac, the Canadian Nurses Association, and Canada Post among his current clients.
Prior to establishing his own firm, Owens was Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications for the Ottawa Senators during the team’s first five years of operation and he spent ten years on staff as Director of Communications for SHL Systemhouse, Canada’s largest computer services company. He began his professional career as the Director of Public Relations for the United Way of Ottawa-Carleton.
Owens is a graduate of Trent University (BA) and Queen’s University (MA).
Follow John's fictional writing career at johnowens.ca
In his close association with Hill and Knowlton and through his own consultancy, he focuses on meeting specific communications challenges for both private and public sector organizations, challenges which frequently involve crisis communications, issues management, corporate messaging, stakeholder relations and reputational protection.
In this capacity, he has delivered or participated in media training/crisis communications workshops and group sessions for: Petro-Canada, Fairmont Hotels in BC, California and New England, and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, among others.
He has also been engaged to provide counsel on handling specific situations by: Menu Foods (pet food contamination), Canada Post (labour relations), Canadian Medical Association (personnel matters), Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (various), Royal Canadian Mint (labour relations), United Way of Ottawa-Carleton (agency relations), Mutual Life (acquisitions), NAV CANADA (corporate downsizing and labour relations) and Air Canada (pilots’ strike).
Owens also provides senior-level writing services and counts the Canadian Transportation Agency, the Canadian Red Cross, Deloitte, Interac, the Canadian Nurses Association, and Canada Post among his current clients.
Prior to establishing his own firm, Owens was Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications for the Ottawa Senators during the team’s first five years of operation and he spent ten years on staff as Director of Communications for SHL Systemhouse, Canada’s largest computer services company. He began his professional career as the Director of Public Relations for the United Way of Ottawa-Carleton.
Owens is a graduate of Trent University (BA) and Queen’s University (MA).
Follow John's fictional writing career at johnowens.ca