Our people
John McKay, Managing Partner
613-699-2007 ext. 102
Founding partner John McKay has provided communications and media relations services to the public, private and non-profit sectors for over 30 years. He is a respected trainer, speaker and presenter. He has delivered over a thousand training courses, facilitated meetings and events, and made presentations before large crowds and small groups.
Paul Giroux, Senior Associate
pgiroux@artisansdelaconfiance.ca
613-699-2007 ext. 106
Paul is a writer, trainer, and issues manager who has worked with many public and private organizations. Over the past three decades, his services have been retained in the context of the most current issues of the day. He started out as a journalist in the newsroom for Radio-Canada.
Brenda Bookbinder, Training Manager
613-699-2007 ext. 103
Brenda is our training coordinator and is a media placement, advertising, recruitment and communications specialist. A former Vice President for a large media buying firm in Toronto, Brenda maintains an up-to-date understanding of the most effective tactics in media, advertising and digital marketing.
Julie Sommerfeld, Multimedia Producer
Julie brings her video editing, animation/character graphics and multimedia skills to bear on our live streams, videoconference productions and interactive e-learning programs. She is one of the key reasons our training programs are professional, engaging and fun.
Réjean Grenier, Associate
rgrenier@artisansdelaconfiance.ca
613-699-2007 ext. 111
Réjean is the former owner and publisher of Sudbury’s French-language newspaper, Le Voyageur, and Ontario’s only French-language business magazine, Le Lien économique. He was a radio and television journalist for Radio-Canada and the CBC. He has been a media spokesperson for Elections Canada and journalism instructor at Laurentian University.
Glendalynn Dixon, Associate
Glendalynn is an instructor and facilitator specializing in change management, stakeholder consensus & communication. A former business intelligence professional and professor, she has helped global market leaders, hypergrowth organizations and non-profit associations leverage communication to successfully navigate challenging circumstances.
Fearlessly embracing the question “What if?”, Glendalynn possesses a unique ability to uncover and address hidden risks within organizations. As a public speaker, Glendalynn intertwines the art of storytelling with the precision of her analytical background to uncover insights for audiences facing pivotal transitions.
Recognized as a community builder and advocate for equity in the technology sector, Glendalynn served as a mentor, advisor and chair for industry associations.
James Hale, Senior Writer and Editor
James communicates ideas to audiences through compelling narratives. Over 40 years, he has provided comprehensive communications counsel (including key message development and strategic planning) and executive-level writing services to public- and private-sector clients.
His areas of specialty are based on his extensive experience in cybersecurity and digital technology. He has provided executive-level services for Bell Canada, the Decisive Group, Commvault, Canopy Growth, and many others. He has developed web pages and updated +300 whitepapers, backgrounders, and product sheets to support the rebranding of AT&T Cybersecurity as LevelBlue. He wrote white papers for software developers in the pharmaceutical and laboratory testing sectors, and developed branding for clients of McMillan, an Ottawa-based branding agency. He has written eBooks on cybersecurity for SC Media and created marketing materials for software companies.
Scott Fotheringham, Science and Medical Writer
As an accomplished medical and science writer, Scott specializes in transforming complex concepts into accessible, engaging content, with a focus on pharmaceutical manufacturing, drug discovery, biotechnology, and medicine. He excels at conducting interviews with industry experts and translating their insights into compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
His expertise in copywriting and content creation is evident in every white paper, case study, web article, and trade publication piece he produces. His collaborative approach ensures the stories he crafts capture the attention of your customers, elevating communication in healthcare and the life sciences. Scott has a B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Guelph, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from Cornell University.
Lucy van Oldenbarneveld, Associate
Lucy Van Oldenbarneveld spent over 20 years at CBC as a radio host and television anchor. She has been the anchor of the Ottawa at Six news program and has filled in as the host of the national morning television show Newsworld Morning. She was also a CBC radio host and producer in Whitehorse, Yukon, and continues to work in the territory on communications and policy issues. She has also provided communications services to the Government of Nunavut. She has trained journalists around the world and covered European politics for Deutsche Welle World Service Radio in the two years following 9/11.
Ash Prasad, Researcher (Venture for Canada, Winter Cohort 2025)
Ash is a 3rd year business student at the Ivey School of Business with hopes of being a lawyer soon after. She has banking related financial experience where she consolidated reports and made presentations. She has also worked in legal communications and market research, developing strong public speaking, analytical and communication skills.
Efsen Welday, Researcher
(Venture for Canada, Winter Cohort 2025)
Efsen Welday is a first-year business student at the University of Saskatchewan.
He aspires to own his own business.