Caroline Bourbonniere
Office of the Minister of Northern Affairs
Ottawa
10
years of professional experience
Results-oriented political staffer with a strong political acumen and 10 years of combined experience in public policy development, stakeholder relations, strategic communications, and governance strategies. Highly professional and fully bilingual, experienced in four Canadian Federal Ministers' offices, consistently demonstrating the ability to handle increasing responsibilities. Passionate about innovation and dedicated to making a positive impact in the political landscape.
Work History
Director of Communications
2 Years 1 Month- Leads the office's Communications strategy and advises the Minister on public-facing engagements and diplomatic affairs
- Provides strategic direction to officials within the Global Affairs communications team
- Oversees the work of the work of three employees in the Minister's office (press secretary, digital advisor, speech writer)
- Acts as liaison with other Minister's offices and the Prime Minister's office
- Works with the policy team to advance policy priorities through effective and targeted communications strategies
- Cultivates relationships with key stakeholders and journalists
- Accompanies Minister on trade missions and other international engagements
Director of Policy
3 Years 10 Months- Led and coached a team of 5 policy advisors
- Advised the Minister on policy priorities related to his portfolio
- Prepared the Minister for Cabinet
- Managed and cultivated relationships with Indigenous partners, territorial premiers, and industry stakeholders
- Prepared the Minister's budget submissions for 2023 and 2024 and oversaw stakeholder management on budget day
- Played a pivotal role in the negotiation and finalization of the Nunavut Devolution agreement
- Coordinated with other Minister's offices and the Prime Minister's office to advance northern priorities which included economic development, renewable energy projects, mining, housing, and food security.
Director of Labour Relations
11 Months- Advised the President on all 16 files affecting the Federal public service (collective bargaining, the Public Service Health Care Plan, whistleblowing legislation, etc)
- Managed relationships with key stakeholders and other Minister's offices
- Oversaw the work of two policy advisors and provided strategic direction to department officials
- Acted as liaison with caucus members from the National Capital Region
Senior Policy Advisor
2 Years- Advised the Minister on digital policy
- Built and maintained relationships with a broad range of stakeholders in the digital space including technology firms, academics, non-profit groups and political representatives from the UK, the EU, the United States and Australia.
- Worked on memorandums to cabinet and legislation
- Prepared the Minister for committee appearances
- Advised the Minister on the appointment of 55 CEOs, Chairs and board members for crown corporations within the Canadian Heritage portfolio
- Advised crown corporation chairs on governance issues and crisis management
Head of Public Relations
4 Years- Developed the company's global communications strategy
- Managed external PR agencies in Canada, US, Europe, and Asia to coordinate milestone announcements (Seed, Series A, B funding)
- Managed media relations with top tier publications (WSJ, NY Times, Wired, etc)
- Curated two conferences focused on Artificial Intelligence at a top business and creativity conference in Montreal in 2017 and 2018. Recruited top technology players as speakers and fundraised 400K for both conferences
- Worked with the firm's public policy shop on their public affairs strategy
- Interfaced with software engineers, data scientists, product developers, sales and strategy associates and board members to align on core objectives.
- Prepared quarterly reports for management in preparation for board meetings
Senior Account Executive
1 Year- Developed public affairs strategies for over 35 clients in technology, energy, and finance sectors
- Developed crisis communications plans for clients
- Performed research on emerging trends and sectors
Education
Certificate - Crisis Management and Business Continuity
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science
Skills
Strategic Planning
Policy Analysis Expertise
Executive Briefing Expertise
Effective Priority Setting
Team Management
Targeted Communication Strategies
Stakeholder Engagement
Effective Problem Solving
Crisis Resolution Strategies
Dedicated Work Ethic
Trustworthy Professional Conduct
Relationship Building Proficiency
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
French
Native or Bilingual
Spanish
Professional Working
Timeline
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of International Trade
09.2024 - CurrentRead More
Director of Policy
Office of the Minister of Northern Affairs
12.2022 - CurrentRead More
Director of Labour Relations
Office of the President of the Treasury Board
01.2022 - 12.2022Read More
Senior Policy Advisor
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
01.2020 - 01.2022Read More
Head of Public Relations
Element AI
01.2016 - 01.2020Read More
Senior Account Executive
Edelman Public Relations
01.2015 - 01.2016Read More
Concordia University
Bachelor of Arts from Political Science
Read More
MIT
Certificate from Crisis Management and Business Continuity
Read More