Careers
Since retirement in 2016, Gordon has stayed active as a communications advisor, as a Board member of the Empire Club of Canada and President of the Empire Club Foundation.
Timeline
JESSON + COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS INC
Management of communications and Public Relations programs for various clients along with the President and CEO. Brought the F-35 Fighter Jet (Lockheed Martin) account to the agency for the Canadian marketplace.
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE FORUM ON PUBLIC PROPERTY
Reports to the Executive Committee of the Forum. Responsible for all programing, publications, benchmarking, research, websites, advocacy and administration of the National Executive Forum on Public Property. This is the only organization of its kind in the world which brings together senior officials from all major municipal, territorial, provincial and federal real property organizations to facilitate exchange of best practices, research and benchmarking and advocacy to advance the effectiveness of these governmental organizations within their various jurisdictions. Administrative staff located at Queen’s University.
THE WORLD BANK
Consultant to the India operations of The World Bank on the subject of the monetization of public real property assets to finance urban infrastructure projects. Work completed in Mumbai and New Delhi with government-named Steering Committee, and subsequent completion of a research paper on the same topic.
CANADA LANDS COMPANY CLC LIMITED
Reported to the President and CEO. Eight subordinates and management of numerous agencies and suppliers. All public and government affairs responsibilities, with all of the added responsibilities of business development. Daily liaison with the Board of Directors. Involved in policy development and strategic positioning of both the Company and the Government of Canada in numerous real property issues. Public and Government Affairs agency management. Government backgrounders for Question Period and media. All other facets of shareholder relations including the development and presentation of the Five-Year Corporate Plan and the Annual Report. All media relations, business development and acquisitions responsibilities added to portfolio as of July 2002, entailing extensive consultations with central agencies and custodian departments of the federal government.
CN REAL ESTATE
Reported to the President. Responsible for ensuring that all aspects of Public Affairs were handled effectively in an anticipated and considered manner to the eventual benefit of CN and the people and communities it served nationwide.
Major responsibilities included all media relations; Federal and Provincial government relations; policy papers and backgrounders; relations with developers and the business community; marketing brochures; promotional items; slide and photo reference library media training for CN Real Estate officials; organization of all press conferences and special events, including building openings; preparation of the Annual Report and the Five-Year Business Plan; the administration of Company’s SkyBox; all advertising; the management of all donations and sponsorships.
The incumbent was a member of the executive management team of CN Real Estate and was the major spokesperson for the Corporation. He managed the work of over ten agencies in Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal. Marketing and Public Affairs programs were also provided to other divisions of CN, including CANAC and the CN Tower.
The incumbent maintained close links with several departments of the Federal Government, thereby ensuring on-going shareholder relations, and was an information conduit to the Chairman’s office and to members of the Board of Directors.
BURSON-MARSTELLER
Managed the Corporate Business Group. Responsible for corporate business accounts in the Montréal operation of the world’s largest public relations firm. Included business development; account management; management of account personnel and suppliers; regular working sessions with the most senior officers of all client corporations.
Business extremely varied, ranging from financial and investor relations to internal communications programs for employees. Local, national and international account activity, depending on the client and scope of the project. Major clients included Squibb, Burroughs-Welcome, Royal Trust, Arthur Andersen and Metra Aerospace (France).
THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA
Eight subordinates including the Manager, Production and Editorial Services. Responsibilities included publications reflecting corporate image considerations; internal and staff considerations; speech materials; statutory reporting; Annual Reports; special events including openings; the Bank’s central staff newsletter, signage and graphic standards. Departmental operating budget close to $2,000,000
LAVALIN INC
Four subordinates. Developed and directed all communications programs within Lavalin Inc. formerly Canada’s largest engineering concern operating in 55 countries around the world. Reported to the Senior Executive Vice-President, Marcel Masse, and to the Chairman, Bernard Lamare.
Responsible for the client and staff magazines; the Annual Report; industrial exhibits; advertising; audiovisual productions, press releases and media relations; special projects. Before becoming Director of Communications: Advisor to the Director of Policies and Procedures.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Developed programs and strategy reports to combat or abate contentious issues harmful to the image of the Federal Government. Extensive media monitoring; briefing papers for the Prime Minister of Canada and members of his cabinet; daily liaison with all other departments of the Federal Government; publicity booklets and magazine advertisements; special events.
CANADIAN DELEGATION TO THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Reported to the Minister Counselor and the Canadian Ambassador. Developed and directed an information link between Ottawa and Paris for all documentation – confidential reports and otherwise – required by Canadian diplomatic personnel. Briefing papers and occasionally strategy reports for Canadian diplomats.
IBM, MONTPELLIER
Courses on American society and language to executive officers of the company preparing to leave for assignment in the United States. Eight hours of courses per week (4-6 courses).
DECISION MARKETING RESEARCH
Marketing research into media preferences of small and medium sized businesses, as well as into how Canadian women were portrayed in advertising.
Nation Builder of the Year Award at the Empire Club of Canada
Here are some highlights from the 2020 “Nation Builder of the Year Award” at the Empire Club of Canada, a show that I put together and produced for the Empire Club of Canada for three years. These days, in retirement, it seems to be the Empire Club that keeps me busiest.
Nation Builder of the Year Award at the Empire Club of Canada
Here are some highlights from the 2020 “Nation Builder of the Year Award” at the Empire Club of Canada, a show that I put together and produced for the Empire Club of Canada for three years. These days, in retirement, it seems to be the Empire Club that keeps me busiest.
Honours and Scholarships
- College of Fellows (Canadian Public Relations Society) 2005
- National Award of Attainment (Canadian Public Relations Society) 2004
- ACE Award for Community Service (Canadian Public Relations Society) 2000
- Government of Canada’s representative for “La Francophilie” during the “Année de la Francophonie” 1999
- Papal Knighthood from the Vatican (Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem) 1991
- APR (Accredited Public Relations practitioner) 1986
- Creativity Award for Advertising 1984
- French Government Scholarship 1978-80
- Bilingual Competence Award 1977
- Imperial Oil Scholarship 1973-77
- France-Canada Association Scholarship 1972
Boards
- The Empire Club Foundation (President and Chair, Board of Directors), Toronto, Canada
- The Empire Club of Canada (Board Member), Toronto, Canada
- Nation Builder of the Year Award (Co-Chair and Chair of first two events), Toronto, Canada
- The College of Fellows, CPRS (Fellow), Toronto, Canada
- Honourary Lifetime Member, CPRS, Toronto, Canada
- The Empire Club of Canada (Past President), Toronto, Canada
- Alliance Française de Toronto (Chair, Board of Directors and President), Toronto, Canada
- Communications+ Public Relations Foundation (Chair, Board of Directors), Toronto, Canada
- Pointe-à-Callière Archeology Museum (Board of Directors), Montréal, Canada
- S-VOX (Board of Directors and Chair, Vision TV Foundation), Toronto, Canada
- National Executive Forum on Public Property (Past Chair), Toronto, Canada
- The Assistant Deputy Minister’s Forum (Advisory Board under the Privy Clerk of Canada
- Le français pour l’avenir/French for the Future (Board of Directors, Past President and Chair), Toronto and Ottawa, Canada
- The Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs (Past Chair and subsequent member of Senior Advisory Committee), Lake Geneva, Canada
- The Canadian Unity Council (Board of Governors), Ottawa, Montréal, Toronto and Calgary, Canada
- The Canadian Club of Toronto (Past President), Toronto, Canada
- The Downtown Business Council (Director), Toronto, Canada
- Le Ballet de Montréal Eddy Toussaint (Director), Montréal, Canada
- The Wilfrid-Pelletier Foundation (Director and Treasurer), Montréal, Canada
- Royal Roads University (Advisory Board), Victoria, Canada
