Jennifer Espey, the principal researcher for former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin and co-founder of the Gandalf Group, has signed on to McMillan Vantage’s growing research practice.
Espey has spent her career at the forefront of research design, policy development, crisis communication, and NGO management in Canada.
She entered the world of market research in 1993 when she joined Decima Research, a then-leading practice in the field of opinion research. However, she told iPolitics that her true entry into Canadian politics began with her research for the Liberal Party of Canada.
As a consultant, Espey worked alongside her close friend and later co-founder at Gandalf, David Herle, to design and launch several research projects for the Liberal party during Paul Martin’s leadership campaign. Among many, one of her principal initiatives was to establish the First Nations Statistics Institute, a First Nations-led organization to gather community knowledge and demographics.
“Policies affect people’s lives in a big way and (in my research) I try to provide visibility and voice to a diversity of group in politics in business,” Espey said on the importance of research in the making of sound public policy.
Espey was also a key adviser to Martin during 2004 and 2006 federal elections, providing insight at all stages of the electoral process.
With the election of former prime minister Stephen Harper, Espey said she and Herle channelled their camaraderie into founding the Gandalf Group. In her role as principal, she championed research in the corporate sector, with federal ministries like energy and environment, and trade unions on everything from public perception to successful advocacy.
Espey, who left her position at the Gandalf Group after 14 years at the firm, is slated to head up research design and implementation for McMillan Vantage’s clients and stakeholders across sectors, levels of government, and the country. “McMillan Vantage is a firm for modern public affairs,” she told iPolitics over the phone.
“Stakeholders are the final arbiters, and research ensures that our clients won’t go blind,” Espey said. “No communication is neutral. Ever. Research is always a way of achieving your objectives. It tells businesses who want policy or regulatory change how to build public and government support.”
Last week: Comings and Goings: Former AstraZeneca execs join TACTIX
Melissa Caouette has stepped out of her position as vice president at Canadian Strategy Group to start her own consulting firm.
Caouette entered provincial politics in 2014 when she joined the office of the Progressive Conservative (PC) premier of Alberta, the late Jim Prentice. After working alongside Prentice as a scheduler on his successful election campaign, Caouette was hired a special assistant to the premier, where she served until the next year’s election of the Alberta NDP.
With the election of Rachel Notley’s NDP government in 2015, the Alberta PCs lost their 44-year reign in the province — and Caouette was out of a job.
“This experience taught me to always be humble: in September 2014 I sat outside the office of one of the most powerful individuals in the province and by May 2015 I was unemployed with no prospects,” Caouette said.
After leaving the Office of the Premier, Caouette said she did not have much choice but to make a pivot in her career. Her move over to the private sector-led her to positions at several of Canada’s top firms, including Dentons, Canadian Strategy Group, and Crestview, where she was a practice lead for Western Canada.
“I was drawn to opportunities where I thought I would have the best chance for new experiences and growth,” Caocette told iPolitics about her transition to consulting.
Caouette announced the opening of her consulting practice, Melissa Caouette Consulting, on LinkedIn, where she noted that she will offer services in government relations, strategic advice, and research and analysis for clients across Western Canada.
“Innovation is happening everywhere,” Caouette said. “There is a clear demand for leaders to drive change in this field, and I’d like to be one of them.”
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Comings and Goings: Principal researcher for Paul Martin joins McMillan - iPolitics.ca
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