Prior to founding Loyalist Public Affairs, Chris served as the Managing Partner for the Ottawa office of National Public Relations for eight years.
In government, Chris served as Chief of Staff to the Hon. John Baird in a variety of ministries including Treasury Board, Environment, Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities. He also served as senior advisor to the Minister of Transportation and the Attorney General in Ontario, and a senior advisor to Canada’s former Leader of the Opposition, Preston Manning.
During his time in the governments of Canada and Ontario, Chris led the development and execution of many policy and communication strategies for various complex public policy files. In 2012, Chris received Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal as a recognition of his commitment to his community and to Canada.
In 2018, Chris provided strategic counsel to Doug Ford during his successful bid for the leadership of the Ontario PC Party. He then served as Vice-Chair for the Ontario PC Party’s 2018 election campaign where the PCs won their first election in almost twenty years and Doug Ford was elected Ontario’s 26th Premier. At the request of then Premier-elect, Doug Ford, Chris chaired the transition team that helped shape the foundation for the new Government of Ontario.
Chris is a graduate of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario where he received a B.A. in Political Science and History. For over six years, he served as a member of the Steering Committee of the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton University and as a former Fellow of the Program, he provided lectures on the Canadian political process.
Chris has and continues to serve in a variety of voluntary and non-voluntary roles in organizations such as:
• Board of Directors – Magenta Capital Corporation
• Board of Directors – Hospice and Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO)
• Member – Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC)
• Former Advisory Committee Member – Salvation Army, National Capital Region
• Former Director of the Board – Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS)
• Former Director of the Board – Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Prior to founding Loyalist Public Affairs, Chris served as the Managing Partner for the Ottawa office of National Public Relations for eight years.
Chris has served as Chief of Staff to the Hon. John Baird in a variety of ministries including Treasury Board, Environment, Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities. He also served as senior advisor to the Minister of Transportation and the Attorney General in Ontario, and a senior advisor to Canada’s former Leader of Opposition Preston Manning.
During his time in the governments of Canada and Ontario, Chris led the development and execution of many policy and communication strategies for various complex public policy files. In 2012, Chris received Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal as a recognition of his commitment to his community and to Canada.
In 2018, Chris provided strategic counsel to Doug Ford during his successful bid for the leadership of the Ontario PC Party. He then served as Vice-Chair for the Ontario PC Party’s 2018 election campaign where the PCs won their first election in almost 20-years and Doug Ford was elected Ontario’s 26th Premier. At the request of Premier Ford, Chris chaired the transition team that helped shape the foundation for the new Government of Ontario.
Chris is a graduate of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario where he received a B.A. in Political Science and History. For over six years, he served as a member of the Steering Committee of the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton University. He continues to lecture on the Canadian political process as a Fellow of the program.
Chris serves in a number of voluntary capacities, including:
Board of Directors – Magenta Capital Corporation
Board of Directors – Hospice and Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO)
Member – Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC)
Former Advisory Committee Member – Salvation Army of the National Capital Region
Former Director of the Board – Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS)
Former Director of the Board – Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Prior to founding Loyalist, he served as a Senior Vice President at National Public Relations. He draws on his knowledge of policy, communications, and strategy to help Loyalist Public Affairs clients succeed in an increasingly regulated world where public opinion and the political process are critical.
He led the development of policy in several departments including Environment, Transport, Infrastructure, and the Treasury Board and later served as Chief of Staff to the minister responsible for defence procurement.
During his 20 years of activism for Ontario PC Party, Dan has served as Deputy Director of Communications for the 2014 general election campaign and as a member of the scripting team on the 2018 campaign.
Dan began his career designing and developing enterprise software, then worked as a management consultant and as an executive at a technology company. Before joining NATIONAL, Dan worked as a Senior Consultant at a Toronto-based public affairs strategy consultancy.
Dan is an active volunteer with the Writer’s Trust of Canada, having recently co-chaired the charity’s Ottawa dinner, Politics and the Pen. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Jewish National Fund of Canada and the Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC).
Dan has an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and a B.S.c. in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo.
Jill represents clients across a wide range of sectors, from critical infrastructure such as nuclear energy, land development, and transportation to high-profile issues like cannabis, alcohol, and gaming.
Jill focuses on government and stakeholder relations, policy development, detailed research, and communications support.
Jill worked with federal, provincial, and municipal governments for over ten years. She understands how to make change in government, identifying those who make decisions and helping them to understand how her clients’ interests align with those of the public and the government.
Before joining Loyalist, Jill worked at a national government relations and strategic communications firm.
Jill served as a political advisor in Stephen Harper’s government and has also spent time in the not-for-profit sector with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.
She volunteers at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health where she works with patients in the pet therapy program with her beagle Lilly.
Jill holds a B.A. in Political Science from Carleton University.
Ryan Guptill has spent his career managing complex public policy issues. He has worked with a broad spectrum of clients, covering the corporate, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Ryan focuses on strategic communication and issue management, ensuring organizations effectively manage how they publicly share their message, engage their audiences, and interact with government. He is a results-oriented consultant who ensures that organizations always clearly and concisely communicate their brand and values.
Prior to joining Loyalist Public Affairs, Ryan was the Associate Director of Public Affairs for Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs, a company focused on using forward-thinking urban design and cutting-edge technology to tackle modern urban challenges. There, he worked with stakeholders, government and media to build support and dispel inaccuracies about a first-of-its-kind project that attracted worldwide attention.
Before his time at Sidewalk, Ryan spent four years working at a national issues management and strategic communication firm.
Ryan has also served as a political advisor to federal and provincial elected officials.
Ryan holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Toronto St. George.
Nicholas helps clients achieve their goals with integrity and confidence.
He has national industry advocacy experience, having represented the defence and security sector to both governments and the private sector. Nicholas has also previously served as a senior advisor at the House of Commons and the Government of Canada, serving at Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, and the Treasury Board of Canada.
Nicholas is part of the Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC), and volunteers in GRIC’s mentorship program. He currently serves on the boards of charitable and political organizations provincially and federally, including as a member Outward Bound Canada’s Board of Directors’ Fundraising Cabinet.
Nicholas has previously deployed with Canadian Electoral Observation Missions (CANEOM) to advance international peace and security, monitoring Ukrainian Parliamentary Elections, and served on the Advisory Board of the University of Ottawa’s Security and Policy Institute.
Nicholas holds a B.A. in Inter-disciplinary Studies from the University of Western Ontario.
Kenzie supports clients with government relations, policy development, research, and communication.
Prior to joining Loyalist, Kenzie worked in the University of Toronto Government Relations Office where she built relationships at all levels of government, institutional partners, and external stakeholders.
Before working at the University of Toronto, Kenzie served in various Ontario Ministries including the offices of the Deputy Premier, the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister Responsible for Digital Government and the Minister Responsible for Small Business.
During her years in government, Kenzie supported goals and priorities of Cabinet Ministers through strategic planning and stakeholder management, providing analysis and advice.
Kenzie holds a M.A. in Canadian History from York University and a B.A. in History with English minor from the University of Guelph.
Zahra brings 10 years of experience in political and community activism with every level of government, as well as engaging and mobilizing a broad cross-section of stakeholders.
She has worked as a Project Manager at Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Headquarters and as a political aide to Ontario’s Minister of Finance.
During her time in the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Zahra played a key role in the communication roll out and issue management of substantive policy changes such as Modernizing Conservation Authorities Act, Review of Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, Modernizing Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act, and the proposal on transitioning the Blue Box program to an extended producer responsibility model.
Zahra is trilingual and is currently completing her B.A in Specialized Economics at York University. She occasionally provides commentary on current news events and has been featured on local, national, and international media including CBC News, Daily Beast, and TVO.
Nikita provides strategic counsel to clients on a variety of issues including stakeholder and government relations, detailed research, strategic communications, and issues management. Prior to joining Loyalist, Nikita served as the Director of Election Readiness at the Ontario PC Party where he oversaw the 2020 by-elections in the Ottawa region and was recruited to assist the Conservative Party of Canada in the 43rd general election.
Nikita was a core member of Doug Ford’s leadership team and election campaign in 2018. Following the provincial election, Nikita served as the Policy Advisor to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade where he worked on the Making Ontario Open for Business Act. Subsequently, he became the Issues Manager to the Minister of Transportation, during which he provided detailed research in preparation for the government’s announcement of the plans for the Ontario Line.
Nikita graduated from Ryerson University with an Honours B.A. in Politics and Governance. During his time at Ryerson University, Nikita earned a Minor in Economics and has studied in multiple cities globally including Singapore and Washington DC.
Jared helps clients navigate policy challenges and government engagement. He analyzes current affairs and policy developments at the provincial and federal levels to provide clients with strategic insights.
Jared’s career began in university politics with the Ryerson Campus Conservatives, where he served in various leadership roles.
Prior to joining Loyalist, Jared worked at the Ontario Legislature for a Member of Provincial Parliament, providing the member with strategic communications and issues management support.
Jared also participated in the competitive Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario’s summer internship program, where he was selected from a large pool of applicants and participants to conduct policy research at the Progressive Conservative Caucus Services office.
Jared studied Politics and Governance at Ryerson University.