Investor Relations
Dave Mason, President
Dave Mason has been a member of the Equicom team since 2000. He has provided strategic counsel to a diverse group of companies at all stages of development – private, IPO and public. Prior to joining Equicom, Dave was a Vice President with the sales and marketing team at a mutual fund company. Over the course of his career, Dave has honed his skills in presentation development and delivery, earned his CFA charter, and built a network of contacts throughout the investment community. Dave’s strategic insight comes from his unique combination of financial acumen, communication skills and relationship-building experience. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen's University.
Dave Feick, Senior Vice President, Western Canada
Dave Feick heads up our Calgary operations and oversees the requirements of Western Canadian based clients. With more than a decade of experience developing innovative communication and marketing strategies, the key to his success is his ability to provide invaluable advice to many of North America’s largest companies to solve strategic communications issues. Prior to joining The Equicom Group, Dave held various business development roles in the BCE group of companies and the newswire industry.
Business Development
Cameron Davies, Senior Vice President, Business Development
Cameron Davies has a strong and diverse background in the investment business. Prior to joining The Equicom Group, he held an analyst position with a Toronto-based Investment Fund and worked in investment services for the Royal Bank of Canada. His strengths lie in his strong communication skills and understanding of capital markets. Previous to his role in business development, Cameron formed and grew the Broker Relations group within Equicom, which enables clients to communicate their stories to the retail brokerage community across Canada.
Equicom Practice Group Leaders
Craig Armitage, Senior Vice President
Craig Armitage is the leader of the Technology and Financial Services Group and is a financial communications specialist with 13 years of experience in investor relations and corporate and financial communications. Before joining Equicom, Craig held senior positions with two IR consulting firms. In addition, Craig led the IR and communications group at one of the country’s fastest-growing investment management companies. Prior to entering IR consulting, Craig worked in several sales and marketing positions in the mutual fund industry. During his career in IR, Craig has helped companies in a wide range of industries – including financial services, technology and industrial products – develop and execute high-impact communication programs. Craig’s experience also includes advising companies during initial public offerings, secondary offerings and M&A transactions. Craig is a long-time member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute and has served on the Ontario and national marketing committees for CIRI.
Lawrence Chamberlain, Senior Vice President
Head of our Diversified Industries and China Based Practice, Lawrence Chamberlain is a seasoned strategic communications specialist with 15 years of broad-based investor relations experience. He has been responsible for the development and implementation of IR Programs for more than 40 Canadian publicly traded companies spanning a wide-range of industries and market capitalizations. Prior to joining Equicom, Lawrence held increasingly senior account executive roles at two Canadian investor relations consulting firms, where he counseled senior management teams on day-to-day IR strategies, as well as special projects such as IPOs and M&A. Lawrence has in-house experience through his roles as a Manager, Investor Relations for a TSX-listed information technology company and several emerging technology companies. For several years, Lawrence was a judge for the CICA Corporate Reporting awards. Lawrence holds a Masters degree in Applied Economics and Joint Hounors Bachelor degree in Economics and Professional Writing.
Ross Marshall, Vice President
Ross Marshall is one of the managers of the Healthcare and Cleantech group and is a seasoned communications professional with experience in corporate and political communications. Ross provides strategic planning, counsel and turnkey IR services to Canadian and U.S.-based life science companies at all stages of development. Prior to joining Equicom in 2004, Ross worked in political communications within the House of Commons and Senate of Canada, as well as for the Governments of Ontario and Nova Scotia. This experience provides Ross with an extensive background in policy development, issues management, message development and stakeholder management. Ross holds an MBA in finance from the Schulich School of Business.
James Smith, Vice President
As one of the managers of the Healthcare and Cleantech group, James Smith provides strategic insight to biotechnology companies by leveraging his unique combination of financial industry and hands-on scientific experience. Prior to joining Equicom five years ago, James provided consulting services to a venture capital firm, working closely with its investee biotechnology companies and evaluating new investment opportunities. In his previous life as a scientist, James built a cell culture laboratory at a research institute in Denmark, started a small, private analytical laboratory, and ran grassroots engineering development projects in the third world. He has a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Chemistry and a Master's degree in Biochemical Engineering from Queen's University.
Strategic Design
Mike Polonsky, Executive Vice President, Strategic Design
Mike Polonsky's varied business background includes senior roles in the financial sector and as an entrepreneur. His strengths include strategic planning, messaging and creating effective IR materials, including corporate presentations. Mike holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Manitoba. Mike has been a member of the Equicom team since 1999 and was appointed Senior Vice President in 2003.
Scott Kelly, Senior Vice President, Strategic Design
Scott Kelly is the manager of the Live Events Group and has over a decade of experience guiding strategic communications for companies that range from today’s biggest brands to tomorrow’s emerging leaders. He is a trusted adviser to CEOs and management teams in a variety of industries, with a particular expertise in pharma and financial services. Prior to joining Equicom in 2003, Scott was the founder of Biocom Inc., which focused on event production for the global pharmaceutical industry. Scott and his team have produced many of the industry’s largest national sales meetings, product launches and medical conferences launches across North America and in select global markets. Scott holds a degree from Queen’s University and post-graduate certifications from the Canadian Institute of Advertising and the University of Toronto.
Lumir Hladik, Chief Creative Strategist, Strategic Design
Lumir Hladik has more than 28 years experience in the communications and design industry, working with some of the largest corporations in Canada. He has helped them form or re-shape their corporate collateral, marketing, brands and reputations. His distinguished list of clients includes Scotiabank, CIBC, Agrium, Shaw Communications, Canadian Natural Resources, Labopharm and CryoCath among many others. Lumir maintains that only highly analytical, measurable methods, supported by penetrating insight and corresponding context can build a solid brand or reputation. He also claims that the communication of an organization can only be effective if it matches its own transaction pattern – behaviour is the message. Lumir has been a member of the Equicom team since 2003.
Emily Gibbs, Vice President, Strategic Design
Emily Gibbs leads our Strategic Design team. Her ability to distill complex businesses and technologies into clear, compelling and often entertaining stories for investors gives our clients a competitive advantage. Emily helps executives, scientists and entrepreneurs to identify and articulate their core messages and to stand out in the crowded marketplace. Under her leadership, the Strategic Design team spends as much time exploring emerging technologies and markets as they do creating award-winning websites, annual reports and event presentations. Prior to Equicom, Emily worked on branding and design for Sun Life, TD Waterhouse, Assante Asset Management, Sears, Benjamin Moore and led the marketing efforts of a global architecture firm.
Governance Services
Jo-Anne Archibald, Senior Vice President
Jo-Anne Archibald has held senior marketing, shareholder communications and investor relations roles with blue chip companies such as Sun Life Financial, Nestlé Canada, Second Cup, Campbell’s and Loblaws. She has an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and an H.Bsc. from the University of Guelph. She has a globally recognized designation (FCIS) from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA), and she serves on their Canadian Foundation’s Chartered Secretaries Board of Directors. Jo-Anne also participates on the Editorial Board Committee for Canada’s leading Corporate Governance magazine, “Corporate Governance Quarterly.” Jo-Anne has been a member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) for the past 10 years, where she has served as the Ontario Chapter Board Secretary for the last three years and is currently the Treasurer. Jo-Anne has been a judge for the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants' - Corporate Reporting Awards for the past few years. Jo-Anne manages Equicom's corporate secretarial/regulatory practice.