Amanda Chouinard

Amanda Chouinard is a Senior Account Manager at Toronto-based Public Relations agency Veritas Communications. Her experience includes managing media relations and influencer campaigns, producing internal communications, executing CSR initiatives, designing events and working with executive leadership to build profile, manage interviews and navigate issues.

Amanda’s client history includes recognized national and global brands: Canadian Tire, Kia, McCain, Perrier, Sport Chek, Subway, Cashmere, Loblaws, Volkswagen and more.

Amanda has six years of Public Relations agency experience, prior to which she worked at a legal tech start-up executing paid search campaigns and at the Federal government supporting internal and external business reporting.

Amanda graduated from Carleton University with a major in Communication and Media Studies and minors in French and English. Amanda can offer new grads insight into agency life, tips on succeeding in their first professional roles and guidance on client liaison, project management and integrated storytelling.

Erin Griffin

An experienced and passionate communicator, Erin is a communications specialist for the National Payroll Institute. She has grown in various settings throughout her career, from agency to corporate to not-for-profit organizations. Erin loves bringing brands’ stories to life through writing, events and creative campaigns.

Over the years, Erin has enjoyed getting involved in the profession through a variety of volunteer roles, including Toronto Fashion Week and serving as a judge for the CPRS ACE Awards.

Erin holds a post-graduate degree from Centennial College’s Corporate Communications and Public Relations program and a Bachelor’s degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Leah Gaucher

Leah is a strategic communications leader with 15 years of experience across brand, corporate, consumer and non-profit. Throughout most of her career, she has had the great privilege of storytelling in the world of sport, focused on the positive impact it can have. In her current role as the Director of PR & Communications at OverActive Media (OAM), a global esports company focused on building winning franchises and creating unrivalled fan experiences; she drives visibility and brand-building opportunities for OAM and its professional esports teams.

Before joining OAM in 2021, Leah spent ten years at Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), advancing through external communications roles in retail, partnerships and in support of Canadian Tire’s charity, Jumpstart. While her primary experience at CTC was in external communications and media relations, Leah added employee communications to her portfolio at the start of the pandemic.

Prior to CTC, Leah was an Account Manager at boutique public relations agency BlueSky Communications Inc. and started her career journey at Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

Leah is a graduate of both Wilfrid Laurier University and Humber College.

Mark Bernhardt

Mark is currently a Senior Corporate Communications Manager with Dynacare, a medical laboratory company based in Brampton, Ont. In this role, he oversees a small team responsible for all internal and external communications functions, including social media, media relations and PR. He is also responsible for providing counsel to senior executives and working with them to help develop their leadership voice.

Throughout his 13-year career, Mark has worked agency-side and in-house across several sectors and roles, including real estate, grocery retail, travel and tourism. He is a graduate of the media studies program at the University of Guelph-Humber.

He can guide mentees in navigating their career paths, managing change, and developing their personal brand.

Jaime Eisen

Jaime is a publicist and communications strategist with over a decade of experience across the North American media landscape. A nerd who talks too much, she has put these traits to good use, working extensively to build relationships and start conversations about brands and issues that matter.

Jaime is currently the Associate Director of Public Relations at Mint. She builds and executes multi-tier strategies for clients, including Everlane, ECCO, Hershey’s, FanDuel, Prime Video, Air Canada, YouTube, and many more.  Her team’s work with Hershey’s won Best in Show at the 2022 ACE Awards.  She also works with small business owners and creatives in a freelance and consulting capacity to make PR more accessible and collaborative. Her freelance roster includes Barbet, Somewhere Inn, Kathryn Bown, Grape Witches, Tastry, Outro, and more.

Prior to her role at Mint, she acted as the Marketing and Communications Manager for The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, overseeing internal and external communications efforts, including community outreach and a formative rebranding exercise. In various roles, she has also previously worked with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Paramount Pictures, Art Toronto, the Toronto Biennial of Art, Bonnaroo, and NXNE, among other brands.

Jaime holds an Honours BA in Journalism from Concordia University and a Master’s degree in Media Studies from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Gabrielle Totesau

A seasoned media and influencer relations strategist, Gabrielle’s expertise includes leading integrated marketing communications campaigns, corporate & crisis communications, thought leadership, brand launches, experiential activations, celebrity negotiation & procurement and sponsorships. In her current role as VP, of Communications and Content at Group SJR, Gabrielle leads the strategic planning for various clients, in addition to her role on the global Diversity, Equity and Belonging executive leadership team and leading the PR team.

Gabrielle has spent over 15 years at various agencies in Toronto, allowing her to work with award-winning creative teams and strategists, enhancing the role of PR in traditional advertising campaigns. An award-winning senior leader, Gabrielle has experience across a variety of verticals, from CPG and travel to luxury, finance and tech.

As a mentor, Gabrielle can offer advice and insights on how the role of PR continues to evolve and is happy to act as a sounding board for ideas and/or counsel as new grads navigate the PR landscape in Toronto.