Dear Editor:
The local MP, Cheryl Gallant, is being challenged by Michael Coates, to represent Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke in the next federal election. I felt it was important to do research on Mr. Coates. After researching what I did, and meeting with Mr. Coates, this is my opinion.
To begin with, I recently sat down with Mr. Coates for several hours. I found him to be an honest, forthright and well-informed individual for whom I have now great respect for. And, those of you who know me well over the years, also know that I would never say something like this about anyone unless it were true
It is my personal opinion that there has never been anyone in the history of Renfrew County politics who brings to the table exemplary academic credentials, the proven business accomplishments both here and abroad, as well as the requisite political contacts so necessary to effectively place Renfrew County on the front burner down in Ottawa, and most especially so with respect to attracting manufacturing concerns, encouraging tourism and recreation, creating new jobs, and generally improving the overall economic and development opportunities in our region.
Indeed, I regard Mr. Coates as being one of the best qualified and capable individuals one could ever ask for as a parliamentary representative, and most especially so with respect to the future advancement and prosperity of our county’s citizens and their families.
That being said, I want it to be clear that in no way do I purpose to diminish Mrs. Gallant, of whom I am quite fond, for she has carried the banner of conservative values most admirably over these many years for which she is to be highly commended.
As for any specific recommendations coming from myself with respect to influencing the coming nomination process there will be none, instead I will leave that decision to the electorate as indeed it should be, because the record of Mr. Coates’s credentials speaks for itself, and as such has no need of either endorsement or partisan embellishment.
Thus, whatever will be will be.
Thank you for taking the time to read the following information I have garnered about Mr. Coates. I trust it will be of interest to you.
Donald E. Broome
Cobden
Introduction to Michael Coates
Michael “Mike” Coates is a leading Canadian public relations and public affairs strategist. He is the former Global Vice Chairman of Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K), a global public relations consultancy. He has also led the company’s operations in Canada, the United States, Latin America and Australia.
He is now a blogger and is a regularly published commentator on politics and business.
Personal life
Descendant from five generations of sea captains, Mike was born and raised in Maritime Canada and moved to Toronto, Ontario in 1974 to attend York University. He graduated with an honors B.A. in 1978, an M.A. in 1979 and then obtained an M.P.A. at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Mike and his wife Maureen were married in 1982 and together they have three daughters – Michelle, Lianne and Danielle – and two grandchildren, Jaxon and Ainsley.
Career
Mike got his start in public affairs and public relations in the early 1980s working for the Honourable Perrin Beatty (in 1980) and the Honourable Lowell Murray (in 1982). It was while working with Senator Murray that Mike was first introduced to the full gamut of communication tools, from polling to media relations to advertising. He then went on to become the Progressive Conservative (PC) party’s director of voter research until he joined a private- sector public affairs company where he continued working in the research and policy fields. After acquiring a minority interest in the firm, Mike and his fellow shareholders sold it in 1990, to WPP plc Inc., the owners of Hill & Knowlton (H+K).
While at H+K, Mike was a board and c-Suite advisor to countless foreign and domestic organizations, and was the Canadian firm’s lead public affairs strategist for complex financial transactions. He has advised in virtually all industry areas over his career, particularly in the natural resource, finance, automotive and defense sectors.
Throughout his career at H+K, Mike remained active on the Canadian political scene. He worked on every national campaign between 1988 and 2008 and served as PC party secretary from 1986 to 1989 and national treasurer (1989-1991). He was a director on the board of the P.C. Canada Fund from 1996 until the Progressive Conservative Party merged with the Canadian Alliance party in 2003. In 2004, he supported Stephen Harper for Conservative leader and became the head of his television network and debate team for Mr. Harper’s leadership campaign and subsequent election campaigns in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
In 1995, Mike was appointed President and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Canada where he remained as President until 2013. He then became President and CEO of H+K’s U.S. company and its other operations in North, Central and South America. In October 2016, Mike became Global Vice Chairman of H+K.
In December 2016 he agreed to chair Kevin O’Leary’s campaign for leader of the Conservative Party.
Other appointments
Mike sits on the board of directors of CANDU Energy Inc., the engineering design and marketer of Canada’s nuclear reactor, and is a past Advisory Board Director of both George Washington University School of Political Management and York University Faculty of Arts. He also sat on the advisory board of Youth Inc., a New York intercity philanthropy. In 2014, he was named one of Canada’s most influential people by Canadian Business Magazine . Most recently, he was named by the Holmes Report as one of America’s PR Innovators of 2016.
This research included: the National Post, Globe and Mail, Huffington Post, ICD Directors Journal, Forbes, CNBC, The Hill, PRWeek and LinkedIn.
