Boyd Neil has more than 20 years experience in the public and private sector as a communication and public affairs strategist. As senior vice president of the corporate communications group in Hill and Knowlton's (H & K) Toronto office, he counsels clients on internal and external opinion research, issue and crisis management strategies, stakeholder relationship-building and consultations, corporate reputation programs, internal communication strategies and media relations.

Mr. Neil is also a member of H & K's international crisis team, working with colleagues in major cities around the world on crisis preparedness and response.

In addition to a career as a freelance magazine journalist (Canadian Business, Maclean's Toronto Life, etc.), Mr. Neil has held senior communication positions in government, the plastics industry trade association and communication consulting firms with practices in private sector change management communication, as well as social services, environmental, and trade association communication and issues management.

Mr. Neil has created and guided public affairs strategies for provincial ministries on waste management, urban growth in the Greater Toronto Area, and provincial-municipal relations. He has managed stakeholder and media relations on a variety of controversial landfill sitings and expansions in Ontario, including the recent Adam's Mine landfill debate. Over the past three years, he has worked with twelve public hospitals on sensitive government relations, issue control, community relations and internal communication programs. And he has provided crisis counselling to companies facing police investigations, inquests and potentially damaging media attention, as well as during a recent airline disaster and a refinery fire.

Mr. Neil holds Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees from the University of Toronto. He frequently reviews books on the new economy for major newspapers, and has written for business publications on Internet and Web issue and crisis strategies.

Contact Information:
E-mail: Boyd.Neil@Royalroads.ca