Career Profile

For 32 years I’ve held high profile, challenging positions, working in a variety of media, producing remarkable results under intense pressure and winning awards.

Whether launching and managing a Web site, magazine or newspaper section, as a columnist, an award winning investigative reporter or now as freelance multi-media producer, and communications specialist.

Nice Tie!

My diverse skills and experience can be adapted to any sector or role and I am looking for an opportunity to prove it. I deliver on time and on budget. I am analytical with strong creative, problem solving skills and marketing savvy. I am the go-to guy who gets the job done.

As a manager I build teams, harness and focus their energies on the tasks required and assist by providing the right resources, removing hurdles and helping them learn the skills required.

As a strategist I develop holistic approaches to communications, identifying and using the key strength of a vehicle, be it print, video, Web, text, social or mainstream media.

Professional Experience

Pitbull Media - 2001 - present

I’m a freelance journalist, writer, editor, multi-media producer and communications consultant. Pitbull Media provides, in addition to basic editorial services, communication strategies, copywriting and production of creative materials such as video and web design for small and mid-sized businesses leveraging a network of other freelancers with unique skills on an as needed basis.

As a journalist I write for a wide variety of publications including Reader’s Digest, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Backbone Magazine, The Daily Commercial News, The Law Times and other trade and niche publications.

Centennial College – Communication Arts - 2004 - 2005

I taught part time at the Carlaw Campus as part of the post-graduate and now defunct Online Writing and Information Design Program, and I was a faculty advisor with the Journalism program.

Air Miles Reward Program Senior Editorial Manager 2001 – 2004

I leveraged my media experience for this dynamic and category-leading marketing giant as part of the re-launch team at airmiles.ca, a successful e-business platform and CRM tool. My mandate subsequently expanded to include editorial direction of the twice yearly Travel and More Magazine,direction of all other in-house copy and the creation of and managing of the French translation process.

Developed editorial strategy and web design. Managed hands-on editing and content loading with team and ensured brand standards were met in print and web.
Worked with freelancers, agency and in-house writers to create, edit and manage content and to direct French translation for editorial content and direction of the bilingual airmiles.ca Web site and twice-yearly Travel and More magazine (circulation 4,600,000 nationally in French and English).
Created freelance contracts, writer's guide and editing hierarchy, leveraged network of freelance and other media partners to source rich and engaging content relevant to site and magazine while working with external agency.
CANOE INC. Director of Web Operations fyitoronto.com/Canoe Inc. 2000 - 2001
Launched fyitoronto.com, the one-stop information site about Toronto, for Toronto. Hired and supervised five staff; developed marketing strategies and built relationships within Quebecor New Media companies and other partners.
Ground Zero to Live: Three weeks. Organized and trained team of data entry staff, online editors, developed content and set up workspace.
Initiated redesign three months later: Weekly hits went to 1.6 million from previous weekly average of 30,000.
Initiated and engineered processes for data-entry, leveraged under-utilized Sun resources and created poly-publishable data for online and print products while cutting costs and resource requirements.
Developed synergies and created value-added resources and products for the Toronto Sun, working without a road map to co-ordinate promotions, national and local advertising potentials and Interactive services for clients and the newspaper.
Conceived, presented and co-ordinated a cross-media advertising sponsorship venture with significant revenues for corporate sales office coupled with spin-off dollars and video content for Web sites.

THE TORONTO SUN Connect Editor and Associate Money Editor 1998- 2000

As the lead columnist and editor of the Connect section, I tracked how technology impacted the way we work, rest and play. I assigned stories, photos, illustrations and oversaw the layout for a weekly and also a colour monthly pull-out.

I was also responsible for Sun’s Money (business) section overseeing day to day operations and managing a staff of three highly skilled professionals.

Created an authoritative and insightful persona as anchor Connect columnist, focusing on consumers needs and filtering “noise” and by writing at a level enabling novices to understand technologically complex issues.
In addition to management responsibilities, wrote major stories about financial events and columns leading the section when necessary or upfront in the news pages. Established strong leadership and expertise in stock market and personal finance issues.
Conceived and designed a 16-page colour pullout, Monthly Connect, which ran in six markets (Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, London, Toronto and Ottawa). Result was that for minimal costs and resources, substantial national advertising revenues were realized.

Chief Police Reporter (1984 – 1986)

Assigned stories and shifts to staff while also working as a reporter -photographer and writing a weekly Crimebeat column, establishing a strong rapport, reputation and profile with Toronto Police Services.

G.A. Reporter-Photographer (1979 – 1984)

Handled a variety of rotating assignments. Culminated with my first international assignment covering the 1983 Grenada invasion. Included a stint working the summer as a photographer - and shooting SunShine Girls.

MIRROR NEWSPAPERS, North York 1977 - 1978 Reporter-Photographer:

Covered municipal politics

THE PETERBOROUGH EXAMINER 1977

Reporter-Photographer.

Media Experience

TELEVISION: As part of The Sun’s involvement with CP24, provided live commentary from the newsroom as needed on a variety of technology or business issues. Also guested on television talk shows and was a regular contributor/host for Tomorrow.Today a technology TV interstitial spot. In 1990 initiated and assisted in researching a segment on the Medellin Cartel’s Toronto connections for CBC’s Current Affairs program, the fifth estate.

RADIO: Covered the Euro96 soccer championships on a freelance basis for for two Toronto radio stations, TALK640 and CFTR. Also did a two-minute spot on TALK640 six days a week wrapping up events in and around the GTA to promote the fyitoronto.com web site. Provide commentary to British radio programs on Canadian soccer issues. As a contributor to Reader’s Digest I provide on-air discussions for phone-in shows across Canada relating to articles I have written.

COMPUTER SKILLS Intimately familiar with CMS such as Joomla! Proficienty with Quark and Adobe InDesign, Final Cut Pro (and Studio 11) Adobe Photoshop, HTML, Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.

EDUCATION/DEVELOPMENT

Canadian Film Centre: New Media Programme 2004

The Habitat Interactive Arts and Entertainment Programme is a prestigious five-month, post-graduate level course developing leaders and creative talent for the emerging New Media Industry. The curriculum encompasses high level study of leadership, the creative collaborative process, art, computer science, electronics and narrative theory as they apply to Interactive media such as computer games, web design, installations or mobile telephony.

UNIVERSITY of WESTERN ONTARIO 1985 Law for Journalists.

CENTENNIAL COLLEGE, Scarborough 1973-77 Journalism Major

Professional Development

I've taken challenging and inspiring management development courses at both Sun Media and through Air Miles (Loyalty One) parent corporation, Alliance Data Systems and found them to be worthwhile, thought-provoking and practical.

I've also taken a day long accounting program around double entry book keeping which I also found invaluable.

Awards

Winner Metro Toronto Police Association, Feature Writing 1992

Winner Jamie Westcott Award, Crime Reporting 1991

Winner Metro Toronto Police Association, Spot News 1987

Winner Metro Ambulance Services, Spot News 1986

Runner up, Metro Ambulance Services, Spot News 1985

Runner up, Metro Ambulance Services, Spot News Photo 1982

1982 Winner Metro Toronto Police Association Spot News

Other Skills and Interests

I speak and write passable Spanish and French and can handle video or still camera and edit the results. I'm both Mac and PC literate, I've co-owned a retail business, can handle a budget, read a balance sheet and can design, build, repair or renovate almost anything from a house to a car.

For fun I play soccer fanatically, ski and scuba dive, cook like a chef and play a thunderous bass guitar in an R&B band.

It all adds up to a well-traveled, seasoned, hands-on, sleeves up, extroverted, overachieving, performance-driven adrenaline junkie who isn’t afraid to try anything. I grab life with two hands and jump in with both feet but I’m also team player who’d take a bullet or do whatever else it required to meet our joint goals.

I don’t play petty politics. I get to the point and move on. I can lead as well as I follow but I perform best when I’m burdened with responsibility.