Who I am, what I do, my why
I am a tenured associate professor of communications management at McMaster University. My education and training are in theoretical linguistics, a sub-field of cognitive science. That background gave me a penchant for data science and computation. I am also fascinated by pragmatics, which is the science of how people (and animals) communicate and understand meaning in the world. I have brought those academic interests together in my work studying the impact of data-driven decision making and artificial intelligence (automation) on communications management. I believe that a good theory leads to good strategy, which leads to well-chosen tactics and thoughtful evaluation. That’s my credo.
I have practiced what I preach in application. As an active consultant, I have worked with a broad diversity of organizations, from global corporations to tiny hyperlocal not-for-profits. I have also worked in politics at all three levels in Canada - municipal, provincial and federal. In particular, I served as founding Director of Research and Analytics and briefly as Interim Director of Communications in the Liberal Research Bureau in the Canadian House of Commons. I have also been a senior advisor to several politicians, mostly notably and deeply with the Hon. Filomena Tassi during her entire time as a Member of Parliament.
I think digital media have been transforming our culture, society, economy and sense of self and community since the invention of modern digital computers and then artificial intelligence in the mid-1900s. The invention of the smartphone and later social media were the first wave in this transformation. However, those developments were but a ripple compared to the profound transformation that artificial intelligence will bring to our work and personal lives. AI is changing everything. I am convinced that it will be a thin layer of digital jelly that coats and envelopes every aspect of our work and personal lives. That is remarkable - the most pervasive technology since we started wearing clothes.
On a personal note, I am a very active person. I love hiking, swimming, cycling (gravel and gentle mountain biking), sea kayaking and sport shooting (sporting clays and skeet/trap, mostly). I used to be a competitive fencer. I have enjoyed a vegan lifestyle for over a decade and was mainly vegetarian/pescatarian for a decade before that. I am a practicing and devout Roman Catholic Christian, although I am liberal and progressive in my approach to theology and doctrine.
Join my academic life:
If you would like to join me in my work at the university as a student or researcher, do get in touch. There are three ways you can work with me at McMaster University:
Apply to the McMaster University Master of Communications Management program, which is an executive education program that you do while you work full-time and maintain full family responsibilities. We understand complicated and busy lives.
Apply to our PhD program in Communication, New Media and Cultural Studies in which I can supervise theses.
Take one of our executive education sessions that I teach in AI.
Work with me as a consultant and businessperson:
I work with select organizations to provide training and strategic management consulting, with a focus on artificial intelligence and data-driven decision making. I love helping people understand how to make AI work for you, rather than have it be something to be afraid of. You can contact me directly to book a training for your organization or to get my opinion on a communications management challenge.
For deeper engagements, I collaborate with two superb consulting firms:
The Tantalus Group, run by Wylie Rogers, a global consulting group that helps global corporations, governments and other large organizations think through how to enhance efficiency and creativity in their communications and marketing teams.
Wentworth Strategy Group, run by my McMaster University colleague Mark John Stewart, a Hamilton-based consulting group focused on small to medium-sized businesses and the not-for-profit sector.