Carolyn Ray

Managing Director and Vice-President, Toronto Office

With over 20 years of experience in strategic communications consulting, Carolyn Ray has advised clients in a range of industries – including retail, technology, automotive, manufacturing, financial services and not-for-profit organizations – and is recognized for her innovative perspective on integrated branding, marketing and corporate communications. As Managing Director of CASACOM’s Toronto office, Carolyn will apply her expertise, enthusiasm and energy to help clients add value to their business through insights, influence and measurable impact.

Recently, Carolyn repositioned and led both the Marketing Communications and Employee Engagement practices at NATIONAL Public Relations, Canada`s largest PR firm. In this role, she developed integrated consumer brand marketing and corporate programs for clients such as Ford of Canada, Hankook Tires, Luxottica/Pearle Vision, Pelmorex/The Weather Network, Kohler, Holt Renfrew, and Gildan Activewear. Carolyn is one of Canada’s leading experts in internal communications, as evidenced by her landmark research study “Start the Dialogue: Employee Engagement in Tough Times”, which pointed to social media as an emerging trend in internal communications, well ahead of other industry studies.

Carolyn is a passionate advocate for the power, influence and value of brands. At brand consultancy Interbrand, she established the global Brand Engagement practice and led complex branding programs for Celestica, John Deere, Thomson Reuters, Delta Dental Plans Association, ATI Technologies (now AMD), GWL Realty Advisors, and RBC Dexia Investor Services, among others.

With her entrepreneurial roots, Carolyn appreciates that organizations need agile, adaptive partners. Not only has she led marketing communications at a start-up software company, but she also managed a thriving technology practice at a boutique PR agency, where clients included IBM, Dell, CIBC/Intria-HP, Group Telecom and Ceridian. She began her career in Ottawa as a freelance consultant working with Canada Communication Group, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and other federal government agencies.

Strongly committed to creating positive change in her community, Carolyn sits on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of York Region and actively participates in ABC Life Literacy Canada’s Communications Committee. She teaches a course on PR Research and Insights at Ryerson University, and has been profiled in Marketing Magazine, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, and other industry publications. She has served on the boards of both IABC and CPRS. She is the mother of an 11-year old daughter and plays competitive soccer.

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