Leadership

Key leadership personnel

Michael de Pencier Chairman, Key Publishers Company Ltd, Director, Investeco Capital Corp.

Michael has led the evolution of Key Publishers from a media company to a green-enterprise facilitator and investment firm. He is the immediate past Chairman of World Wildlife Fund Canada and International, former Director of Women’s College Hospital, and is a former trustee of the Royal Botanical Gardens and former Chair of the Ontario College of Art and Design. He has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Magazine Awards Foundation, the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada. With his family, has planted more than 40,000 trees at their property near Rosemont, Ontario.

Laurie Simmonds President and CEO, Green Living Enterprises, and Publisher, Green Living magazine

Laurie has extensive publishing experience, having previously worked on Toronto Life, Fashion, Essential Toronto and Canadian Art, among others. She was responsible for rebranding Green Living magazine and the rapid growth of Green Living Enterprises, which led to an online presence, the successful launch of the Green Living Show, corporate consulting, marketing and custom publishing, all focused on the green economy sector. Laurie is part of a select group of Canadians who completed The Climate Project training program led by Nobel Laureate Al Gore.

Brenda Halkiw Executive Vice-President

Brenda has over 20 years of sales and marketing experience and an impressive track record in new business development. She spent 14 years with Canwest and raised the bar in creating and executing innovative media campaigns and strategic partnerships. She launched Canwest's national environmental platform which brought together Global Television, National Post, Metro Dailies and canada.com to forge a comprehensive 52 week initiative that inspired Canadians to be "Champions for the Environment."

Vel Omazic Vice-President, Marketing and Communications

Vel was previously VP National Promotion & Media Relations at Sony Music Canada where he had a direct role in the domestic development of some of the biggest Canadian and international artist brands in the music industry. Prior to joining Sony Music Vel worked at PolyGram Records Canada and is currently a part-time instructor of Promotion, Publicity and Music Industry Sales and Airplay Analysis at the MetalWorks Institute of Sound & Music Production.

Kim Pittaway Editorial Director

Kim is the past editor of Chatelaine magazine and has worked as a consultant with St. Joseph Media, Transcontinental Publishing and other Canadian publishers. Kim has led seminars and classes at King’s College at Dalhousie University, Ontario College of Art and Design, Ryerson University, Centennial College among others. She is the past director of Magazines Canada’s Publishing Workshop, past president of the National Magazine Awards Foundation, a member of the Professional Development Committee of Magazines Canada and a member of the board of ABC Canada Literacy Foundation. She is a past member of the board of THIS Magazine and of the board of CanCopy (now Access Copyright).

Gary Hall Creative Director, Green Living Enterprises and Eco Options magazine

Gary has worked extensively in the Canadian design industry for a wide range of clients, including four years at Maclean’s, where he had a lead role in redesigning the magazine in 2002. Over his career, Gary has received more than 100 national and international awards for magazine design, including the award for best original typeface from the New York Type Directors’ Club. Gary also teaches editorial design at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto.