President & CEO

Paul Sutherland

As President and CEO, Paul provides strategic leadership to a team of experienced government relations, communications and project management professionals located across Canada, serving a wide range of domestic and international clients. Paul specializes in advising corporate and not-for-profit clients on complex government relations issues and developing strategies that effectively navigate increasingly regulated municipal, provincial and federal environments. Paul’s background is in business development and municipal government. He was first elected as a North York City Councillor in 1985 and then re-elected for four consecutive terms. He served as Deputy Mayor, budget lead, Chair of the Economic Development Committee, Chair of Public Works Committee and Chair of the Executive Committee of Council. Appointed to the Toronto Transition Team by the Premier of Ontario in 1997, Paul led the strategy development to amalgamate seven municipal budgets, governance frameworks and parking authorities, to fulfill the province’s mandate and merge seven municipal government into what is now the City of Toronto. After leaving municipal government, Paul launched his consulting career and in 2008 founded Sutherland, quickly establishing the company as a premier municipal public affairs and government relations practice.

Managing Partner

Dan Bordonali

Dan is one of Sutherland’s founding members. He has been instrumental to the firm’s growth and now provides oversight to strategy development for municipal public affairs and government relations clients. He has successfully consulted on municipal files dealing with the City of Toronto as well as major municipalities across Canada. Experienced in a variety of sectors, Dan’s scope of client work includes transit, transportation, municipal development, labour relations and infrastructure. Prior to joining Sutherland in 2008, Dan served as a senior policy advisor at Toronto City Hall. He brings over 14 years of municipal government experience, including managing several municipal portfolios at the City of Toronto, such as development, infrastructure and transportation.

Vice-President, Public Affairs

Monika Bujalska

An experienced cross discipline professional, Monika offers a broad perspective and innovative solutions to public affairs challenges. Monika brings over 15 years of issues management, communications and stakeholder experience at the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government. She served in senior communications and issues management roles for Canada’s Minister of International Trade, the Ontario Power Authority, members of the official opposition in the finance and economic development portfolios, as well as at Toronto City Hall. Her expertise is in developing communications and issues management strategies in complex policy areas with diverse stakeholders. Prior to joining Sutherland, Monika served as a consultant advising clients on a wide range of policy portfolios including finance, revenue, municipal affairs and housing, economic development, energy, labour, advanced training and skills development and tourism. Monika graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Degree in Political Science and Economics.

Social Media & Communications Specialist

Melissa DaCunha

As Social Media & Communications Specialist, Melissa supports the Strategic Communications team through social media content, digital communications, research and strategic planning. As an ambitious communications professional, Melissa is focused on contributing to company success while learning from established professionals. She has demonstrated success in delivering and seamlessly executing plans in fast-paced organizations. Melissa holds a Bachelor Degree from University of Toronto and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations from Humber College.

Director, Government Relations, Quebec and Eastern Canada

Emmanuel Dion-Weiss

As Director of Government Relations for Québec and Eastern Canada, Emmanuel is responsible for developing and executing strategies that support clients' government relations initiatives. Emmanuel joined Sutherland in 2020 as a consultant. Since then he's become an integral member of the team, contributing his experience and knowledge of the inner workings of provincial governments as well as with federal files. He started his career as a successful business owner in the tech sector after which he started a fruitful political career as legislative assistant for various federal MPs, followed by two years as a press secretary. In 2020, Emmanuel was chosen as the Hon. Erin O'Toole's campaign manager for Québec during the 2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership race, where he helped deliver a historic victory in Quebec for Mr. O'Toole who won the leadership race as a result. In 2022, Emmanuel was once again selected, this time by Pierre Poilievre, to be his Chief of Operations for Quebec in the 2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership race, resulting in another historic victory. Natively bilingual, Emmanuel possesses a rare mastery of the written and oral French and English languages, enabling him to effectively communicate with all levels of government across Canada. He also has extensive knowledge of cybersecurity, economics and rural affairs.

Director, Strategic & Business Communications

Emma Hunt

As Director of Strategic & Business Communications, Emma is responsible for developing and implementing social media and communications strategies that support municipal affairs and government relations initiatives. Emma joined Sutherland in 2015. Since then she’s been an integral member of the team, contributing her experience in traditional and digital communications to clients in a variety of sectors including entertainment, technology, infrastructure and public administration. She is directly involved in strategic communications planning and implementation, social media strategy development and oversight, stakeholder outreach and media relations. Emma holds a Bachelor Degree in Political Studies from Queen’s University and a Postgraduate diploma in Corporate Communications and Public Relations from Seneca College.

Manager of Finance

Tina Li

As Manager of Finance, Tina is responsible for analyzing every day financial activities while providing advice and guidance to upper management on future financial plans. Prior to joining Sutherland, Tina was an accounting manager at a construction company. She also worked for a software company where she acquired extensive experience in system migration and acquisition integration. Tina uses this experience to provide financial reports and interpret financial information to management staff.

Executive Strategic Advisor

Pat Perkins

Pat is a proven leader in government and public relations, strategic planning, public policy and labour relations. Pat brings over 30 years of political and government experience. For eight years she served as the Mayor of the Town of Whitby – the first woman elected for that office. Following her municipal career, Pat was then elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for the riding of Whitby/Oshawa. Pat has also been a member of the board of directors of the Whitby Hydro Corporation, Durham Region Non Profit Housing Corporation, Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, Durham Children’s Aid Society and the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre for Children and Youth. Pat’s extensive experience in governance includes labour relations experience at the (then) City of Scarborough, where she served as President of CUPE local 545 and was elected chairperson of the Central Advisory Committee (CAC), formulating strategy and conducting central bargaining for all of the CUPE locals in Metropolitan Toronto. Residing in Whitby, Pat is an active Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Whitby and is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Government Relations Strategist

Ben Smith

Ben Smith is a government relations strategist and communications expert with a track record of results. As a strategist, Ben has helped launch advocacy campaigns, execute ground-breaking brand activations, build influencer relations programs and advised start-ups on how to rollout their communications plans to drive results. He has trained prominent entrepreneurs and star athletes on how to refine their message and share their story in an authentic way. Ben specializes in building campaigns and strategies that move opinion and earn trust. Ben’s government relations experience has underscored his success as a public affairs consultant, guiding clients from all sectors through complex legislative and regulatory environments to resolve challenges, effectively communicate with key stakeholders and build consensus. Prior to entering the private sector, Ben served as a Director of Communications on Parliament Hill, worked in senior communications roles on political campaigns at all levels of government, and served as Communications Director to an Ontario Provincial Cabinet Minister. Ben also proudly ran as a candidate in his hometown of Stouffville during the 2021 Canadian federal election and served as an education leader. Ben was a member of the Board of Trustees of the York Catholic District School Board, and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Student Trustees Association (OSTA), one of the largest Ministry of Education recognized stakeholders in Ontario’s education system. Among his accolades in education, Ben was appointed by the Minister of Education to serve on the Minister’s Advisory Council on Special Education, and by the Minister of Seniors and Accessibility to serve on Ontario’s Education Standards Development Committee, which created the first accessibility standard under law for Ontario’s education system. He has also served on numerous boards and working tables for both public and catholic school board associations in Ontario.

Business Development Coordinator

Kate Urquhart

As Business Development Coordinator, Kate plays a key role in overseeing administrative operations and supporting the execution of client goals in public affairs. She brings a strong background in public relations and communications, combining strategic insight with organizational expertise to ensure overall success for clients. Kate holds a Double Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from Dalhousie University, where she majored in Theatre Studies and Creative Writing. Prior to joining Sutherland, she gained valuable experience in lifestyle and entertainment public relations, where she developed a deep understanding of marketing, promotions, and crisis management. At Sutherland, Kate manages administrative functions while contributing to client-focused initiatives that drive impactful public affairs and government relations strategies.