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.
