From left: National Public Relations Toronto director Tim Butters, consultant Max Stern, VP and corporate affairs lead Luc Levasseur, VP Jane Taber, coordinator Rachel Lee, consultant Chloe Mills, and coordinator Troy Aharonian.

With the naming of a new corporate affairs lead in Toronto, National Public Relations is looking to position the firm for growth in Ontario.

The PR shop has promoted Luc Levasseur to the role of VP and corporate affairs lead. Having worked with private, public and non-profit organizations since joining National in 2011, Levasseur will now lead a team of consultants in Toronto who provide strategic advice on public engagement, reputation management and strategic communications to clients.

National’s corporate affairs practice includes clients in the energy (global and Canadian), utility and nuclear sectors, as well as municipalities and public sector organizations.

Last month, National appointed Ali Salam, the former chief of staff to the federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Minister of Democratic Institutions, to SVP of public affairs in Toronto. That move followed the May 2018 promotion  of Kathryn Tector to the new role of SVP of strategy and chief client officer of the Atlantic region and of Iain Deans to ECD for Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., along with several other senior promotions.

Over the last year, the PR firm has also added Andrea Mandel-Campbell as SVP of financial and crisis comms in Toronto (replacing Ronald Alepian, who  joined TD Bank as chief communications officer), and Becca Young as SVP of strategy and integration, growing its business in non-traditional services.