Shafiq Jamal

With over 23 years’ experience in the corporate sector, Shafiq has garnered extensive experience in crisis, issues, and reputational risk management. He has worked with clients on crisis planning and preparedness, crisis and earned media training, crisis communications strategy and execution, reputation recovery, real-time hands-on and virtual situation room support, cybersecurity issues and threats, business continuity, as well as disaster preparedness and recovery.

Shafiq has also worked closely with C-suite executives, mid-level management, and front line workers, on preparing and rolling out communications strategies and plans on issues of corporate restructuring, operational efficiency, mergers and acquisitions, hostile takeovers, change management, name and identity changes, and on conveying new company visions and directions.

He has provided counsel on issues that have included data and security breaches, global disease and virus outbreaks (including COVID-19, Ebola and SARS), real estate project opposition, healthcare issues, loss of life, employee misconduct, weather disasters, labour contract disputes, community opposition, product recalls, product tampering, hostile takeovers, insider trading, hazmat situations, land rezoning and bomb scares.

Sectors he has worked in extensively include oil and gas, technology, telecommunications, retail, real estate, healthcare, transportation, life sciences, financial services, marine transport, hospitality, and consumer goods and services.

Prior to starting his own independent consulting practice, Shafiq held the position of Senior Vice President & Managing Director of Weber Shandwick’s (Weber) Vancouver office. Under his watch the Vancouver team doubled in size and added strength at every level. Shafiq was instrumental in fostering relationships with new clients and was a force in raising brand awareness and recognition for the agency in the local market. He now acts as a Senior Strategist for Weber, alongside being the principal of hos own firm, Jamal Communications Inc.

Shafiq has also held senior positions with Edelman Worldwide, the Retail Council of Canada, as well as Best Buy Canada Ltd., in their corporate office.

Early in his career, Shafiq was selected as one of the Top 100 Young Canadian Leaders by the Jeanne Sauvé Youth Foundation. He speaks regularly on reputation management at industry events and provides ongoing mentorship to aspiring PR and communications professionals. Shafiq is a graduate of York University, with a double degree in Mass Communication and International Relations, along with a Certificate in in Radio and TV Broadcasting in Canada from Seneca College.

Outside work, his other passions include studying and enjoying wine, striving to find time with his family, watching tennis and soccer, and collecting Dame Agatha Christie and Sir Conan Doyle memorabilia related to their greatest fictional detectives – Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes respectively.