Ivanna Purkiss.

Ivanna Purkiss is a dynamic organizer and communicator with a reputation for excellence. For nearly two decades, her career has spanned both the public and private sectors, leading major projects and advising on brand stewardship.  

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She started her career in Ottawa on Parliament Hill and held several positions including Scheduling Assistant for the Minister of Canadian Heritage & Official Languages, and later Senior Communications Advisor, Issues Manager, Parliamentary Affairs Advisor, and Caucus Liaison for the Minister of State for Science and Technology. She was also involved in the machinery of a government launch of a new federal regional development agency, now known as FedDev, with a mandate for economic diversification in Southern Ontario.   

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Ivanna’s private sector experience includes three years as Office Manager and Executive Assistant to a leading Canadian public affairs firm. Under her tenure, the company expanded its geographical and operational footprint, embarking on a significant growth trajectory. 

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Most recently, Ivanna held numerous roles with BCU Financial Group in Toronto. As Director of Corporate Communications, she led all marketing initiatives and was responsible for brand stewardship. She was also responsible for community outreach programs and acted as Managing Director for BCU Foundation. In 2021, her reputation for excellence and attention to detail led to an additional promotion as Head of People, taking on all human resources activities, including recruitment and staffing procedure, as well as strategic planning. 

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Ivanna brings an acute attention to detail and a multi-sector approach to her work, introducing and implementing best practices internally while facilitating best outcomes for clients.  

Her extensive volunteer work spans numerous humanitarian and fundraising projects, most recently focusing on the Ukrainian resistance and relief efforts related to Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Europe.