Stakeholder Engagement Expert Appointed In Canada

TRUESCAPE PRESS RELEASE

Stakeholder Engagement Expert Appointed In Canada

Truescape broadens capability with key executive appointment

Christchurch, New Zealand. 5 November 2013. Stakeholder engagement consultants Truescape today announced the appointment of Laura Benkis as stakeholder engagement specialist based in the company’s Calgary, Alberta office.

“Laura helps Truescape broaden and deepen our capability so we can better support our clients to consult effectively with key stakeholder groups around their major capital projects,” says Truescape’s Executive Chairman Sam Chaffey.

“With her background and expertise, Laura can help our clients develop effective engagement strategies that enable projects to progress faster and more smoothly.

“As well as strong skills in engagement strategies, Laura has proven capability liaising with North American aboriginal communities and other important stakeholder groups on significant capital projects like mining and oil & gas.

“Laura’s appointment is a strategic move for Truescape, as we seek to augment our traditional strength in providing visual simulations to support a firm’s stakeholder engagement activities, with an advisory capacity to help our clients plan and execute effective stakeholder engagement.

“Laura really understands the value Truescape brings to the stakeholder engagement challenge - by being able to communicate complex projects in more accessible ways we can help our clients change the conversation they have with stakeholders, engaging on facts and logic, not emotion,” says Mr Chaffey.

Ms Benkis’ initial focus will be on Canada’s oil & gas sector, something for which she has a real passion, “What I find fascinating about this sector is that there are no ‘cookie-cutter’ solutions to stakeholder engagement, you have to approach every project with an open mind and a willingness to come up with creative ways of communicating with the groups involved.

“I’m looking forward to helping our clients get even more value out of their engagements with Truescape - the visualisation tools and expertise they can bring to these projects is compelling.”

Ms Benkis joins Truescape from Alberta-based mining operation Hammerstone Corporation, and has an extensive background in stakeholder engagement and corporate communication.

Previous roles have included stints in the hi-tech, corporate finance and not-for-profit sectors.

Mr Chaffey says Truescape plans to add similar capabilities to its US operations in Houston in 2014.

ENDS

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