Speaker
If there’s a podium and a mic — that’s her happy place.
When other kids in the 80s were rushing home from school to watch Three’s Company, Mary-Jo was cultivating her love for the podium, taking part in Toastmasters events and competitive public speaking. All told, she’s been a podium addict most of her life. Today, she is a much-sought-after keynote speaker, emcee, panel moderator and on-air guest — having engaged audiences ranging in size from 25 to 1,000 at events that span C-Suite women’s networking sessions to panels of CEOs, Creative Directors, and Olympic athletes, to fundraisers aimed at supporting women fleeing abuse. While she is proud of each experience, a professional and personal highlight was moderating a panel of women CEOs on the topic of leadership — in Sir Richard Branson’s home on Necker Island.
Philanthropically, she has used her voice to shout from the rooftops about the causes that matter most to her. To that end, she has been a frequent on-air guest in the realm of melanoma awareness, animal welfare, and, more recently, for her passion as it pertains to various children’s initiatives.
She has appeared on CBC’s The Stephen and Chris Show and Global TV with Jill Krop, and has been a repeat guest on Vancouver’s Breakfast Television, Shaw’s Urban Rush, CKNW’s The Shift with Mike Eckford, and Vancouver’s Roundhouse Radio. She was the creator and host of DogBytes, a segment dedicated to animal issues, on Vancouver’s Shore 104.3 FM. She was founder and regular guest of the repeat CKNW segment “Hearts and Culture” — an examination of what was going on around the city of Vancouver both philanthropically as well as culturally. And she successfully pitched the on-going segment “Tea with a Titan Tuesdays” on 98.3FM in Vancouver.
Mary-Jo trained formally in the UK at the London School of Media, Film, and Television in both radio and TV broadcast.
Some of her favourite speaking opportunities include:
• Sir Richard Branson’s home on Necker Island
Topic: Leadership, Growth and Culture
Role: Panel Moderator among women CEOs
• TEDx: Ideas worth spreading
Topic: All that breaks isn’t necessarily broken: debunking the Broken Home mythology
Role: Presenter
• Times Up Vancouver
Topic: Held concurrently in 14 North American cities, addressed sexual harassment, discrimination, and inequity in advertising
Role: Panel Moderator among women CEOs and ad agency Creative Directors
• Glowing: A Reproduction Production
One-woman show performed from coast-to-coast in Canada
Role: Writer, producer, performer
• Performed stand-up comedy in Vancouver, NYC, Toronto, and LA
• Dress for Success “Success Luncheon”
A lunchtime fundraising event geared toward supporting women re-entering the workforce
Role: Keynote
• LOTUS Talks
A day of TED-inspired talks in the advertising and marketing arena
Role: Emcee and moderator
• Cossette Empo(we)r
An evening Q and A held annually among top women executives
Role: Moderator
• Gala of Grace
Event aimed at raising funds for Vancouver-area women’s shelters
Role: Keynote speaker
• TractionForce
Full-day conference of tech- and marketing-related presenters to 800 attendees
Role: Emcee
• Wine, Women, and Sports
An evening Q and A among top women athletes
Role: Moderator
• PinkTank’s NextGen Speaker Series
The topic: “If I knew then what I know now” delivered to audience of young women professionals
Role: Keynote
• She Says: The Global Creative Network for Women
The topic: “The balancing act” delivered to audience of women professionals
Role: Keynote
• SAINTS: Senior Animals in Need Today Society
Gala aimed at raising funds for Vancouver-area animals in need
Role: Emcee
• Lemonade: One heckuva juicy speaker series
Event aimed to remind attendees that “when life gives you lemons, squeeze the heck out of them.”
Role: Organizer, speaker, and emcee
• The UnBeach Party
Gala aimed at raising funds for melanoma research and awareness
Role: Emcee
