Christopher Ian Bennett

Topics

Presentations

Organizational Transformation Through Millennials
Born in the mid-1980's and later, Generation Y professionals are in their 20s and are just entering the workforce. With numbers estimated as high as 70 million, Generation Y (also known as the Millennials) is the fastest growing segment of today’s workforce. As companies compete for available talent, employers cannot ignore the needs, desires and attitudes of this vast generation. Bennett's experience building and leading effective teams with Millennials in both the political and corporate world has provided him an invaluable understanding of how they work, what they want and how to unleash them anywhere in your organization. Bennett will reveal and explore some new ideas around Gen Yers and how companies who are unafraid to adapt and evolve into the new corporate culture they're looking for will transform your organization and set you apart from any of your competitors unwilling to change.

Everything you know about PR is Wrong
An award winning Public Relations & Communications thought-leader, Bennett thinks that the current state of the PR world is broken and a new, better model is emerging. As newspapers and other traditional media outlets evolve digitally, startups & corporate companies alike have never had a better opportunity to get great PR visibility and press exposure. In his talk he'll reveal some startling things about how Agencies really work, how to change your approach when pitching reporters to create better stories for your brand and why PR should (and can) be free.

The Glass House Theory: How embracing radical transparency in your business communications and office culture will fix your business and make you a better leader
An award winning Public Relations & Communications thought-leader, Bennett thinks one of the best things to come out of the modern age of digital and social media is the potential for radical transparency in the way we communicate internally and externally.  As privacy and security online and in our personal lives continues to be a hot topic with not shortage of good guys and bad guys, Bennett believes it's those who embrace his Glass House Theory that will be the ones who benefit and push their business and industries forward. In his talk he'll debunk some of the social & digital privacy myths, examine the real virtues of public information and offer proven examples of leaders who are embracing radical transparency with tremendous success.

Summary Profile

At just 32 years of age, Christopher Bennett already has more than 17 years of public relations and media communications experience under his belt. An award-winning media strategist, Christopher has worked with corporate CEOs, politicians and senior government officials both provincially and nationally. As the current Director of Corporate Communications & Government Relations for Best Buy Canada and Future Shop, he is the principle architect of the overall corporate message strategy across Canada.

Recently, Christopher was named to Business in Vancouver's Magazine's ‘TOP 40 Under 40' list. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Advisors for TEDx Vancouver and also sits on the board of advisors for the Canadian Video Game Awards and environmental VC firm Greenscape Capital (TSX: GRN). In 2007, Christopher was the only Canadian named to PR News' Magazine's ‘TOP 30 under 30 to Watch' list. He has been profiled in BC Business Magazine, PR Week and the National Post. Christopher has lectured at Universities on a variety of topics including Breakthrough's in Social Media Communications, Political Campaign Messaging, Gen Y Leadership and the future of mainstream media. Bennett was also a keynote speaker at recent IABC National conference.

Passionate about emerging media and business, when he's not busy working at Best Buy Canada he devotes as much time as possible as a strategic counselor to other businesses, politicians and non-profits which include his human rights work for Amnesty International and as Chairman of the We Are Jose Campaign.

Prior to his role at Best Buy Canada, Bennett worked as a strategic Director in the PR agency world and also developed the national public relations program at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? from 2002 to 2006 as the company grew to more than 500 employees in four countries.

An experienced Communications professional and seasoned speechwriter, Bennett's first job in PR was at age 16 and he wrote his first political speech at just 17. He is an accredited member-in-good-standing with the Speechwriters Guild of the United Kingdom and has worked with politicians from around the world. He is also the former Leader of the Green Party of British Columbia, where he was the youngest person to ever lead a registered political party in Canada. Christopher's leadership helped push the GPBC's public support to almost 20 per cent (up from 5 per cent - source: Mustel 2008) during his interim year-long term in 2008. Bennett attended Trent University in Ontario where he studied English and Poetry and Political Science.