Meet the Team
Mike Witherly, Partner
Mike Witherly, Partner
Mike Witherly, Partner
A seasoned communicator, Mike offers clients strategic counsel grounded in two decades of experience in public affairs and politics. By integrating public opinion research with strategy development, Mike ensures his clients are campaigning on winning issues with the right audiences.
Previously, Mike has served several federal cabinet Mini
A seasoned communicator, Mike offers clients strategic counsel grounded in two decades of experience in public affairs and politics. By integrating public opinion research with strategy development, Mike ensures his clients are campaigning on winning issues with the right audiences.
Previously, Mike has served several federal cabinet Ministers from Ottawa and Vancouver. In 2004, Mike was appointed senior British Columbia adviser to the Prime Minister and was tasked with managing the federal government’s most contentious issues in British Columbia. Later, he led the communications for BC Transmission Corporation—a crown corporation that was responsible for meeting British Columbia electrical transmission needs.
He has polled extensively and advised corporate, government, and non-profit organizations on the development of communication and public consultation strategies on a wide range of sensitive public policy, energy and infrastructure projects across western Canada. He has advised: oil and gas pipelines and marine terminals; electricity projects from generation to distribution; and transportation infrastructure including: transit, tolls, and bridges.
Zdenka Buric, Partner
Mike Witherly, Partner
Mike Witherly, Partner
Zdenka is an experienced communicator with a background in public affairs, media relations, crisis communications, stakeholder engagement, marketing and facilitation.
She was the Managing Partner for the latter part of the 20 years she spent with a national Public Relations firm. Through this experience she built an enviable reputation as
Zdenka is an experienced communicator with a background in public affairs, media relations, crisis communications, stakeholder engagement, marketing and facilitation.
She was the Managing Partner for the latter part of the 20 years she spent with a national Public Relations firm. Through this experience she built an enviable reputation as a strategic communicator that delivers insight and results.
She is the first call for clients seeking crisis management or labour relations counsel. In addition to media and message strategy, Zdenka offers customized presentation skills and media training sessions for numerous clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Previously, Zdenka spent five years in Ottawa advising Federal Ministers and elected officials. More recently, Zdenka was the VP of Marketing and Communications for the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Zdenka has served on the board of governors of Langara College and on the board of directors of the Minerva Foundation.
Kanako Shinyashiki, Senior Account Director
Alex Rivard, Ph.D., Associate Director of Statistical Methods
Alex Rivard, Ph.D., Associate Director of Statistical Methods
Kanako is a communications specialist with close to decades of experience in strategic communications, marketing, branding, event planning and project and budget management. With experience working in large, complex corporations like Shell Canada and BC Hydro, she has a proven track record in executing impactful programs and campaigns on-
Kanako is a communications specialist with close to decades of experience in strategic communications, marketing, branding, event planning and project and budget management. With experience working in large, complex corporations like Shell Canada and BC Hydro, she has a proven track record in executing impactful programs and campaigns on-time and on-budget in high pressure environments. With a keen eye for detail, Kanako also works with organizations to implement new processes to drive overall efficiency and business improvement in project delivery.
With a strategic ability to see the big picture, along with the details, Kanako is laser-focused on delivering an organization’s objectives and goals. Kanako has an exceptional ability to quickly build trusted relationships and work with cross-functional teams. She is equally comfortable working with both front-line staff and C-suite executives and has worked with a number of clients as an embedded member of their communications team.
Kanako is a trusted business partner that is able to use her diverse background to help meet the needs of her clients through active listening, integrity and respect.
Alex Rivard, Ph.D., Associate Director of Statistical Methods
Alex Rivard, Ph.D., Associate Director of Statistical Methods
Alex Rivard, Ph.D., Associate Director of Statistical Methods
Alex brings extensive expertise in quantitative methods and data analysis to the Fairview team.
As an active academic researcher, he ensures that the most advanced analysis and emerging statistical techniques are available to Fairview clients.
Since joining Fairview, Alex has provided: voter modelling, audience segmentation, and multi-l
Alex brings extensive expertise in quantitative methods and data analysis to the Fairview team.
As an active academic researcher, he ensures that the most advanced analysis and emerging statistical techniques are available to Fairview clients.
Since joining Fairview, Alex has provided: voter modelling, audience segmentation, and multi-lingual research design for a wide range of clients in: transportation, labour relations, and politics.
Alex earned his Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of British Columbia, where he specialized in research on the determinants of secessionist party entrance and support in Western Europe and North America.
More recently, Alex held postdoctoral fellowships at the Université Laval in Quebec City and the Université de Montréal. His research interests include political behavior, party competition, and public opinion, and he uses statistical methods to investigate these topics.
Originally from Montreal, Alex studied at Concordia University where he received a Master of Public Policy and Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
Alex is fluent in both English and French. He lives with his family in Vancouver continues to conduct research and teach political science.