With more than 30 years of experience in strategic planning, research, communications, marketing, media management and facilitation, Rob’s career began after his formal education at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario (Commerce ’76), where he concentrated on applied mathematics/statistics, research, and marketing.
He followed that with two years working as Executive Assistant to the Minister of Community and Social Services and then two years as an award-winning newspaper editor.
His career background includes his role as Managing Partner of Wood & Wood Communications, a marketing strategy, research and communications consulting firm, which was later purchased (in 1999) by Enterprise Canada Research. This company undertook dozens of studies for clients as varied as radio stations, newspapers, hospitals, political parties, community colleges and municipalities.
In 1987, Rob’s career took him to the Frontenac County Board of Education, as Manager of Administrative Services and Communications. Here he oversaw office administration, marketing and communications for the Board office, and managed the service unit that supported the Board of Trustees.
During the 1990s, prior to launching 8020Info Inc., Rob served first as Program Director/ Director of Research and then as General Manager for the CHUM Radio Group where he managed four radio stations in eastern Ontario — two in Kingston and two in Brockville.
A former part-time instructor specializing in marketing and public relations at the St. Lawrence College School of Business, Rob has been a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops, including presentations in Halifax, Gander, Summerside, Waterloo, London, Sudbury, Kingston, Brockville, Belleville, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton.
In his current practice, he has been actively involved as a consultant on a variety of strategic planning, public consultation and marketing communications projects.
He is also busy as a facilitator – in a typical year he would lead more than 100 focus group or planning sessions, public meetings and workshops.
8020Info received the Small Business of the Year Award in 2002, and Rob was also nominated for Business Person of the Year. In 2016 he was inducted into Kingston’s Business Hall of Fame for his mentorship and community leadership.
As a community leader, he currently is board chair for the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area, serves on the Queen’s Family Health Team Advisory Board and Queen’s Family Medicine Standing Research Committee, is an advisor to the Kingston Social Value Fund, a member of the residential hospice fundraising cabinet and a founding member of the SPEAKingston board (a group supporting smart growth in the community).
He has been active for more than two decades on community boards and task forces such as the Downtown Kingston! Marketing Strategy Committee, Kingston Technology Council, Kingston Technology Exchange Centre, the Grand Theatre Advisory Board, Kingston Cultural Initiative (serving as founding chair for three years), Kingston Symphony, the Queen’s Journal Board, the Whig-Standard Community Editorial Board and the Community Committee to Honour Great Kingstonians.
In his spare time he studies Mandarin.