In 2012, Marisa Thomas took a three year leave of absence from her job as a television journalist and moved to Singapore. When she landed, she knew no one. Undeterred, she set about building a communication consulting practice in Asia from scratch. One by one, companies started to take a chance on her. First Toyota, then Morgan Stanley, Saatchi & Saatchi, MediaCom, Airbnb, Facebook and Grab followed. And on and on it went.

Her friends asked, “don’t you miss the adrenaline rush of TV?” After 12 years in broadcast journalism, the answer was “no.”

Three years in Asia turned into six because what she quickly realised working with her clients, was that their organisations were confronting some of the most interesting and complex issues facing Asia in the 21^st century. Together they worked on the rise of the sharing economy from rides to housing and the benefits and regulatory hurdles that came with it. They worked on cybersecurity and data privacy and ad campaigns in China, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.

In Taiwan, she helped scientists explain how they layer industrial gas into semiconductors. In Singapore, she helped quants explain what their data sets can and cannot predict. Marisa worked on helping to bank the unbanked and investing the wealth of Asia’s billionaires.

In 2018, it was time to return to North America and the ride continued. She’s worked on robots and satellites, crypto and blockchain, alternative proteins and leathers, autonomous vehicles, flying cars and environmental sustainability. The momentum never stopped and in 2022, Jennifer Burke joined the team. Jen brings a wealth of experience having covered many of the major news stories important to Canadians over her lengthy television career. Her adaptability as a broadcaster and news radio talk show host means she can share the valuable lessons of brevity, impactful delivery, empathy and a confident delivery with clients. Regardless of what kind of speaking engagement you’re prepping for, chances are Jen’s been in your shoes and can help you find your voice.

So how do we work? Covid has been a game changer, allowing us to work virtually with Europe in the morning, North America during the day, and Australia and Asia in the evening. That’s why Pivotal is virtual first. It’s efficient, executives save time. It’s less expensive, no need to fly everyone to one location. You only pay for the hours you need. And when those last-minute interviews or presentations arise, we’re just a video call away. And critically – it’s green! But when those high stakes moments require in-person help, we’ll be there. We look forward to hearing from you.