Strategic Communications Testimonials

Miranda Lam, Chair of the UBC Board of Governors, and President and Chief Legal Officer of Acuitas Therapeutics

“I had the opportunity to work closely with Thandi in preparation for the BC Business Summit, where I participated alongside UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Benoit-Antoine Bacon in a panel discussion before several hundred business and civic leaders from across the province. Thandi played a key role in shaping the talking points that anchored the conversation and articulated the story of UBC and Acuitas Therapeutics as partners for purpose—linking our long-standing research relationship to UBC’s refreshed Strategic Directions 2025–2030, and to broader provincial priorities around innovation, talent, and productivity. Thandi was able to translate complex concepts into a narrative that was both accessible and engaging for an external audience. She understands how senior leaders think, and how to tell a story that is strategically aligned without sounding scripted or generic. Thandi is a trusted advisor who combines strategic insight with strong editorial judgment and an instinct for what will resonate beyond the institution.”

Adriaan de Jager, Associate Vice President, Government Relations and Community Engagement, UBC

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Thandi over several years and have consistently been impressed by her writing, broader communications, and analytical clarity. She has a proven ability to absorb diverse perspectives, distill complex and sometimes competing inputs, and translate them into clear, compelling pieces that meet strategic objectives. Her work reflects a deep understanding of the organization and an ability to connect detail to broader institutional objectives in a way that is both persuasive and effective.”

Marten Youssef, Associate Vice President, University Relations, UBC Okanagan

“I have the pleasure of working with Thandi for the past four years and continue to be very impressed with her thoughtful and strategic thinking. She knows how to navigate challenging situations in a way that advances shared priorities across both of UBC’s campuses. Her ability to break down complex communication challenges is so impressive.”

Nathan Skolski, Director of Public Affairs, UBC Okanagan

“I’ve known and worked with Thandi for many years. She has proven herself to be a sharp communications expert, highly knowledgeable on communications policy development and a consummate professional. She provides wise counsel on everything from internal and executive communications to complex issues management. Thandi has always been accessible and open to collaboration across both UBC campuses, acting as a genuine and thoughtful advocate for UBC Okanagan’s voice within the system. She has built real trust and confidence between our respective teams and handles complex, sensitive situations with a steady hand. I have no hesitation in wholeheartedly recommending Thandi.”

Media Relations Testimonials

Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, renowned social psychologist, TED speaker and author of Happy Money

“Thandi did a terrific job putting together a press release on our new research paper, even under a tight timeframe. It attracted a huge amount of media attention, and she was incredibly helpful to me in managing all of it, even outside of working hours. Overall, she was both incredibly effective and efficient and really went beyond my expectations.”

Clea Wells, Program Manager, FoodMesh

“I thoroughly enjoyed my media training with Thandi. I was impressed by the thoughtfulness that went into the materials and the attention given to the practical components. As part of Thandi's background is journalism, she was able to pose realistic questions during practice interviews and provide valuable insights from the industry. There was an emphasis on facilitating a familiarity with the process to encourage comfortability and confidence.”

Andy Kallstrom, Former Communications Specialist, Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada

“Thandi’s help has been invaluable. She has a knack for distilling a story to the essential elements, without sacrificing the character and personality that allows an audience to connect with the message. Her combination of media knowledge and storytelling skills are outstanding.”

Journalism Testimonials

Lorne Motley, former editor-in-chief of the Calgary Herald

“Thandi is a skilled multimedia journalist, who is very thorough in her work. I helped select her as the winner of the second Michelle Lang Fellowship in journalism, and she proved to be a great choice. Thandi is attentive, reliable, and pushes herself to be better.”

Wendy McLellan, former assistant city editor at The Province

“Thandi was an enthusiastic team member who tackled every story with dedication and an optimistic attitude. She could be counted on to come up with great story ideas, which is always welcome in the newsroom. Punctual, self-starting, solid writing, clean copy — Thandi was a pleasure to work with.”

John Barlow, member of the House of Commons representing the riding of Foothills

“Thandi is a talented journalist … Her writing was outstanding — her copy was clean, accurate and detailed. She did not know the community when she started … but it did not take her long to make strong contributions in terms of story ideas, multimedia projects and features. She was an exemplary member of the editorial team.”