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Geoff Owen - Principal
Solving tricky problems is what excites Geoff about his work. Relying on more than two decades of public policy and business experience, he helps organizations assess risk and weigh options so they can make decisions with confidence.
Geoff was a senior vice president at one of Canada’s largest public affairs consulting firms, where he led two separate teams of senior consultants. He’s also a former vice president of a leading public affairs and management consulting firm.
Before becoming a consultant in 2011, he spent 10 years working for global financial institutions including RBC, the Canadian Bankers Association and ABN Amro Bank NV (London, UK). Serving in senior policy roles for two Ontario Premiers and two Cabinet Ministers gives him deep insight about the dynamics of government decision making.
This extensive experience led him to co-found Foresight, where he’s counselled over 40 clients from various states of “wow, this is a really hard problem” to “phew, I feel confident about where we’re going…even if there are no sure things”. He’s helped: a non-profit health care organization define a strategic path while facing challenges in Ontario’s mental health system, an association restructure their revenue model to better serve their members, and a private equity firm assess the policy risks of a significant business acquisition.
While others shy away from complex challenges and the difficult client discussions that come with them, Geoff is ‘“comfortable being uncomfortable”. This is also evident when he’s courtside coaching his son’s competitive basketball team (he’s never played the sport; can barely dribble a ball).
When he’s not coaching or working, Geoff enjoys time with his wife, daughter, son and yellow lab Duke watching Michael Schur comedies (Parks & Rec is a family favourite) and indulging in fried chicken. Vacations are always spent near a body of water, be it in Muskoka, or Italy.
Geoff holds a BA (Hons.) in Political Studies from Queen’s University and an MSc (International Political Economy) from the London School of Economics.
Martin Green - Principal
Martin helps clients manage the risks and identify the opportunities that arise in politically-sensitive matters using expertise acquired from 20 years of work in Canada, the United States and abroad. Being keenly aware that the future is impossible to predict, his satisfaction lies in ensuring that all courses of action are evaluated and clients arrive at a positive, realistic outcome.
His skills have been honed working as a strategic advisor for large Canadian enterprises, Fortune Global 500 companies, and non-profits. Martin’s government experience includes six years as a senior political, policy, and communications advisor in the U.S. Congress. He has also worked in the Ontario Finance Minister’s Office and the Opposition Leader’s Office.
At Foresight, Martin has helped: protect the interests of a Fortune 500 company facing government changes to taxation and licensing regulations; establish a strategic plan for a new institute at a leading Canadian university; restructure the communications function of a healthcare organization; and assess the political risks faced by a Canadian mining company expanding in South America.
Prior to co-founding Foresight, Martin was vice president and practice group head at a leading Canadian public affairs firm and management consultancy. He also led the policy division of a Washington, D.C.-based government affairs firm focused on health care and defence matters.
Martin’s propensity for acquiring knowledge and deepening his understanding of comparative politics is echoed in his personal life: he’s read nearly 40 books about North Korea and Saudi Arabia. He enjoys a hard-fought squash match, crafting the perfect cocktail (currently, Rositas), and is surprised by how quickly his 11-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son have learned to make wise bets during family poker nights. Holidays with his wife and children are usually spent close to the water, whether that’s in Maui, Florida or lakeside in Ontario.
Martin is an alumnus of Duke University, as well as a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Ontario Volunteer Service Award. He was appointed an Honorary Aide-de-Camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in 1997.
He serves on the boards of Heritage Toronto and Project Work, a Toronto-based charity dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities find and retain work.
Kevin McCarthy - Senior Advisor
Kevin has nearly 20 years of public policy and financial sector experience. He’s helped implement policy at both the federal and provincial levels of government, and counselled businesses on the management of policy and political risk.
With the Foresight team, Kevin enjoys helping clients navigate the complexities of governments’ fiscal policies so they can make better decisions, reach their goals and grow their business. His deep interest in process improvement has translated to improved efficiency both personally and for the team.
Prior to joining Foresight, Kevin worked at one of Canada’s largest banks in different roles, including leading its government affairs team, as well as in investor relations and commercial banking.
Before joining the private sector, Kevin worked for more than 10 years in government, serving as an advisor to an Ontario Premier and to both a provincial and federal Finance Minister. For eight of those years, he served as the Director of Policy and Chief of Staff to Canada’s Finance Minister. Kevin played a central role in all significant financial challenges the Government of Canada managed from 2006 to 2013, including the financial crisis of 2008-2009 and the design and implementation of eight federal budgets. He also served as a senior advisor to Canada’s Prime Minister and Finance Minister in countless international forums, including the G20, G7 and APEC, focused on global trade and financial challenges.
While acquiring this wealth of experience, he also managed to split his time between hockey rinks and dance studios, where his son and two daughters train competitively. His family, including his wife Leanna and their yellow lab, Charlie, enjoy time each summer at Joy Bible Camp in Bancroft. Though a sound decision-maker in all other aspects, Kevin is admittedly a proud Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
In addition to his work with Foresight, Kevin is the Head, Corporations and Institutions, at Enriched Academy, a company that provides financial education through online courses and live events.
Kevin has a BA (Hons.) from Queen’s University and received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for his work in public policy related to the creation of the Tax-Free Savings Account.