“I came from pretty much a monoculture, so it was really eye-opening and exciting to go to a school like Concordia that is so multicultural and global.”
Beginning her public relations career, Megan Shay imagined herself working in fashion, a long-time personal passion. But as she kept her mind open and explored new interests, the latest trends she started following became more about software and hardware than casualwear and formalwear.
“I’ve had a really dynamic and unpredictable career path, which happens if you’re going to work in technology with how quickly the world moves,” she says.
“The projects that maybe didn’t seem as exciting or as sexy at first turned out to be some of the most fascinating work that I’ve done,” says the vice-president and practice lead, Technology, at National Public Relations.
What’s the excitement of technology PR?
“We’re often introducing new technology to Canadians, getting them comfortable and excited about the concepts that are going to change how we work, how we play and how we get along.”
The effect of Concordia’s diversity
“I’ll say that I came from pretty much a monoculture, so it was really eye-opening and exciting to go to a school like Concordia that is so multicultural and global. It taught me that in order to do good work, I think you have to be open-minded, be open to hearing from others and different perspectives.”
Emerging trends in public relations
“Whether you're a technology company or something else, diversity and inclusion are important right now, as is really paying attention to environmental footprints and sustainability. We’re going to continue to see communications leaders push these trends and start to set these organizations in the right direction.”
A worthy cause
“Sitting on the advisory council for Tech4SickKids is something I’m really passionate about. Toronto’s tech community came together with the challenge to raise $25 million to bring new technology to The Hospital for Sick Children. It’s an aggressive goal, but we’re a group of very motivated thinkers and doers, so we’re figuring out how we can raise that money.”