As Senior Counsel, Michael Ras brings over twelve years of progressively responsible leadership and experience in public affairs to TSA Toronto’s government relations, public affairs and strategic communications practice. Michael has an impressive track record across multiple sectors and government levels. In his previous roles, Michael was a Vice President with a large multi-national communications agency and was responsible for developing its business-to-government, procurement, P3 and municipal practices in the Toronto market.
Over the years, Michael has represented clients large and small including Cisco Systems, HP, Cemusa, Oracle Corporation, International Truck & Engine Corporation and AECL – among dozens of others. His efforts on behalf of International Truck garnered him a nomination from PR Week in the U.S. for public affairs campaign of the year in 2004 – a North American competition in which Michael and his team were finalists.
Michael’s political involvement includes managing operations for the Ontario leadership campaign of Jim Flaherty (2001-2), then the Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and now Canada’s Minister of Finance. He has also volunteered his time on numerous political campaigns and remains active as a volunteer and organizer for candidates at the Federal, Provincial and Municipal level.
Michael serves on the Board of the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance – a public-private partnership charged with attracting foreign direct investment to the GTA.
In his community, Michael devotes time as the Vice Chair of the Kids’ Internet Safety Alliance – a charity dedicated to ending the sexual exploitation of children on the Internet. KINSA’s mandate is to act as a bridge between the business community, law enforcement, public policy makers, parents, teachers and kids and to bring all these stakeholders together to fight against the exploitation of children on-line.
Michael is an honours graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University and is married with two beautiful daughters.