About John
John Friesen is an award-winning strategic communications and media relations leader with 20 years of experience driving organizational reputation and growth across the energy, government, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Renowned for developing integrated communications strategies, John excels at strengthening brand affinity, managing crises with precision, and shaping public perception to advance organizational objectives.
As a senior leader at Alectra Utilities, Canada’s largest municipally-owned electric utility, John directs a high-performing communications team serving over one million customers in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). In this role, he leads all public-facing communications during outages, severe weather events, and crises, while managing corporate digital channels, advertising, publications, and analytics. He also serves as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team, including the CEO and Board of Directors.
John is known for his collaborative leadership style and his ability to build consensus and lead through influence, guiding both public and private sector organizations through periods of significant transformation.
An active member of the professional community, he has served as President of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Waterloo Chapter and is a frequent guest lecturer for Niagara College’s Post-graduate Public Relations program.
John’s work has been widely recognized, including multiple IABC Gold Quill Awards—one earning the prestigious “Best of the Best”—an IABC Silver Leaf Award of Excellence, a CPRS Pinnacle Gold Award, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for community leadership.
Dedicated to continuous learning, John is pursuing further studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, complementing credentials in Public Relations and Communications (University of Winnipeg, Duke University), Digital Marketing (University of Toronto – Rotman), Strategic Management (McMaster University – DeGroote), and Digital Literacy & Emerging Technologies (Wilfrid Laurier University).
Notable Accolades & Awards
