SCALABLE TO YOUR NEEDS
Millard-Edward Group is a consulting firm that can tailor its services to your needs. That means our core team is the Principal, Senior Partner and Director of Stakeholder Relations, augmented by a suite of additional supports and services that are scalable as needed. For example, some clients need help in one jurisdiction only (federally or one province), while others require expertise in other provinces including Quebec, or internationally. Some clients need Government Relations advice, while others need guidance on Sales & Marketing or Business Development. We can also bring in team members to assist with communications, media, translation, and more, to meet clients' unique needs.
Justin Brown - Founder
Justin A. Brown has more than 30 years of strategic leadership experience across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, with deep expertise in External Relations, encompassing both government and stakeholder relations.
Justin has served as a political aide to three senior federal Cabinet Ministers, covering portfolios including Justice, Public Safety / Solicitor General, and International Trade, Industry, Science and Technology. Provincially, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Cabinet Ministers across several portfolios, including Solicitor General, Economic Development and Trade, Consumer and Commercial Relations, Public Safety, and as Chief of Staff to a Cabinet Chair. He is widely regarded as an expert in issues management, having played key roles in government responses to major crises such as the Ice Storm, SARS, the electricity blackout, and 9/11.
He has represented leading health research and patient-focused not-for-profits, including the Heart & Stroke Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where he led teams that raised transformational levels of funding, launched innovative and life-saving programs, and successfully advocated for lasting public policy change to improve the health of Canadians. Justin has also represented numerous innovative pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as many other reputable organizations, designing and executing effective government relations, stakeholder engagement, and policy-advocacy strategies, as well as an AI firm redesigning health policy through knowledge innovation.
Justin maintains strong, trusted relationships with public officials, regulators, industry leaders, and not-for-profit executives. He routinely represents a diverse set of clients at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels, helping organizations connect with the right decision-makers, supported by sound strategy and compelling messages.
Justin is the former CEO of the Ontario Association of Optometrists, where he was recognized for his leadership in achieving a historic OHIP agreement that significantly improved access to eye care for patients, while also growing membership to the highest level in the organization’s history. He has recently been appointed CEO and Registrar of the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO), where he is responsible for strengthening consumer protection, regulatory excellence, and public confidence in the bereavement sector.
Following his appointment to the BAO, Justin transitioned from his role as President of Millard-Edward Group to Founder. Day-to-day the firm is now led by Janet Burton, Senior Partner, who has assumed the role of President, ensuring continuity of service, senior leadership, and strategic capacity for clients across all sectors.
Justin holds a B.A. in Political Science from Carleton University. He has been active in political and public-policy circles throughout his career, is a father of three, and resides in Etobicoke, Ontario.
Janet Burton - President & PARTNER
Janet Burton is a bilingual Sales & Marketing Executive, with over 30 years of proven experience in a series of positions of progressive responsibility with recognized brands, including: CIBC, Moore Business Products, Unilever, Maple Leaf, Heinz, The Little Potato Company and more. Most recently, she successfully led brand-building, drove business and revenue growth, developed winning marketing strategies, negotiated key agreements and integrated multiple important acquisitions into larger operations.
Janet is hardworking, resourceful and respected in the industry for her professionalism and conscientious approach, known for building strong stakeholder partnerships and consistently helping companies exceed sales expectations and goals. Janet has a passion for sales and go-to-market-strategy that is unmatched. She excels at new business development, demonstrating a creative and resourceful approach and is particularly adept at recognizing opportunities others seemingly could not - a unique and inherent skill she brings to her clients when providing strategic counsel.
She has also held influential positions in trade finance and has demonstrated broad versatility and leadership in all her roles. She employs her skills, expertise and unmatched enthusiasm to help clients achieve their strategic goals.
Janet is a seasoned senior leader with many years of experience in the CPG industry. Working with her business partners in Marketing, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain and IT, she has a proven track-record of delivering excellent results. In addition, she has successfully developed and honed skills vital to results-driven management of dynamic teams, development and implementation, and the rejuvenation of business processes. Janet has had great opportunities to work in a variety of roles and this has helped in the development of strong business acumen, influencing and leadership skills and the ability to build and work across functional teams.
She attended Concordia University in her home province of Quebec and now resides in Toronto, Ontario, with her family.
Jasmine Brown - director, stakeholder relations
Jasmine Brown joined the Millard-Edward Group in 2020 as the Director of Stakeholder Relations. Over the past 20 years, Jasmine has built professional experience across a range of public, private and not-for-profit sectors, bringing perspectives on policy development and analysis, economic development, community building, and advocacy and outreach.
Jasmine has 10 years of federal experience in the public sector, including senior policy development and analysis on economic development issues, as well as Federal/Provincial/Territorial work on child poverty at Human Resources and Social Development Canada. She was also a researcher and Head of Research Dissemination at the Department of Justice Canada.
As Executive Director of a Business Improvement Area for over 5 years, Jasmine worked closely with a group of 350+ small and medium enterprises in the Ottawa area to help build relationships and advocate with all levels of government, as well as market and promote their products and services.
Reaching out, building connections and relationships, and bringing a diverse mix of people together around a common goal is something Jasmine is passionate about. In her work at the Millard-Edward Group this includes advocacy for and engaging with clients, crafting clear, concise and compelling messaging to help influence key conversations, and providing strategic advice. As Jasmine says, “I’m most useful when I’m in a position to help others succeed.”
Jasmine has a B.A. from Carleton University, and lives in Ottawa with her two children.