Marie Della Mattia

On Marie Della Mattia’s first job as a campaign volunteer, she spent two days silk-screening black and orange lawn signs on a neighbour’s driveway. It was 1972, and she was hooked.

Since then, she’s had key roles in more than 50 municipal, provincial and federal elections, providing strategic counsel to 18 political party leaders and helping elect eight New Democrat premiers in Canada.

As a staffer to a member of Parliament, chief of staff to a provincial cabinet minister and communications rep at a national union, her expertise shifted from ground-game organizing to communications. But she still maintains an affection
for good voter data tools.

Marie ran a national advertising agency for seven years. There, she led award-winning advertising campaigns that enhanced clients’ brands, helped secure better contracts for workers, fought the privatization of public services, and drove public policies that made life better for people. She helped fight for – and win – victories for progressive political parties and everyday people.

In partnership with her husband, Robb Gibbs, Marie has continued to work in public service and with their own business to support progressive governments and causes in Canada – and they call it retirement.

Marie credits great mentors in her 40+ years of success in professional politics and communications, and she delights in paying it forward. Her tagline today is ‘coaching and meddling’. And she has all the time in the world to champion the success of people she believes in.

She has coached women activists, candidates, union leaders and political parties on campaigning and communications across Canada, and in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Marie has a BA in political science from Simon Fraser University.