Michael Ras joined Counsel Public Affairs in January 2022 as Senior Vice President, Government Relations, and now leads the Ontario practice. He brings his considerable experience managing advocacy campaigns to the table for Counsel’s clients across Canada who are requiring lobbying services.

Before joining Counsel Public Affairs, Michael led government relations efforts for Meridian Credit Union, one of Canada’s leading cooperative financial institutions and a leading provider of financing for residential housing development. He lobbied for new legislation to modernize the regulation of Ontario’s credit unions. His efforts led to a new regulatory regime that allows credit unions to expand into entirely new lines of business growth in the hyper-competitive financial services sector. He was involved in many of Meridian’s efforts to promote attainable housing and represented Meridian on a number of consultations regarding the housing sector.

Michael has also taken a stab at electoral politics and was unsuccessful – but close! – Conservative party candidate in the 2021 federal election in Mississauga-Lakeshore. Taking a turn on the other side of the table, as a politician, has given him a deeper appreciation of the complex pressures facing decision-makers, the challenge of building a winning electoral coalition and the inner working of Canada’s party system.

In his community, Michael serves on the Board of Radius Child & Youth Services, a children’s mental health agency, and for Career Edge, a social enterprise that provides recent graduates and new Canadians with employment opportunities through internship work placements.