About Us
Rhea Dubois-Phillips
As a highly accomplished senior executive with 30 years of international experience across multiple industries, Rhea Dubois-Phillips has a track record of building and leading strong teams, advising C-Suite, and managing integrated campaigns to promote and protect reputation, revenue and business objectives. She is a respected leader, motivator, and strategist with the ability to empower employees and transform businesses.
Rhea draws on her extensive experience living and working abroad, including 15 years working across Asia in key markets such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Jakarta, Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo, where she provided senior counsel to major blue chip companies including ING, Lehman Brothers, LG, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Phillips, the Russian Space Agency, Samsung, and Starbucks.
In her most recent professional chapter, Rhea Dubois-Phillips dedicated two decades to Edelman, the world’s largest private PR agency. Her journey unfolded across six of Edelman’s offices in Asia, culminating in her role as the accomplished General Manager of the Vancouver office. Here, she skillfully navigated a thriving business spanning diverse sectors and specialties. Rhea’s leadership was instrumental in curating a dynamic portfolio of clients, including Colliers, QuadReal, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Coast Capital Savings, eComm 911, Prospera, Westminster Savings, BC Ferries, Canfor, LNG Canada, City of Surrey, and more. Her legacy is her prowess to cultivate profitability, nurture client relationships, and build cohesive teams that transcend geographical boundaries. Rhea’s extensive experience positions her as a seasoned expert in the dynamic realm of public relations, solidifying her reputation as a collaborative industry leader.
Rhea holds a Master’s of English from the University of London, a Diploma from the University of Paris, Sorbonne, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia. In 2022, Rhea was named one of Business in Vancouver’s most influential leaders in marketing, public and media relations.
Joanna O’Neill
Joanna O’Neill is a seasoned communications strategist with over 12 years of experience advising global brands across Canada and the U.S. In her dynamic career, she has been a driving force behind national product launches and strategic communication plans, executed targeted media relations strategies, and spearheaded executive communications for some of the most prominent brands. Joanna’s expertise has consistently secured noteworthy placements in esteemed Canadian and U.S. publications.
Before joining WinterCove Communications, Joanna honed her skills at Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm. Earlier, she lived and worked in Los Angeles, where she specialized in developing and executing strategic communication plans for clients ranging from start-ups to tech giants.
Notably, Joanna played a pivotal role in the successful launch of multiple Samsung Galaxy mobile devices in the U.S., garnering substantial coverage in leading business and technology publications. She has also been instrumental in conveying the compelling narratives of Microsoft Azure’s leadership team and facilitating Meta’s announcements in the dynamic NFT space.
Joanna is academically accomplished, holding a Master of Communication Management degree from the University of Southern California, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Capilano University, and a Diploma in Marketing Management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her rich blend of experience, academic qualifications, and an impressive portfolio of achievements make her a leading expert in the field of strategic communications.
Mike Shackle
Mike Shackle has managed the strategy and creative for some of the world’s biggest brands including Standard Chartered Bank, Adidas, Dell, Singapore Airlines, Microsoft, Vaseline, and Chevron Texaco. One of the most awarded creatives in Canada, his work has been recognised at shows such as Cannes, D&AD, One Show and the Effies.
A true multi-channel communicator, Mike has lived and worked in North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, giving him a unique advantage when helping global brands connect with consumers on a local level.
He was behind the ‘Let’s GAP Together’ campaign that launched GAP into China. The work was so successful that GAP was awarded with the title of The Brand Of The Year in Asia. Mike also oversaw a $30 million brand refresh for Emirates Airlines, launching a global multi-channel campaign that encouraged the world to ‘Fly Better’. While in New York, Mike led the creative for the first online bank in the USA. As a result, Ally Bank saw growth of over 30% year on year and was nominated “America’s Least Evil Bank”. His work has been featured in the New York Times, debated in Congress and discussed in the Vatican. Mike has also designed credit cards for American Express, developed TV shows for Disney and encouraged an awful lot of people to drink very expensive whisky as the creative director of Pernod Ricard.
Mike is also a critically-acclaimed author. His fantasy series, The Last War trilogy, was published world-wide by Hachette and has been described as ‘Tarantino meets Game of Thrones’.
“At WinterCove, we are passionate about transforming ideas into compelling narratives and strategic communications plans. Our team’s unique skill set, honed through years of diverse international experiences, enables us to navigate complex challenges with precision, crafting integrated campaigns to drive efficient results for our clients.”
Rhea Dubois-Phillips, Founding Partner
Why WinterCove?
Surrounded by rugged coastline, lush forests, and the tranquil waters of the Pacific Ocean, Winter Cove on Saturna Island is a place of natural beauty and serenity, a safe harbour to weather storms and plot new destinations. For us, it provided a place to focus and be inspired and, now, it represents our mindset. We want to provide a haven where businesses can talk honestly about the challenges they face, with experts who can navigate the most challenging of markets and can help realize our clients’ ambitions.