Gordon Hardwick appointed President of PlaceSpeak

PlaceSpeak Inc., a leading global provider of online public engagement software-as-a-service, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gordon Hardwick as the organization’s next President. Hardwick brings to the position a wealth of knowledge and an array of experiences in the community engagement space on a local, regional, provincial and national level. He assumed this new position on January 1, 2020.

As an early friends-and-family investor, Hardwick was convinced that with the right technology development PlaceSpeak could be a game changer in the world of place-based citizen engagement. He subsequently joined PlaceSpeak in January 2016 as Business Development Executive. Over the last three years, he has worked closely with clients at all levels of government, as well as private sector, non-profit and community organizations.

Hardwick has over 25 years of experience in public and stakeholder engagement. After studying geography and political science in college, Gordon went on to work as a location manager in the film and television industry until being hired by the provincial government in 1999 to coordinate the development of a community engagement strategy at the BC Film Commission. As Manager of Community Affairs 1999 – 2013, he led the effort to develop supportive production guidelines and policies at the local, regional, provincial and federal government levels. 

Hardwick has a keen interest in technology solutions that assist in better communication and engagement. He was lead in the development of the BC Film Commission’s websites and location image asset and production related CRM database. When the BC Film Commission was transformed into Creative BC in 2013, Gordon led in the development of the new brand, website, a new solution for location image assets and production issue management.

PlaceSpeak Founder, Colleen Hardwick says, “PlaceSpeak is a homage to our father, the late urban geographer, Dr. Walter G. Hardwick. It is fitting that Gordon assumes the leadership role of President. Since my election to Vancouver City Council, Gordon has taken the reigns at PlaceSpeak and this new role reflects his growing leadership role going forward”. 

Says Gordon Hardwick, “In the last 3 years I have seen the increased need for better ways for communities to engage online. Community leaders and government officials have told me that authenticity, privacy protection and real feedback data are priorities. Online engagement through social media is challenged by fake personas and fake news; and people want alternative ways to be informed and contribute. PlaceSpeak focuses on building trust and rebuilding a culture of participation online, and I am honoured to be a part in making engagement real and relevant in communities.”

PlaceSpeak is an award-winning, location-based public and stakeholder engagement platform designed to consult online with people within specific geographic boundaries. PlaceSpeak’s industry-leading approach to the authentication of participants has helped public and private sector organizations gather high-quality, defensible feedback to support better decision-making.   Under Hardwick’s leadership, PlaceSpeak will continue to grow and develop its civic network, establishing it as the top-of-mind solution for authentic and reliable public and stakeholder engagement. www.placespeak.com

Contact information Gordon Hardwick, 604-336-6977