Charlene Chiang
CHARLENE CHIANG is the Vice President of Engagement at Ocean Wise. She is a strategic communicator with 20 years of progressive experience leveraging marketing, digital communications and public relations to position, enhance and protect organizational brands. She has earned 7 provincial and national awards for excellence in communications and is an avid participant with the International Association of Business Communicators.
From crisis management to enterprise-wide transformations, Charlene specializes in stakeholder engagement with a focus on shifting attitudes and aligning behaviours. Applying best practices in thought leadership and communications technology, Charlene has led the development and execution of strategic communications programs for some of Canada’s leading businesses and not-for-profit organizations, including McDonald’s Canada, Vancouver Coastal Health, City of Victoria, City of New Westminster and Coast Capital Savings. Since joining Ocean Wise in 2010, Charlene has led innovative media and digital campaigns that have elevated the brand as a storyteller by increasing national and international media impressions by 900 per cent and garnering extensive digital connections to drive attention to ocean conservation.
As Vice-President of Engagement, Charlene oversees a dynamic team of marketing, communications and digital content practice leaders, all working towards connecting 100 million people annually to ocean conservation. This aggressive goal aims to heighten awareness on ocean issues, engage people to care about their role, and inspire more action to protect aquatic life.
3 words to describe Nature?
Inspiring. Majestic. Life.
3 things Nature taught you?
Peace
Connectivity
Importance of diversity
3 most treasured Nature spots?
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Joy
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Alive and part of a larger universe
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Amazed
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Comfort
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Engaged
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Intrigued
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
One of my fondest memories as a child was when my parents would bring my brother and I to Harrison Hot Springs every year for a large family beach BBQ. We would spend the full day exploring the hot springs, rolling in the grass, and playing in the water until the sun would set. It was invigorating, exhausting and one of my favourite moments growing up. It taught me the importance of family, nature and the connection we all share.
