Doug Simpson
Mgng. Dir. NetGain Partners Inc.
Doug Simpson
After years of consulting work, with project experience in the public, private, and voluntary sector, Doug Simpson understands the differences in operating modes, governance, and management style that can create conflicts between them. His participation in cross-sectoral capital projects has also made their special challenges familiar to him. NetGain’s consulting practice has focused on the non-profit partners in cross-sectoral projects. They are frequently inexperienced, under resources, and ultimately inherit the negative consequences of building deficiencies or residual debt.
From projects going back to the refurbishment of the former Hummingbird Centre in the late 90’s, through cultural infrastructure projects such as the Four Seasons Centre and the National Ballet School in the mid-2000’s, and more recently the Toronto Media Arts Cluster and the Museum of Contemporary Art, he has gained privileged insights from a variety of perspectives. Along the way he has also enjoyed a variety of planning assignments for non-cultural organizations with capital projects in the works, including Aboriginal cultural sites, a national park, a zoo, a jazz museum, small theatres, concert halls, and museums, a community college, and a field sports complex. What he has learned about the complexity of cooperation between the sectors as a project manager, a fund raiser, lobbyist, a planner, and an executive adviser, is how to make the project simpler by anticipating problems that arise between misunderstood and misaligned parties.
To understand the inner workings of the non-profit, charitable, or voluntary sector is not enough. He has led many projects for municipal and provincial government, and worked with their agencies, boards, and commissions on a number of program, planning, and policy initiatives. For example, NetGain was engaged to perform a review and restructuring of Toronto’s Economic Development and Culture Division, and subsequently TEDCO, helping to design the new agencies, Build Toronto and Invest Toronto for the City’s Chief Administrator’s office. NetGain also developed the City’s Civic Theatre plan in 2014, and is currently working to help resolve similar issues in the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. In addition he has had the pleasure of working with Jonathon Yen on a number of corporate assignments, including the launch of MedMira Laboratories as a publicly traded company, advising on and contributing to other projects and proposals as requested.
His long working relationship with JCY Law and Mediation Arbitration Chambers Inc. has provided him the benefit of his colleague’s profound knowledge of the best principles and practices of mediation, arbitration, and adjudication. This combination of legal and ADR expertise, along with Jonathon Yen’s long and varied service of commercial clients, provides the perfect complement to the non-profit and public sector perspectives that Doug Simpson brings to a cross sectoral project planning, oversight and conflict resolution.