Our Team

Troy Ross

Troy founded TRM in 2012. He provides a broad range of services including public affairs and government relations counsel, stakeholder relations, issue management, regulatory guidance, and communications advice. 

His experience is informed by 30 years in the political arena, and in the public service. In 2004 he created and lead Canada’s first national public affairs and corporate communications practice specializing in the gaming industry with a large publicly traded lobbying firm where he honed his skills as a public affairs practitioner.

Troy’s political background, regulatory experience and industry specific subject matter expertise provides clients with specialized counsel in the gaming sector, beverage alcohol, and other complex public policy and regulatory environments.

He has been at the forefront of the iGaming lobby in Canada for the past 17 years and played a pioneering role in successive iGaming milestones, beginning with the defeat of prohibitionist legislation in Ontario in 2006. Since that time, he has engaged with provincial governments across the country to educate the public sector about the benefits of regulated online markets and the successful characteristics of license and tax regimes.

Troy has been advising gaming industry stakeholders in Canada since 1995. First, as a legislative and policy advisor to the Ontario Cabinet Minister responsible for casinos, then as a policy director at the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario, and for the past 20 years as a lobbyist and regulatory advisor to gaming companies.

He was recently selected Canadian public affairs and government relations counsel of the year (2022) by Lawyer Monthly Magazine.

Larry Flynn

Larry provides consulting and advisory in all facets of the gaming and liquor sectors and on human resources, organizational transformation, operational efficiencies, training and education. He also provides advice on change management and leadership development.
Prior to his retirement in April 2015, Larry was the Senior Vice President, Gaming, of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). Larry oversaw a $3.6 billion gaming operation responsible for 24 gaming properties, 2 warehouses and more than 6,500 direct employees. He was accountable for establishing new business and fostering organizational and leadership capabilities within his management teams. Larry also played a major role in fulfilling OLG’s broader vision, and ensuring the organization delivered on its commitment to customer service excellence.

Larry joined OLG in October 2001 as Senior Vice President of Gaming Marketing responsible for creating and implementing gaming marketing strategies for OLG’s slots-at-racetracks, and charity casinos. Prior to joining OLG, Larry held several senior management roles at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) for over 26 years. Larry’s last role at LCBO was as the SVP, Merchandizing.

Aside from being declared as a “Learning Leader” by the Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD), in June 2012, Larry also received the prestigious Industry Leadership & Outstanding Contribution Award from the Canadian Gaming Association.
Larry is a Chartered Director (C. Dir.) and has also completed executive management programs at Wilfrid Laurier University, Dalhousie University, Ivey School of Business and the University of Nevada.

Patrick Tuns

Endgame Strategies principal Patrick Tuns has become a strategic partner with TRM Public Affairs.  Patrick has been working in politics and government relations for over 13 years at all levels of Canadian Government.

He has served as a political staffer at both Toronto City Hall and on Parliament Hill and served as the Executive Assistant to Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs Parm Gill as well as working for Labour and Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt.

In 2018 Patrick served as deputy campaign manager for Doug Ford’s successful Ontario PC leadership campaign and subsequently served as the deputy campaign director for the Progressive Conservative Party in the Ontario general election. Patrick returned to the Ontario PC war room in 2022, helping the party secure its second majority government. Patrick now runs Endgame Strategies as its Principal.

Patrick has experience helping dozens of companies and stakeholders meet their government relations goals with Federal, Provincial, and Municipal governments across the country. 

Ronald Ko

Recognized for his 30 years of proven expertise in the A to Z facets of strategy development, marketing, and managing business for the public and private sectors, organizations have sought Ron’s help with business modelling, strategy, and the four pillars of marketing. Over the past three decades, Ron has brought his win-win, pioneering approach to and working in marketing consulting & research, sports equipment, telecommunications, and gaming industries to improve their business value and support communities in need.

Ron was cofounder and Chief Commercial Officer of the Willowdale Group Limited, an Alderney, Bailiwick of Guernsey licensed online sports gaming company serving Southeast Asia.

Working with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) for nearly two decades, Ron was instrumental in modelling and implementing a new line of OLG business supporting over 2,800 charities and non-profit organizations across Ontario. Designing and implementing a unique model where charities and non-profit organizations, private sector operators, municipal governments, and the OLG collaborate to drive greater benefits to their communities, this innovative line of business has raised over $250 million for charities, non-profits, and communities across Ontario. In addition, Ron’s accomplishments include increasing revenues for flagship lottery brands, negotiating one of the first Gaming IT outsourcing models between a government agency and private sector company, and managing substantial annual operations and capital budgets.

A past member of the Canadian Marketing Association, Ron has served as subject matter expert and volunteer member of the CMA Education Development Committee developing essential marketing management programs for all levels of marketers. Ron holds a degree from Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada and several business and management certificates from the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto; Schulich School of Business, York University; and, Statistics & Analytics, Statistics Canada.

Julie Nolte

Over her twenty years of experience with commercial gaming site operators in the Ontario gaming industry, she has held positions of Vice President Administration and Compliance as well as numerous other senior management roles that included gaming operations, compliance and accounting.

Julie’s familiarity and experience with gaming operations and the regulatory environment in Ontario, facilitated her significant contribution to the creation of control activities and successful implementation of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) Registrar’s Standards for Gaming.

Her many accomplishments include leading through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) transition to the current conduct and manage model, AGCO Standards Implementation, RG Check Accreditation (Responsible Gambling Accreditation), implementation of an Anti-Money Laundering program, data governance, compliance to the Casino Electronic Gaming Devices and Gaming Systems Minimum Technical Standards, identifying opportunities for efficiencies and streamlining. In addition, she has participated on various committees in the province of Ontario to drive and implement change.

Julie currently sits on the Board of Directors, as Treasurer, of Smart Serve Ontario – the official delivery agent of the Responsible Beverage Service Training Program for the Ontario hospitality industry as recognized by the AGCO, as well as the Responsible Gambling Council – Prevention Board of Directors.

Keith G. Andrews

Keith Andrews has a unique blend of 30+ years of experience in both the public and private sectors. He is a seasoned gaming executive and former regulator who played a lead role in guiding the policy, legislative and regulatory processes for establishing commercial gaming in Ontario in 1993 – including the creation of the Ontario Casino Corporation and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. He also served as a senior adviser to the Deputy Minister’s Casino Selection Committee, which was mandated to oversee the procurement process for selecting Ontario’s first gaming service provider.

In 1994, Keith joined Windsor Casino Limited (WCL), a partnership of Circus Circus, Hilton Gaming, and Caesars World, as a member of the opening team for Ontario’s first commercial gaming property in Windsor, Ontario. Over the following 16 years, as a member of the Executive Committee, Keith held a number of senior corporate and operational roles with WCL, which later became Caesars Windsor.

As Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Caesars Windsor, Keith co-chaired both the WCL rebranding team that saw the iconic Caesars brand introduced in Canada and he co-chaired WCL’s operational development team, partnering with the OLG on the $400-million redevelopment of the property. He was directly involved with all aspects of program development, construction, municipal integration, and property operations.

In 2012 he became the Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited (GCEL) and led the Gateway’s procurement team through the OLG Modernization RFPs. Under his leadership, Gateway was successful in winning multiple tenders that will ultimately see 14 new gaming sites added to the Gateway portfolio and the onboarding of over 4000 employees.

While leading Gateway’s Ontario operations, the company’s footprint doubled in size nationally and EBITDA grew significantly through operational refinements, property redevelopment, and enhanced marketing initiatives.

Harvey Nightingale

Harvey is a sought-after public affairs and communications practitioner whose strategic counsel is grounded in more than 30 years of hands-on experience working with companies and associations in the technology, telecommunications, health care, education, and local government sectors.

Harvey has advised the largest IT companies in the world on successful public service procurements including; Cisco, Oracle, HP, Bell, and numerous others.

Harvey has also served as a guest lecturer at the University of Toronto, York University, the University of Ottawa, and Ryerson Polytechnic University about health care administration and interest group politics.

From 1991 to 1999 he was elected three times to the York Region District Board of Education. Harvey also served as a commissioner on both the Education and College Relations Commissions for the Province of Ontario.

Éric Lamoureux

Éric Lamoureux has been helping Canadian corporate and political leaders effectively manage complex public policy and reputational issues for more than a decade. In that time, he has been a political advisor to leading federal and municipal politicians, national associations, cultural groups, and both national and global corporations.
Based in Montréal, Éric draws on deep expertise in politics and public administration to help clients protect and promote their interests in Canada and Québec. As a specialist in issues management, regulatory affairs, stakeholder relations, and media relations, Éric has achieved many notable successes on behalf of his clients, including helping a global financial services company safeguard its market position in the face of regulatory change; mobilizing the support of a provincial government to pressure for changes to the federal Criminal Code on a client’s behalf, and encourage a major Canadian municipal government to reverse a decision to construct a public building beside a client facility.