Mark Entwistle is currently Senior Associate with Prospectus Associates, the Canadian affiliate of Golin/Harris International, where he has a practice in international trade and strategic communications. Mr. Entwistle served for sixteen years from 1981-1997 as a diplomat in the Canadian Foreign Service, including assignments at Canadian embassies in Tel Aviv, Israel (1982-1985) and Moscow, in the former USSR (1986-1989). He was responsible for political analysis and bilateral relations. From 1993 to 1997, Mr. Entwistle served as Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Cuba for four years. He guided all elements of the historically important and delicate relationship with Fidel Castro's Cuba under the vigilant eye of the United States, including political, commercial and security relations. He was the architect of a dynamic trade development strategy. Canada's trade with Cuba increased markedly, doubling year-over-year for two years in a row and, during his tenure, Canada became Cuba's largest trade and investment partner. Mr. Entwistle is a Member of the Board of Directors of YM Biosciences Inc. and the Coral Capital Group. He is the recipient of the prestigious Saul Hayes Award for Human Rights of the Canadian Jewish Congress for his work in supporting the Cuban Jewish community. In 1990, Mr. Entwistle worked as Departmental Assistant for Parliamentary Affairs to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, where he was responsible for the relations between the Minister and all institutions of Parliament.
In 1989, Mr. Entwistle was named Media Spokesperson for the Department of External Affairs. In 1991, he was seconded to the Prime Minister's Office as Deputy Press Secretary. Months later, he was appointed by the Prime Minister of Canada to serve as his Press Secretary and director of communications. Mr. Entwistle also served as Director of Communications and senior media advisor to the Right Honourable Joe Clark, former Prime Minister and Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1999-2000. He is also a Director of the Canadian Urban Institute, a Toronto- based public policy think-tank that seeks to improve understanding of urban issues and policy-making and management in Canadian cities. Mr. Entwistle obtained his B.A. from the University of Ottawa in 1979 and his Masters degree in History from the University of Toronto in 1980. He speaks four languages: English, French and Spanish fluently, as well as working Russian.