Denis (C) cutting the ceremonial cake during his felicitation ceremony

Canadian diplomat signs off his mission on a high note; Denis helped increase business visibility

A diligent and approachable person.

That’s how many in the diplomatic circles described Denis Thibault.

Denis served as Canadian ambassador to the Persian Gulf. His ability to successfully showcase Canadian businesses in the Gulf, and resolve issues facing local Canadian community saw him ending his tenure on a high note.

I first met Denis at an event hosted by the Canadian Business Council. What impressed me about Denis was his knack in dealing with the press, besides providing excellent cooperation to journalists whenever needed.

This made him popular among the journalist fraternity, and reporters preferred to get the sound bytes directly from him rather than the communications specialists. He offered level playing field to all the newspapers---both English and Arabic. 

Denis didn’t dilly dally on media issues that needed immediate redressal. Whenever he promised something, he delivered on it. He encouraged members of the visiting trade delegations to engage with the press. Denis even went around at embassy events to ensure that journalists had enough material.

 Journalists often talked about his simplicity, and drew a parallel to some of the snooty and swollen headed diplomats. Diplomats of certain embassies were like obnoxious weeds. Such was their decorum that it was glaringly obvious that they were political appointees.

Denis stresses a point during an interview with this writer in a file photo.

The diplomat’s tenure at the embassy saw an increase in visibility of Canadian events in the media, and this sharply reflected in his strong media relations skills.

I also observed that the number of visiting delegations increased, particularly in the oil and petrochemical sector. This was largely due to the strenuous efforts of Denis given the significance of the sector. Denis was always at hand be it the trade show, press conference or other events.

He was also well thought of by the Canadian delegations that visited the Gulf. Members of many delegations were often impressed with his strong local contacts that bode well for them.

 “Thibault is a real blessing for the Canadian business community in the Gulf,” a representative of the Alberta oil delegation once told me. He was all praise for Denis for the meetings, and the networking events that the ambassador organized for the delegation.

Denis was instrumental in taking the initiative in restarting the Terry Fox run that was dormant for a few years.  Denis aggressively promoted the Terry Fox event and made it a resounding success. He also exerted a lot of efforts to promote Canada as top educational destination. I personally saw him interacting with students at educational expos, and walking them through various programs.

During the felicitation ceremony at the end of his tenure, the embassy staff, and the Canadian Business Council paid glowing tributes to him, in recognition of his hard work and dedication to the embassy.

Wherever Denis takes his next charge, I am positive he is bound to succeed because of his industrious nature.