Private strategic investment will allow for further growth at Sussex Strategy, says Lovell; Pendulum and Summa expand consultant rosters
Fengate Private Equity has made an investment in Sussex Strategy Group, which “will allow Sussex to support our next stage of growth across Canada,” said Dan Lovell, director at the firm’s federal government relations practice.
“It’s important for us to look at other markets…whether that’s going west, whether that’s a deeper presence in Quebec, or just growing other potential capabilities within the firm,” said Lovell in a Jan. 26 phone interview with the Lobby Monitor.
Lovell told The Lobby Monitor that Fengate’s investment will allow Sussex to enhance the firm’s advisory capabilities.
“First and foremost, it will allow us to further invest in people growth, expand platforms and technology,” he said. “The technology space itself, there’s so many new areas of growth, and we have to make sure we’re competitive.”
The firm is looking to expand its capabilities to serve a growing demand in consulting services as the federal and provincial governments “move at a pace that we haven’t seen them move in a very long time.”
Lovell noted that this is in part spurred on by the ongoing tensions placed on Canada by the United States which has led to increased calls to remove interprovincial trade barriers and focus on growing the Canadian economy.
“Clients want to understand better how those governments are moving and based on the pace at which everything is moving, they want to have a firm that is keeping up with that pace,” he said.
Although Sussex has not announced any plans to open new locations at this moment, the firm will be focusing on expanding its consulting rosters across existing offices. Lovell noted that having offices across the country provides you with the ability to interact with stakeholders and better understand the situation on the ground.
“It gives you on-the-ground support, but it also gives you on-the-ground information,” he said. “In our business, information is key, such as understanding trends and where the market is going, but also to understand what is happening in real time, whether it’s Fredericton, Quebec City, Victoria, or Edmonton. It’s important to understand what’s happening on the ground, and the best way to do that is to have boots there.”
A Jan. 21 press release announcing the investment noted that “Sussex will continue to operate under its existing leadership team, with no changes to its brand or day to day client service.”
New hires at Pendulum and Summa
Pendulum Group has welcomed
Cam McAlpine and Keith Sheppard to its ranks to help strengthen the firm’s presence in Western Canada and Toronto.
McAlpine is joining the firm’s strategic advisory practice as a principal, according to Pendulum’s Jan. 19 LinkedIn post. He is currently based out of Kelowna, B.C.
He joined Pendulum following seven years at Earnscliffe Strategies where he also held the position of principal from September 2018 to September 2025.
Prior to Earnscliffe, McAlpine founded his own public relations firm, PR Media Strategic Communications, which he led for 14 years between 2004 and 2018.
Sheppard, who is working for the firm out of Toronto, is joining as a senior consultant, according to a Jan. 26 LinkedIn post.
He was the business development and client relations lead for Toronto at Saskatchewan-based Paskwâw Strategies. He held the role from May 2024 to December 2025.
Sheppard also spent a year as a consultant at Blackbird Strategies between March 2023 and March 2024. Prior to that, he was the internal communications manager for the Conservative Party of Canada. A role he held from August 2022 to March 2023.
Michael Ingoldsby has joined Summa Strategies as a senior consultant, according to the firm’s Jan. 27 LinkedIn post. He is also the president of Lancaster Research and Strategies, roles he has held since October 2025.
Before that Ingoldsby worked at the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation as a director of corporate strategy between January 2024 and September 2025. He joined the corporation as manager of corporate strategy in April 2021.
Ingoldsby also worked as a policy adviser in the Prime Minister’s Office between January 2020 and April 2021.
