Après TFS - Andrea Lekushoff '88

ANDREA LEKUSHOFF: After graduating from TFS, I attended Western University, where I studied French language and literature. Following graduation, I spent a year and a half in Paris working as a nanny. This experience allowed me to apply my French in real-world situations, and gave me the opportunity to travel throughout France, as well as to London, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. That year and a half turned out to be one of the most formative periods of my life, and it was thanks to my education at TFS that I had this opportunity.
 
Afterward, I moved to Washington, DC, where I worked in the press office at the Canadian Embassy. There, I lived in a truly global community, surrounded by people from around the world who worked at the World Bank, the IMF, and various embassies. This experience deepened my understanding of Canadian policy issues—many of which remain relevant today—along with international relations and cross-cultural communication.
 
Upon returning to Toronto, I worked in corporate communications at a PR agency before pursuing my MBA at the Ivey Business School at Western University. During my second year, I took as many courses on entrepreneurship as possible, fueling my desire to build something of my own. After completing the program, I joined Deloitte's strategy consulting practice, where I spent three incredible years. While not directly entrepreneurial, it taught me what it meant to be a consultant—a foundation for the business I would eventually start—and it felt like a natural extension of my MBA.
 
In 2004, I took the leap and founded Broad Reach Communications, with Deloitte as our first client. Over the past two decades, we’ve become known for our expertise in corporate and crisis communications, media training, as well as CEO and executive profiling. We've had the privilege of working across various sectors, serving private companies, entrepreneurs, and family businesses. We’ve also been recognized with more than a dozen national and international PR industry awards.
 
Last year, I founded CONTEXT Studios, a venture dedicated to producing high-end, feature-length documentaries that capture the lives and legacies of individuals, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and family businesses—all within a day. In the emerging field of legacy preservation, these documentaries are divided into episodes, accessible on any device through our Netflix-like streaming platform and designed for easy sharing with both current and future generations.
 
TFS: What does a typical day look like for you?

ANDREA:  As described above, I run two companies, and no two days are alike. At Broad Reach, we work closely with CEOs and C-suite executives to enhance and elevate their personal and corporate brands. On any given day, we might be briefed by a CEO about their business goals, developing an integrated communications strategy to support them, or determining the best way to position them as an industry leader on LinkedIn. At CONTEXT Studios, my work could involve shooting a documentary, reviewing a rough cut, talking to prospective clients, or managing a marketing campaign. Two major highlights of the past year were directing documentaries for the Stein family, the fourth-generation founders of Henry’s, Canada’s iconic camera store, and for Dave Leonard, capturing his career and tenure as CEO of McCarthy Tétrault. The documentary preserved his insights and those of his colleagues, providing future leaders with a valuable understanding of his impact and legacy.
 
TFS: What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?

ANDREA: Broad Reach specializes in executive profiling and has been sought after by many Canadian CEOs and C-suite leaders. Recently, we helped a YPO (Young Presidents Organization) CEO achieve her goal of securing a board position at a major utility company. By strategically leveraging her credentials, expertise, and professional narrative, we crafted a targeted LinkedIn strategy to deliver the right message to the right audience. This approach led to her being approached by the board and invited to join. Developing innovative, strategic solutions that help our clients realize their ambitions is the most rewarding aspect of my work.
 
TFS: How did your experience at TFS help you get to where you are now? Were there any specific courses, extracurricular activities, experiences, or projects you participated in at TFS that helped prepare you?

ANDREA: Without a doubt, my education at TFS played a pivotal role in shaping both my life journey and my career. Learning French as a second language opened doors to living and working in Paris and Washington, DC—experiences that would not have been possible otherwise and that have profoundly shaped who I am today. TFS sparked my curiosity to explore the world, live in different cultures, and embrace diverse perspectives. It introduced me to incredibly bright individuals, each with unique ways of thinking, and taught me how to engage with and respect differing opinions. Most importantly, it instilled in me a deep sense of gratitude for having the opportunity to receive an exceptional education. My grandmother, who grew up in Macedonia without the opportunity to attend school, or learn to read or write, instilled in our family a deep commitment to the value of education. I am deeply grateful for the chance to attend TFS and the transformative experiences it provided.
 
TFS: How has French language and bilingualism impacted your career?

ANDREA: After graduating from Western University, I had the privilege of living in Paris as a nanny, leveraging my bilingual French skills to connect deeply with the local culture. I later took on an exciting role as the press assistant at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. In this position, I collaborated with Canadian and US-based media, engaged within the diplomatic community, and observed international trade and cultural exchanges firsthand. A career highlight was going to the White House during Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s official visit to Washington. While I now use French sparingly, it continues to enhance my travels, particularly in France, where I enjoy applying and refining my language skills.
 
TFS: What skills or lessons from TFS do you find yourself applying most often in your work?

ANDREA: I developed a strong work ethic, honed my critical thinking skills, and mastered the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously—all of which ignited my passion for lifelong learning. Additionally, I studied Russian and retain key phrases, which I enjoy using for fun whenever the opportunity arises.
 
TFS: What was your most memorable experience at TFS?

ANDREA: I have four deeply memorable experiences from TFS that have stayed with me.
 
The first was my Russian class with Mrs. Alexander. It was a small class, with just five of us from the Class of 1988: me, Ted Endean, Jamie Boyden, James Diamond, and Lynne Nield. The camaraderie and laughter we shared in that class were unmatched, creating bonds that endure to this day. We still fondly reminisce about Mrs. Alexander and the time we spent together.

The second unforgettable experience was traveling to Russia in 1985. Until then, I had only been to the United States, so this trip was an eye-opening cultural immersion. We visited Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev all in one week. We went to the theatre, explored the iconic GUM department store, visited Lenin’s Mausoleum, the Red Square, the ballet, and gained a rare glimpse into daily life in 1985 Russia. During our visit, Konstantin Chernenko passed away, and we were able to witness firsthand an interesting moment in Russian history.
 
The third is that I was a member of the high school basketball team, a role I deeply cherished, and was named team MVP in grade 13—something my kids often make fun of me for, since we didn't win a game that year!
 
The fourth is my strong drive to contribute to, impact, and improve the communities that matter to me. Growing up in Etobicoke, I commuted over an hour each way to and from school, which made it challenging to participate in extracurricular activities. Although living far from the school limited my involvement in its community, it sparked a deep sense of community engagement that continues to shape me as an adult. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of serving on a number of boards, including the TFS Alumni Board of Directors, YPO Toronto, Women of Influence, BOOST Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, the Canadian American Business Council, and the board development committee at Luminato. Additionally, I launched the ELEVATE program for Women Get On Board to help empower the next generation of women corporate directors.
 
TFS: What advice would you give to current students?

ANDREA: Create experiences and adventures that challenge you and show your true potential, helping you understand what you are capable of achieving. Be spontaneous, trust your instincts, and embrace fear as a tool for growth. And remember, your career doesn’t have to follow a linear path. Some of the best decisions I made were those made in the moment and driven by intuition—choices that made my parents question my path, but ultimately were the right ones for me.
 
When I was offered a job as a nanny in Paris after university, I made the decision on the spot to take it. Within a week, I was living in the Marais district, with a family I didn’t know, and completely enchanted with my new life. It was a formative experience, introducing me to new cultures and perspectives, marking the start of a seven-year journey that also took me to Washington, DC before returning to Toronto. While I wasn’t earning much in either role, these experiences turned out to be some of the most enriching of my life.
 
TFS: What do you wish you had known while at TFS that could have better prepared you for life after graduation?

ANDREA: I often reflect on how different my path might have been if entrepreneurship had been as popular a career stream when I was starting out as it is today. My father was an entrepreneur, building a large construction company and contributing to major projects at York University, the Kortright Centre, and Canada’s Wonderland among many others. From a young age, I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but I didn’t know how to begin, and I had no female role models to emulate. However, had I done so, I likely wouldn’t have had the opportunity to live in Paris and Washington, experiences that have significantly shaped who I am today. I also wonder who I would be today if I had learned the principles of courage, self-worth, and self-confidence at a young age—back then, they simply weren't part of the conversation—as they would have been invaluable in helping me navigate so many of the important moments in my life.