Highlighting Ellie Gun, RAC’s Communication Specialist
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Before coming to Canada, the railway industry wasn’t something Ellie Gun knew a lot about. But that changed pretty quickly once she saw how vital trains are to Canada, and the rich history behind them.
“Growing up in Turkey, trains were not something I was familiar with. So, when I moved to Canada, seeing how railways are so intertwined with Canadians’ lives was astonishing. I was amazed by how Canadian railways are embedded in the nation’s history.”
Ellie realized how important it is to educate younger generations on all that the railway industry does. She found that not a lot of her friends knew all that trains do for them. It began to be important to Ellie to help people understand where trains come from, how they contribute to the economy, their role in connecting people and businesses, and their commitment to sustainability.
She helps spread the word through her role as Communications Specialist at RAC, where her primary focus is to inform and promote the brand, people, mission, and service of the railway industry.
Even though Ellie was new to the world of trains herself, she created the opportunity to enter into this world herself. She recalls the Dale Carnegie quote, “The man who goes the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.”
“I always have this drive to keep challenging myself to learn more. One of my favourite sayings is, “To be interesting, be interested,” and that is one of the reasons why I chose to work in the rail industry.”
Ellie’s partner in crime is social media. She uses different platforms to help increase brand awareness and make RAC the go-to source of information for their audience. One thing Ellie does best of all with social media is humanize the brand and industry itself.
“By introducing our audiences to the people who make up our association and showcasing exiting news, improvements and collaborations of our members and the RAC team, we strive to create that human connection.”
One project that Ellie believes will drive advocacy and connection is The Youth in Rail initiative. It’s an opportunity to explore and introduce the significant role that rail plays for young people across Canada.
After coming to Canada and seeing how little people her age knew about railways, Ellie sees this initiative as a way to reach out to young people and change that.
“Young people who are interested in engineering, operations, marketing, or communications can find challenging and fulfilling roles in the rail industry.”
With lots of advocacy to keep her busy, Ellie looks forward to the opportunity to learn and grow more.
“I find the rail industry an exciting place to be in, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”
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