Best consultants

Charles Patterson, Account Director

Grayling

charles.patterson@grayling.com

My Job

I am an Account Director at Grayling Brussels, working across different practice areas to help clients navigate and influence EU policy.

My Experience

After working in Canadian politics during my undergrad at the University of Ottawa, I moved to Paris to work in corporate communications before pursuing further studies at Maastricht University. I moved to Brussels in 2019 to work for Dods EU Monitoring before making the jump to consulting, first at Ketchum and then Grayling since 2023.

My Specialisms

My Proudest Achievements

I took two leaps of faith within the span of three years in my mid-twenties: first to move back to Europe after building a life in Canada, and second to pursue more education which helped me find a career that matched my interests and ambitions in Brussels. I’d say both have paid off handsomely.

My Education

  • Dual-BAs in History & Political Science – University of Ottawa
  • MA European Public Affairs – Maastricht University

My Languages

English and French native-speaker, conversational Spanish, beginner-level Italian and Swedish.

My Interests outside work

Playing music, travelling, cooking.

My Favourite Brussels anecdote

Being exposed to so many people from different parts of the EU over the years, I can say “cheers” and “thank you” in 10+ languages.

Best in Brussels 2025/26 Report

Best in Brussels is the first and only independent resource for organisations wanting to identify, compare and choose the best partners in Brussels for their advocacy needs.

Top