Top-Notch Consulting was founded by Hershel Recht, a Toronto born International Relations and Governmental Relations specialist. Hershel Recht holds both an Honours Bachelor and Masters degree from York University in Political Science and International Relations, respectively. He is also a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School’s Certificate of Mediation and separately its LL.M program in Alternative Dispute Resolution and International Conflict Resolution, cum laude. Hershel’s main research focused on the effects of Second Track Diplomacy on the Middle East Peace Process and Chinese-Israel-Middle Eastern approaches to political negotiation. Hershel is the 2009 Rotary Club of Canada Award Winner in International Conflict Studies and was asked to attend and teach at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.
During his academic studies, he interned at various organizations, foundations and political institutions dedicated to holding negotiations between various political and ethnic groups. Since its inception in 2005, Hershel worked in an array of capacities at the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, including as a registered lobbyist who regularly met with Senior government officials. He has been active on electoral campaigns since 1997 and during the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Federal, Provincial and Municipal Elections, Hershel helped recruit over 1100 volunteers and donors to work and fund hundreds of campaigns for all major political parties. After the 2008 Federal Election, Hershel was asked by the Honourable Peter Kent, P.C., M.P and former Minister of State (Americas) and the Environment to become his Senior Advisor and Operations Director for the Federal Riding of Thornhill. After nearly a year and a half with Minster Kent, Hershel left to pursue other interests including the founding of Top-Notch Consulting.
After over eight years as the Associate Director of Fundraising and Development at the Technion Canada, Hershel has gone on to pursue new endeavors.
He is the first ever Central Regional Director and Director of Major Gifts of Canadian Magen David Adom, Israel’s Red Cross.
In November 2014 and January 2015 respectively, Hershel was a finalist and then again nominated for an Ontario Notable Award in Non-Profits. The Ontario Notable Awards recognize the best and brightest young professionals all across Ontario; those who are dedicated to their profession, inspiring and leading others, while also giving back to the community.
