Michael Cascone

Michael Cascone is a Senior Advisor with StrategyCorp who helps organizations use government relations and public affairs to support growth, expand into new markets, and navigate complex policy environments. He brings extensive experience at the intersection of fintech, financial services, public policy, and market development.

Michael is the Founder and Principal of northowl, an advisory practice focused on helping growth companies, industry leaders, and public sector organizations develop practical government relations, stakeholder engagement, and market access strategies. He also advises governments on designing and delivering programs and investments that support business growth and innovation.

Before founding northowl, Michael served as Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy, Americas at Xero, where he established the company’s government relations function across Canada and the United States. As a member of the North American Leadership Team, he led initiatives supporting market entry, policy engagement, and business growth. Earlier in his career, he founded the Scale-Up Institute Toronto at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, securing public and private sector support for programming that helped thousands of Ontario businesses scale and innovate.

Michael is a recognized voice on fintech, open banking, small business growth, digitization, and economic policy. His experience across the public and private sectors enables him to translate complex policy issues into practical strategies that advance business objectives.

Based in Port Perry, Ontario, Michael serves as Chair of the Township’s Economic Development Advisory Board and is passionate about supporting the success of small businesses.