Our Team
Profile
Martina Valkovicova
Executive Director
Martina leads Professional Growth at the UBC Sauder School of Business, a unit dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to grow through every stage of their professional journey. Her philosophy is grounded in Alvin Toffler’s insight that “the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
With over 25 years of international experience across business, education, and public sector, Martina has built her career around helping people and organizations adapt and evolve. Before leading Professional Growth, she spent nearly a decade as Assistant Dean of the Hari B. Varshney Business Career Centre at UBC Sauder. A lifelong learner herself, Martina holds an MBA from UBC, master’s degree in Economics, speaks multiple languages, and is passionate about creating learning experiences and connections that are practical, transformative, and deeply human.
Shannon Thompson
Senior Director, Professional Programs
Shannon is the Senior Director, Professional Programs with UBC Sauder Professional Growth, where she leads program innovation and market expansion, building strategic partnerships and ensuring professional programs remain applied, future-focused, and industry-responsive. Previously, she worked as a marketing and branding consultant with the Business Development Bank of Canada, taught marketing at Langara College and BCIT, and held senior roles with the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC. A passionate lifelong learner, Shannon holds an MBA, the CPA designation, and is pursuing the UBC Sauder Advanced Certificate in Behavioural Insights.
Rupeela Gill
Senior Director, Partnerships
Rupeela is the Senior Director, Partnerships with UBC Sauder Professional Growth, focusing on building strategic partnerships and developing custom programs that align with organizational goals. Her work centers on fostering collaboration and creating innovative initiatives that empower organizations and individuals to thrive. Rupeela is driven by a commitment to lifelong learning and building meaningful connections that spark growth. Previously, Rupeela led fundraising and engagement initiatives at UBC Sauder, shaping donor experiences and advancing a culture of philanthropy. Her portfolio included operations, donor engagement, community giving, communications strategy, and high-profile campaigns. A passionate connector and advocate for professional development, Rupeela is committed to creating opportunities that bring people and ideas together. She is a proud UBC alum and believes in the power of partnerships to drive lasting impact.
Mike Lakusiak
Associate Director, Learner Experience Strategy
Mike Lakusiak is the Associate Director, Learner Experience Strategy. He leads all digital projects and programming including learning experience design, our live virtual offerings and supervising all the work that comes out of our media production studio in downtown Vancouver. Mike began his career in journalism and worked in the educational technology space as a solutions engineer for a large eLearning software firm. Before joining the Professional Growth team, he was the Technical Producer for the UBC Graduate School of Journalism. Mike completed his Master of Journalism at UBC, where he focused on documentary and immersive video production.
Alberto Dussan Ruiz
Manager, Operations and Business Intelligence
Alberto brings over 24 years of experience working in leading consumer goods, retail, services, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries. His expertise includes Data Analytics, financial planning, controlling, supply chain, and sales support, and he has also overseen procurement, logistics, IT, and legal functions in smaller organizations. He holds a Master of Business Analytics from UBC Sauder, a Postgraduate specialization in Finance, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.
Ram Sidhu
Director, Business Development
Ram is the Director of Business Development for UBC Sauder Professional Growth. He builds key client relationships and business partnerships, helping organizations to align their goals and objectives with impactful learning solutions. Ram brings over 10 years of sales and business development experience in both public and private sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management.
Imogene Huxham
Account Manager
Imogene contributes to program management work flow processes for UBC Sauder Professional Growth. She is responsible for coordinating all aspects of program delivery, starting with a smooth transition from business development to continuous client satisfaction monitoring and client engagement improvement. She also works with faculty members to ensure that client needs are materialized. Imogene has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from Simon Fraser University. She has been with the UBC Sauder for twelve years, and previously worked as a Human Resources training coordinator at UBC Plant Operations for eight years.
Karen Carotenuto
Account Manager
Karen is a seasoned manager with a 25-year career spanning diverse roles in program and project delivery. Currently oversees a portfolio of programs within UBC Sauder Professional Growth, managing all aspects of delivery including planning, execution, stakeholder coordination, and performance tracking. Committed to client satisfaction through consistent communication, accountability, and results-driven execution. Leverages skills gained from Certificates in Project Management and Agile Leadership to lead with efficiency, adaptability, and a focus on continuous improvement.
Jasmin Lee
Account Manager
Jasmin is an Account Manager responsible for leading the Project Management portfolio of programs that serve both individual learners and organizations. She specializes in client relationship management, business development, and program delivery, working closely with internal teams and external partners to design and implement learning solutions that meet strategic goals. Passionate about supporting learner success, she is dedicated to providing impactful training opportunities that empower individuals to thrive, succeed, and advance their careers. Jasmin holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Information Systems from the University of Kansas, and a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design from the University of Illinois.
Mandy Hu
Account Manager
Mandy is the Program Manager for UBC Sauder Professional Growth, managing existing organizational accounts and engaging with prospective clients. She works directly with organizations, faculty, and participants to ensure a smooth program delivery and positive interaction amongst all members and key stakeholders. As an avid learner and strong believer of continuous learning, Mandy collaborates in ways that support the goals of creating sustainable learning solutions and driving impact on new and existing learning partnerships. She holds a Bachelor of Science from UBC with a major in Biology and a minor in Commerce as well as a Certified Associate in Project Management Designation from the Project Management Institute.
Evan Lloyd
Client Development Specialist
Evan Lloyd is the Client Development Specialist at UBC Sauder Professional Growth, where he cultivates client and business relationships to foster professional growth. Previously, he spent four years as an Assistant Program Leader. With a background in program leadership, international communication consulting, and English language training, Evan offers a global perspective to his role. He holds an Advanced Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of Regina.
Yuri Imai
Program Specialist
Yuri is a Program Specialist with UBC Sauder Professional Growth, where she supports students throughout their learning journey, ensuring a positive student experience, operational excellence, and an effective engagement. She also oversees professional programs such as Test Prep courses and Data and Marketing Analytics. Prior to joining UBC, Yuri worked in HR within the global automotive industry and as a program coordinator for international exchange programs. Yuri holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Literature, and a Project Management certificate.
Kunwar Raina
Program Specialist
Kunwar is a Program Specialist with UBC Sauder Professional Growth, where he oversees the planning, development, and delivery of professional programs like Change Management and Behavioural Insights. Prior to UBC, Kunwar was working with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India as a Senior Administrative Executive. Kunwar holds an MBA and certificates in Strategy Execution and Project Management. He is also an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion ambassador at UBC Sauder and was recognized with the 2023 Rising Star Award. Outside of work, Kunwar played professional Cricket over 10 years representing his state/province in various national championships.
Elsie Liu
Program Specialist
Elsie is the Program Specialist for UBC Sauder Professional Growth. Her role is central to supporting the effective design, delivery, and quality control of world-class custom programs to Canadian leading organizations such as TransLink, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, BCAA, and WorkSafe BC. She has been with the team for a decade and previously liaised with faculties and associates to deliver many Open Enrolment programs. Elsie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics with Business Option and a minor in Psychology from University of Victoria, as well as a Professional Project Management Certificate from UBC Sauder Professional Growth. She brings to the team extensive financial and customer service experience as an Assistant Investment Advisor at TD Wealth, one of the Big Five banks of Canada.
Vicky Ho
Program Specialist
Vicky (she/her) is the Senior Program Coordinator for UBC Sauder Professional Growth. She holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Windsor and has over 15 years of purchasing, administrative and customer service experience. In her role, she is responsible for delivering custom and open enrollment programs, including overseeing the admissions process for incoming students (in collaboration with the RHL MBA program office). She interacts with faculty and instructors, current and potential students, facilities staff at the UBC Point Grey and Robson campuses and external suppliers. Her duties include planning and scheduling student events, such as orientation and presentation days during the program and for graduation.
Sandeep Singh
Program Coordinator
Sandeep is the Program Coordinator for Open Enrollment and Custom programs. He is responsible for arranging program logistics, communicating with clients and liaising with faculty for both in person and online programming. Sandeep has an academic background in Computer Science from Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Shreya Tripathi
Program Coodinator
Shreya is the Program Coordinator for Open Enrollment and Custom Programs at UBC Sauder Professional Growth. She is responsible for coordinating the logistics and the day-to-day operations of in-person and virtual programs. She liaises with the faculty and clients to ensure seamless program delivery. Shreya holds a Master of Management degree from Sauder School of Business. She has previous experience in IT Project Coordination.
Katie Harrington
Marketing and Sales Specialist
Katie is the Marketing and Sales Specialist for UBC Sauder Professional Growth, where she plays a key role in the development and implementation of marketing, communications, and outreach strategies across both open enrollment and custom programs. As Marketing and Sales Specialist, Katie provides effective oversight on the execution of marketing and communication activities and is the unit’s primary point of contact with UBC Sauder’s Marketing and Communications department. Before joining UBC Sauder, Katie spent three years in Marketing and Public Relations roles in Ireland. Katie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Irish and Journalism from Dublin City University in 2021.
Aoife O'Reilly
Executive Assistant
Aoife O’Reilly is Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Martina Valkovicova, where she provides administrative and reception support. Aoife is also the first point of contact for clients and partners. Before joining UBC Sauder, Aoife worked in operations for a restaurant group called Michael’s in Dublin, Ireland. Aoife graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Practice from the National College of Ireland in 2022.
Ryan Sherrington
Systems Administrator
Ryan is a Systems Administrator with UBC Sauder Professional Growth. Ryan has expertise in full-stack development and significant experience in the public and private sectors. He has demonstrated success in transforming ideas into innovative solutions, with achievements in streamlining processes, improving efficiency, and enhancing user engagement.
Priya Chacko
Studio Coordinator
Priya is a Studio Coordinator for UBC Professional Growth. In her role, she operates a media production studio in downtown Vancouver, which serves as the central hub for all of digital content creation. Priya produces broadcasts of virtual programs and helps facilitate a seamless classroom environment for faculty and participants. She also produces high-quality promotional and teaching videos. She previously assisted with media production at UBC Sauder, helping meet the rising demand for virtual support during the pandemic. Priya holds a Bachelor of Media Studies from UBC.
Hiromu Otsuka
Studio Coordinator
Hiromu is the Studio Coordinator at UBC Sauder Professional Growth, responsible for coordinating live virtual programs offered through our media production studio at Robson Square. Specializing in video production, he has a Bachelor's Degree in Media Studies from UBC.
Our Faculty
Profile
Perry Atwal
Perry is a faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business. He teaches courses on service management, employment relationships, organizational behaviour, strategy and marketing. He has led successful projects involving extremely diverse participants, and has forged effective relationships between business and government professionals at many levels. Previously he worked in Investment Banking in London, New York and Hong Kong.
Dr. Jonathan Berkowitz
Jonathan is a faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business. Recognized as an outstanding and inspiring teacher, he is also a consulting statistician in a wide range of research areas. Puzzles are an integral part of his life as well. He is a member of the National Puzzlers’ League and is the Word Guy on CBC Radio’s North by Northwest. His expertise in both numbers and words give him unique insights into lateral thinking and full-brain decision making.
Dr. Justin Bull
Justin is a faculty member at the Sauder School of Business, where he leads the Sustainability and Ethics Group. An experienced educator and consultant, his clients have included Adobe, IKEA, Canfor, WWF and Rolling Stone Magazine. He is also a board member with the economic development arm of the Tla’amin Nation, where he assists a modern Treaty Nation with their development strategy.
Andrew Chen
Andrew is an Adjunct faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business who specializes in improvisation for leaders and business communications. He is a Canadian Comedy Award Nominated performer and has worked in improvisation since 2003. He has been affiliated with various improv organizations such as the Canadian Improv Games, UBC Improv and Instant Theatre, and has offered improv programs in a professional development context.
Dr. Darren Dahl
Darren is the Dean of the UBC Sauder School of Business and the RBC Financial Group Professor of Entrepreneurship. He’s globally recognized for his work in strategic marketing, entrepreneurship, creativity and social influence. Dahl is an award-winning academic who is a past recipient of the Killam Research Prize and the 3M Teaching Fellowship, and in 2015 he was ranked as the #1 professor worldwide for marketing research by the American Marketing Association. He also consults widely for multinational corporations.
Jonathan Evans
Jon is a faculty member at the Sauder School of Business at UBC. His interests focus on leader-signaling behaviour and the effects of being humorous, showing anger, framing power and displaying curiosity. His work has been featured by The Washington Post, Forbes, Financial Times and Harvard Business Review. He is passionate about taking an interactive approach to leadership development at Sauder, which has recently been awarded by the Academy of Management for its evidence-based approach.
Adel Gamar
Adel is an Adjunct faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business and CEO of a boutique firm specializing in adaptive leadership, strategy and change management. He is driven to forge effective collaborations among business, government and non-profit sectors while creating lasting solutions. In addition to advising senior leaders of Fortune 500 companies and public sector agencies worldwide, he has taught adaptive leadership and negotiation at Harvard and served as Education Specialist at UNESCO. He also co-facilitated the Think Tank on Global Education: Empowering Global Citizens.
Tracey Gurton
Tracey Gurton is an award-winning faculty member at UBC Sauder and has been teaching here for more than 20 years. She previously worked for a global tech company. Her areas of specialization are: Organizational Culture, Leading Change, Trust & Decision-Making on Teams, and Emotional Intelligence. Professor Gurton teaches in the following programs: MBA, PMBA, BCOM, and dual degree (B+MM). She also works with industry clients, and teaches in Sauder's Professional Growth Division (formerly called Executive Education) at our Robson Square campus, helping Managers, Directors, VPs and C-suite folks improve organizational effectiveness through leadership development.
In 2020, Tracey Gurton earned a Special Service Award for exceptional transition to the live, virtual classroom during Sauder's COVID response, and for assisting other faculty to do the same.
In 2023, she earned the prestigious Killam Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
In 2024 she received a Dean's Commendation citing contributions to the school and outstanding teaching performance.
Dr. Kari Marken
Kari is a faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business, where she teaches public speaking and communication. She also leads the Graduate Program creativity curriculum, highlighting critical thinking, problem solving and innovating in teams. Her specific expertise is in the application of leadership presence and critical thinking to bring out the creative capacity in groups facing complex challenges. In addition to her academic work, she runs an educational design consultancy that helps organizations improve their learning and team-building strategies.
Dr. Steven Minns
Steven is a faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business. His interests include business strategy, innovation, decision making and public policy. Formerly he was Head of Project Management at Taylor Woodrow, an international development and infrastructure construction firm with operations throughout Europe, Africa, North America and the Middle East.
Doug Mollenhauer
Doug is an Adjunct faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business. He has taught presentation skills and business writing at many of BC’s best-known organizations for more than 25 years, and coaches senior leaders on speaking and persuasive communication. He has also been a regular contributor to The Globe and Mail on topics pertaining to leadership and business communication.
Dr. Mahesh Nagarajan
Mahesh is a faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business, where he holds the Alumni Chair Professorship in stochastic optimization and financial modeling. His areas of applied research include data analytics and mathematical modeling of business systems. He has also consulted with major international organizations in retail, manufacturing, services and health care.
Rob Prowse
Rob is an Adjunct Professor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. He previously held the role of Faculty in Residence at Professional Growth. Rob teaches various courses in the Full-Time and Professional MBA programs, specifically focusing on translating academic theory into practice. As a former management consultant at Korn Ferry (formerly Hay Management Consultants), Rob works with a variety of global organizations through his consulting practice. His past and present clients include Scotiabank, Northland Properties, BCAA, ICBC, and Ledcor.
Dr. Wayne Rawcliffe
Wayne is a faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business. He is an engaging educator, organizational behaviour and human resources champion with over 25 years of experience helping clients at all levels of leadership to successfully develop and implement individual, team and organizational performance improvement initiatives. His specific areas of expertise include leadership and management development, change management, high-performing teams, total rewards and talent strategy.
Dr. Timothy Silk
Tim teaches brand management, new product development and consumer behaviour at the UBC Sauder School of Business. A leading expert in pricing and promotion-related consumer behaviour, he helps major international organizations to identify strategic market opportunities for new products. He has also helped shape consumer-friendly public policies for government agencies. Formerly he was a marketing manager for a soft-drink company and an advertising account executive.
Scott Sinclair
Scott is a faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business. He has been actively involved in professional accounting education for more than 35 years. He was the principal author for the CA School of Business in Western Canada between 2000 and 2010, and has won multiple awards for teaching excellence. He has also worked with Coopers & Lybrand Chartered Accounts, serving small business and mining clients.
Dr. Daniel Skarlicki
Daniel is the Edgar Kaiser Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the UBC Sauder School of Business. He has taught executive programs in organizations across North and South America, Europe and Asia. His clients have included VanCity, Rocky Mountaineer and Glaxo. An active educator, he has won numerous teaching and international research awards. His interests focus on leadership mindfulness and how people respond to justice and injustice at work.
Trevor Sones
Trevor is an Adjunct faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business, where he teaches human and organizational behaviour, conflict resolution, leadership and communication. He has also been a Mediator with the BC Labour Relations Board for more than 14 years, helping parties negotiate solutions to large, high-profile conflicts. He is particularly skilled at handling interactions between senior leaders on politically sensitive issues involving those under their leadership.
Amy Stanley
Amy is a Lecturer in the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division at the UBC Sauder School of Business. She teaches organizational behaviour, leadership and specialist HR courses. She also works alongside organizations and individuals at Sauder Executive Education, where she provides learners with the tools they need to manage effectively and boost performance. In addition she leads custom leadership development programs, teaching leaders how to maximize performance through building and sustaining strong teams.
Christie Stephenson
Christie is the Executive Director of the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at the UBC Sauder School of Business, and a thought leader on responsible business and governance. Previously she spent more than 15 years in the socially responsible and impact investing industry. She also has more than two decades of diverse director experience, serving on the boards of non-profit and private organizations. She has served as a judge for Governance Professionals of Canada’s Excellence in Governance Awards, and is a member of the Climate Governance Experts Network of the Canadian Climate Law Initiative.
Dr. James Tansey
James is a faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business and a leader in research on social innovation, sustainability and impact investing. A renowned leader in social enterprise, emerging technologies and environmental strategy, he co-founded Canada’s largest carbon project developer and advises organizations in the clean tech sector.
Dr. Yanwen Wang
Yanwen is a faculty member and the Canada Research Chair in Marketing Analytics at the UBC Sauder School of Business. She focuses on the regulatory implications of marketing actions from a public-policy perspective, and how new digital marketing tools can be used to improve company sales and revenue. Her recent projects have explored the impact of mobile hailing technology, digital learning apps and livestreaming across various industries.
Katherine White
Dr. Kate White is the Senior Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability at the UBC Sauder School of Business in Vancouver, Canada. Kate is Professor of Marketing and Behavioural Science and her research focuses on social influence as well as how to encourage ethical, prosocial, and sustainable consumer behaviours. Kate is a social psychologist by training and she received her BA from Simon Fraser University, her MA from the University of Waterloo, and her PhD from the University of British Columbia. Kate has taught courses such as Behavioural Science of Sustainable Change for Organizations, Influencing Behaviour Change for the Public Good, and The Influential Manager for UBC Sauder Professional Growth. She has published over 50 research articles and has been honored as one of the top 5 Marketing Researchers in the world by the American Marketing Association and has been inducted to the College of Arts and Sciences, Royal Society of Canada.
Our Senior Associates
Profile
Dr. Jugpal S. Arneja
Jugpal is a Plastic Surgeon and Clinical Professor in UBC's Department of Surgery as well as a Senior Associate Member of the Sauder School of Business. He has sat on the Board of Governors at the University of Manitoba and currently is a Councilor at the Canadian Medical Protective Association. He has volunteered his time as Editor-In-Chief of the Journal "Plastic Surgery" and with Smile Train in the developing world. He has taught and coached in the Sauder Physician Leadership Program for the past decade and conducts research in Operations, Leadership, and Value-Based Healthcare.
Dr. David Hannah
David is a Professor of Management at Simon Fraser University, where he has won multiple teaching awards. He has taught executive programs at a number of prominent universities in Western Canada and Texas. His clients have included Samsung, B.C. Hydro, PMC-Sierra, the Beijing Media Group and many other organizations in the public and private sectors. His research focuses on how employees can deal effectively with workplace dilemmas.
Denise Holleran-Boswell
Denise is a certified PMP and Prosci Change Practitioner, the Founder and Managing Partner of Collaborators In Knowledge Inc., and past President of the Society of PMP’s of Greater Vancouver. She has over 40 years of international industry experience as a practicing project, program and portfolio manager specializing in change, risk and stakeholder management. In her role as coach, she has trained thousands of people from the private and public sectors in the best practices of portfolio and project management.
Tracy Page
Tracy is a certified project management consultant who works locally and internationally to help clients deliver successfully on complex strategic projects. Her workshops in project management, communication and leadership help team members develop their delivery skills and become more effective in their day-to-day working relationships.
Dr. Alex Trisoglio
Alex is an executive coach specializing in leadership development, performance improvement and organizational change. His passion for helping to unlock human potential and building high-performing teams spans more than 20 years of advising senior executives and boards in the private, public and non-profit sectors across 60 countries. Clients include McKinsey, KPMG, JP Morgan, IFC/The World Bank, and Greenpeace. In addition to teaching Professional Growth and masters-level programs at UBC Sauder School of Business, Alex was formerly a Professor of Business Administration in London and Copenhagen. He holds a Ph.D. in Strategy and Organizational Behaviour from London University and an M.A. in Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University.
Our Associates
Profile
Cher Brasok
Cher has spent over a decade studying stress. Her work integrates skills and research from the fields of neurology, psychology, medicine and mindfulness. She also facilitates wellness workshops in a wide variety of organizations. In addition, she is a Certified Leadership Facilitator who aims to create a psychologically safe environment that enables leaders to develop skills that will enhance their impact.
Jonathan Carrigan
Jonathan is a passionate thought leader with 20 years of experience working at the intersection of strategy, technology and design. He was a founding member of the corporate transformation office at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment that guided the organization's digital transformation. Previously he led digital product development and design in support of strategic planning at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. An active educator and online facilitator, he speaks regularly at industry events internationally.
Laura Dowling
Laura brings energy to inspire transformational leadership for people, teams, and organizations to flourish. She is internationally known as a trusted career and leadership coach working in the sports and corporate sectors. She specializes in strengths-based leadership, individual and team development, EQ, and mindset education; tools that unlock talent and creativity, for optimal well-being and performance.
Julie Jones
Julie is a Master Certified Coach who has worked extensively as an Executive and Leadership coach and consultant for over two decades. Her focus is on the people side of business, helping leaders and their teams to develop their resourcefulness and take a systems thinking perspective towards leadership during times of uncertainty. Her experience includes working with senior, mid-level and emerging leaders from a broad sector of private and public sector industries.
Keith Kee
Keith is a Director with True Hoshin Consulting Inc. He has more than 15 years of experience assisting clients in their journey of operational design, including the integration of automation and digital transformation. A certified Lean Black Belt, project management and change management expert, he also delivers Lean optimization, continuous service improvement and strategic planning programs to private and public sector organizations.
Magdelene Rebecca Kee
Magdelene is a Director with True Hoshin Consulting Inc. Formerly she was the Director of Business Consulting at Fujitsu Canada, Director of Lean at PWC, and Manager of Lean Transformation at Vancouver Coastal Health. A certified coach in Lean, she has more than 30 years of experience in developing and delivering training, optimization, continuous service improvement and strategic planning programs to organizations across multiple industries.
Jennifer Kwok
Jennifer has practiced law for over 10 years. Drawing on her past career as a Patrol Constable with the Vancouver Police Department, she frequently conducts workplace investigations into a wide variety of complaints, for organizations of all sizes. She also provides training and advises clients on labour and privacy matters, advocating for a proactive perspective to prevent clients from finding themselves in legal jeopardy.
Robert Murray
Robert is a Vancouver-based strategy, culture and leadership turnaround consultant. An award-winning transformational leader, he has led 18 different turn-around projects in more than 20 countries where the culture was toxic and debilitating to success. He is also a passionate educator, sought-after speaker and Amazon #1 best-selling author on issues relating to customer-centric cultures, strategy, transformation and leadership.
Carman Overholt
K.C.
Carman has over 35 years of experience working with senior business managers and HR professionals to ensure compliance with labour, employment and human rights legislation, and to develop policies that minimize the risk of workplace disputes and disruption. He has appeared frequently before the BC Supreme Court, BC Human Rights Tribunal, BC Employment Standards Tribunal and the Canadian Industrial Relations Board. He has also represented employers in collective bargaining.
Preston Parsons
Preston has practiced law for over 10 years. His practice includes advising both employers and employees on all types of workplace law issues, with a focus on proactive measures to prevent trouble from arising. He also advises and represents a variety of professionals in investigations and disciplinary proceedings. Over the course of his career he has appeared before the BC Supreme Court, BC Court of Appeal, BC Human Rights Tribunal, BC Labour Relations Board and more.
Joanna Piros
Joanna is a senior consultant with Counterpoint Communications, where she conducts communications and media relations consulting. For 20+ years she has trained thousands of people how to become better communicators, and how to project themselves in the media spotlight and on the podium. Her clients have included Ballard Power Systems, VanCity, TransLink and Indigenous & Northern Affairs Canada.
Kai Su
Kai is a seasoned leader, trainer and coach in program management, governance and process improvement. As an LSS Black Belt with more than 18 years of experience, he has coached hundreds of professionals and delivered millions of dollars in financial benefits to large organizations. A passionate teacher, he is known for being able to build key cross-functional relationships and enable better alignment between processes, people and systems.