McLean Signature

Kate McKenzie is Director, Learning Solutions Delivery, at McLean & Company. She leads the delivery of executive coaching and facilitation programs that help leaders strengthen their impact and drive organizational success. In her role, Kate equips leaders and HR professionals with practical tools to grow with purpose – drawing on more than 15 years of cross-sector experience and a deep understanding of adult learning, behavior change, and leadership development.

Kate has coached hundreds of leaders across industries including financial services, tech, government, and social enterprise. She brings energy and authenticity to every session, facilitating McLean & Company’s leadership development programs such as Essentials for Leaders of Leaders, Management Fundamentals, and Elevate HR. Known for blending research-backed strategies with compelling storytelling, Kate helps leaders turn challenges into opportunities for transformation.

Before joining McLean & Company, Kate was a leadership consultant, cofounded the global Secret 3K movement for gender equity, and served as a leadership coach and program designer with organizations including ATB Financial and Toronto Metropolitan University. She holds a master’s in digital media with a focus on adult learning, a Bachelor of Education, and an ACC designation from the International Coaching Federation.

Lindsay is Practice Lead, Learning Solutions, at McLean & Company. She leads the program delivery team in Learning Solutions, including coaching and facilitation programs. In her role, Lindsay drives organizational excellence through one-on-one coaching with leaders at all levels. She delivers authentic and effective leadership experiences through facilitating McLean & Company’s leadership and strategic HR development programs such as Management Fundamentals and Elevate HR. Lindsay uses passion and curiosity to get the best out of problems, processes, and people.

Prior to joining McLean & Company, Lindsay worked in the oil and gas sector in human resources leadership. Most recently she led and managed her own business as a coach and HR consultant.

Lindsay has a BA from Mount Royal University, a Graduate Coaching Certificate from Royal Roads University, and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) designation through the International Coaching Federation.

Sally Cornet is an award-winning HR executive and Executive Counselor at McLean & Company, where she partners with CHROs and HR leaders to navigate complex organizational challenges and accelerate strategic impact. With over three decades of global talent and culture leadership, Sally brings deep expertise across high-tech, financial services, healthcare, retail, and customer experience sectors.

Prior to joining McLean & Company, Sally led HR teams for some of the world’s most iconic global brands, overseeing workforces of 80,000+ employees and HR functions with over 120 professionals. She is recognized for her ability to align people strategies with business priorities, transform HR operations, and build innovative, high-performance cultures.

Sally holds an MBA with a concentration in Organizational Behavior from the University of Central Florida and a BSBA in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin. She is a certified SPHR, GPHR, and ICF PCC-certified coach, as well as a Master Practitioner and Trainer of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). Her work blends strategic insight, operational excellence, and advanced coaching methodologies to elevate leadership and organizational effectiveness.

Known for her engaging style and pragmatic wisdom, Sally brings clarity, confidence, and lasting impact to every project she steps onto.

Grace Ewles is a practice lead on the HR Research & Advisory Services team at McLean & Company. She is passionate about using data-driven insights to help organizations drive performance and create impactful change. Her areas of focus include employee wellbeing, organizational culture, talent management, and talent development.

Prior to joining McLean & Company, Grace worked as an organizational consultant for eight years. As a consultant, she supported a range of organizational development initiatives related to recruitment and selection, organizational design, change management, and employee development in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

Grace holds her MA and PhD in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of Guelph, where she conducted research on work stress, occupational health, and wellbeing. She also has extensive experience as an educational instructor and has taught several courses at the post-secondary level related to statistics and organizational psychology.

As a Director of HR Advisory Services at McLean & Company, Adrienne provides high-quality advisory services to external clients and conducts engagements such as workshops, focus groups, and consulting to aid in the acceleration of HR strategy deliverables and thought leadership, as well as training for HR and other organizational leaders. She also represents McLean & Company at conferences and events by delivering keynote presentations and/or facilitating roundtables. While championing empathy and equity in the workplace, her mission is to create systemic and measurable HR outcomes to drive cultural evolution and innovation.

In addition to her 10 years of experience in organizational culture change management, Adrienne leverages over 20 years of concurrent work experience in employee relations, training, talent acquisition, HR project management, engagement, and wellness in the workplace. She has worked in a variety of industries, including financial services, healthcare, technology, and commercial real estate.

Adrienne is a Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional (CCIP) and a Canadian Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and obtained her Master of Human Resources Management (MHRM) degree from York University. Leveraging her undergraduate degree in Commerce and Environmental Management from the University of Toronto, Adrienne has also devoted her efforts toward advancing corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. Most recently, she is undertaking the Award of Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion at the University of British Columbia.

An advocate for organizational wellbeing, she is certified in Mental Health First Aid by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and is a member of the Community of Practice for the Not Myself Today campaign. In her spare time, Adrienne has served as an Ambassador for the Peel Regional Diversity Roundtable and provides career coaching to newcomers in the Greater Toronto Area.

Sharon brings over 25+ years of experience in full-cycle HR, talent management, business operations, and technical proficiency to her role as Executive Advisor at McLean & Company. Her leadership roles span both the public and private sector in the Technology, Utilities, Financial/Banking, and Non-Profit industries.

Sharon is a strategic HR business partner with proven ability to drive change and empower global cross-functional team success in competitive markets. She is passionate about championing diverse employee-centric workplaces for employee and workforce engagement, wellness, and recognition.

Sharon holds a Bachelor of Science in Business, University of Massachusetts at Boston, and a Master of Business Administration, from the Terry College of Business, University of Georgia. She holds Project Management Professional (PMP) and SHRM-SCP designations. In addition, she holds a HR Management Certificate and other various certifications such as MBTI, DiSC, and Hogan Behavioral Assessment.

April Whitson is a globally recognized expert on Workplace Culture with over two decades of leadership and HR experience in large, global organizations such as Amazon.com, Textron Corporation and currently ABB Inc. She is a published author of the book The Stay Challenge: a leader’s guide to managing unwanted turnover & regrettable retention which quickly became a trusted resource for people managers eager to create great places to work.

She is a thought leader on all things culture, employee engagement, and leadership. April has developed cutting-edge programs to help leaders improve their profitability through decreased employee turnover costs and improved productivity through positive employee experiences. Her approach to culture and employee experience through enhancing leadership performance is direct and simple, putting the leader in the driver’s seat to intentionally create impactful and positive employee experiences along the journey from hire to retire. April also spends time mentoring early- and mid-career professionals who are feeling stuck or unmotivated, pushing them to find their purpose and grow. She has personally experienced career growth by moving from ladder to ladder, by going down a rung on the ‘traditional’ ladder, as well as moving up the ladder. She enjoys helping others find their way as individual contributors and helping new leaders get started on the right path to making a difference in the experiences of their teams.

Laila serves as Chief People Officer at Unissant, where she leads enterprise people strategy and advances the organizational capability, leadership practices, and workplace culture that support the company’s growth and mission delivery. She partners with the executive team to align talent, organizational effectiveness, employee experience, and compliance priorities with Unissant’s business objectives.A strategic human capital leader, Laila strengthens leadership capability, employee engagement, professional development, and workforce performance. She is committed to fostering a high-trust, collaborative, and accountable culture in which employees are equipped to do their best work and contribute meaningfully to Unissant’s success.

Prior to joining Unissant, Laila held progressive leadership roles at Peraton, CGI, and Booz Allen, with responsibilities spanning human capital and broader business operations. Laila holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Strayer University and a master’s degree in Organizational Development and Knowledge Management from George Mason University. Her professional and civic leadership includes service on the Board of Lead Virginia; the Board of Directors of Fairfax Futures, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing quality early childhood education and school readiness in Fairfax County; and as Co-Vice Chair of the GO Virginia Region 7 Council.

Mohsine “Mo” Gdid is a human resources executive and leadership practitioner whose journey began on the production floor of a meat processing plant after immigrating to the United States from Morocco. Starting as a frontline worker, he rose through the ranks to become a senior HR leader, shaping culture, leadership development, and organizational strategy.

Drawing on firsthand experience across both frontline operations and executive leadership, Mo developed the S.H.O.W. Leadership Framework: Sincerity, Humility, Ownership, and Wisdom, a philosophy grounded in human dignity, accountability, and long-term impact.

Through his work, Mo advocates for leadership that recognizes the humanity behind performance and builds organizations where people feel seen, valued, and empowered.

As practice lead, HR advisory services, at McLean & Company, Adrian leverages her passion and strategic acumen to empower and enable organizations to achieve their business objectives through transformative HR practices and policies. As a trusted advisor with 20 years of experience, her ability to blend data-driven insights with compelling storytelling enables her to drive meaningful change and foster cultures of growth, innovation, and high performance.

Adrian leverages her experience in operationalizing, optimizing, and creating centers of excellence, programs, and processes in areas such as DEI, talent management, and HR strategy to provide targeted support to her clients. She is known as a consensus builder and innovative thinker with experience in making change management and process improvement snackable and sustainable at every level.

With a robust background spanning national and global organizations across diverse industries including information, news and technology, financial services, industrials and manufacturing, hospitality, food, and retail services, Adrian is dedicated to systematically enhancing employee experiences and cultivating cultures that fuel organizational success.

Adrian holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and has achieved multiple Six Sigma Green Belts, reflecting her commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

William T. Rolack is a transformational executive with over 20 years of multi-industry global leadership experience across Human Resources, Organizational Change, Culture, and Operational Excellence. He is known for partnering with executive leaders to translate research informed insight into practical, outcome driven guidance that accelerates talent priorities and enterprise performance, advising over 200 organizations, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to public agencies with upwards of 100,000+ employees.

Prior to joining McLean & Company, William led HR teams across North America, Latin America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific where he led transformation initiatives, spearheaded global cultural integration efforts, change readiness programs, and enterprise talent strategies, managing mergers, organizational redesigns, and workforce planning to ensure business continuity and resilience for over 40,000+ employees. His advisory work spans workforce analytics, inclusive leadership, governance, and employee engagement, enabling organizations to scale effectively while navigating complexity and change.

A trusted board advisor and global facilitator, William is known for clear, structured thinking and pragmatic recommendations grounded in evidence and business impact. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from South Carolina State University and an MBA from Long Island University.

Sheri Blades is a Director of HR Workshops at McLean & Company. Sheri thrives on building trusted relationships through meaningful conversations to meet client needs and concerns. Sheri has over 10 years of HR experience in leadership development, team effectiveness, process consulting, and facilitation.

Prior to joining McLean, Sheri worked in financial and professional services. Sheri has extensive knowledge and experience in talent development, change management, and organizational effectiveness and leading teams through complex strategic planning efforts.

Sheri holds a Master of Arts in Human Systems Intervention from Concordia University and a personal and professional coaching certificate. Sheri also has a certificate in Adult Education from OISE and an HR certificate from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson).

Tamara Heimonen brings over 20 years of experience as an HR leader to her role as Senior Executive Advisor at McLean & Company, where she supports and guides HR leaders to map out their HR strategy and prioritize HR initiatives that will have a measurable impact on the business.

Tamara has deep experience in moving organizations forward in Culture, DEI, and Leadership & Learning, and has previously worked for national and multinational corporations in the finance, retail, and grocery industries. She is a results-driven leader with a passion for innovation and aligning talent strategies to drive engagement and performance in complex and changing environments.

Tamara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University, a postgraduate certificate in Human Resources Management, and is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL).

Tiphani Krueger brings a unique blend of business acumen and people-focused HR leadership to drive impactful, enterprise-wide outcomes. With more than 25 years of experience across global asset management, financial services, telecommunications, and management consulting, she is a trusted HR executive and strategic advisor known for delivering results in high-profile, complex organizations.

A highly collaborative leader, she partners with senior executives to accelerate growth and transformation through innovative HR strategies. Her areas of expertise include leadership development, organizational effectiveness, culture alignment, workforce planning, global talent management, and advancing inclusion and belonging. She champions the importance of people-centric leadership as a catalyst for business performance and long-term success.

Drawing on her experience as a chief human resources officer, Tiphani remains active in the HR community as a coach and mentor. She is deeply committed to developing others and contributing to advancing the broader HR profession.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with a minor in psychology from the University of Iowa and is certified in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Hogan Assessment Systems, and Lominger (Korn Ferry) Leadership Architect Competency Mapping.

Both a strategic CHRO and transformative business leader, Stephen brings a unique perspective to HR, with deep experience developing and driving retail businesses prior to transitioning into his HR career. With experience spanning retail, hospitality, and global organizations, he brings a strong commercial mindset and a people-first approach to shaping high-performance cultures.

Throughout his HR career, Stephen has held senior HR executive roles with many notable brands – IKEA Canada, Sephora Canada, Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts – where he led enterprise-wide talent strategies, leadership development, and employment brand initiatives. His work has supported organizational growth, strengthened employee engagement, and enabled scalable, future-ready talent models across diverse regions and industries.

Under Stephen’s leadership, both IKEA Canada and Sephora Canada were named as a Forbes Top Employer for several years in a row and recognized for excellence in Talent Development by the Retail Council of Canada. As the Global Head of Talent at Four Seasons, Stephen led the development of the first global talent strategy aligned with the business to deliver a sophisticated and scalable talent model supporting strategic business growth and new lines of business. This included a global initiative to drive consistency and efficiency using data analytics and insights to assess talent readiness, succession risk, and future capability needs.

Drawing on his strong commercial and operations experience, Stephen ensures that HR strategies are grounded in the ability to shape and influence the business, operating models, and the economics of an organization.

A graduate of the University of Winnipeg, Stephen knows the power of amazing mentors and pays the experience forward with new leaders. Curiosity has been the driving force behind Stephen’s career path, with a connection to purpose-led brands. As a lifelong learner, Stephen loves to read and has a passion for wellness and practicing mindfulness.

Laura Hansen-Kohls is the Vice President, HR Diagnostics, Advisory, & Data Insights at McLean & Company. Laura oversees the design, development, and delivery of McLean & Company’s HR diagnostic tools.

Her amazing teams lead clients through the survey process, from strategy to survey launch, from results analysis to action planning. They pay special attention to making sure McLean members have the support they need to leverage our diagnostics for organization-wide impact. These tools include diagnostics that address HR strategy, employee lifecycle, and development assessments, including HR Organizational Alignment, the Employee Engagement Program, and 360 Feedback.

Prior to this role, Laura worked with Info-Tech Research Group on a number of people-centric programs, including developing and delivering departmental onboarding and training, organizing the talent management process for the company’s knowledge workers, facilitating leadership training programs for mid-level managers, and leading Info-Tech’s People and Leadership research taxonomy.

Laura has a BA Hons from the University of Prince Edward Island, an MA from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Education from Western University, and she is an Erickson-Certified Coach.

Emily Baxter is Director of HR Workshops at McLean & Company. With over 15 years of progressive HR experience, she brings deep expertise across leadership development, talent management, culture, employee engagement, organizational development, and change management.

Before joining McLean & Company, Emily worked in both the public and private sectors, partnering with leaders across multiple industries including government, manufacturing, distribution, and retail. Emily is passionate about helping leaders build HR strategy, programs, and initiatives and translating them into meaningful action. She leverages her facilitation background to create spaces for dialogue where leaders uncover root causes, co-create transformative HR practices, and build long-term, sustainable solutions that drive performance, employee experience, and business growth.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Simon Fraser University and an Instructional Development Certificate focused on facilitation and adult learning from the Justice Institute of BC. She is also a Certified Change Practitioner (Prosci) and an EQ Coach.

Cara brings over 25 years of experience as an HR leader supporting HR strategy & culture, talent management, leadership and learning, team effectiveness, business operations, and HR technology to her role as executive advisor at McLean and Company. She also has experience in process optimization, solution selling, and customer experience.

Her leadership roles span both private and public sector in the telecommunications, consumer packaged goods, oil and gas, retail, financial/banking, and non-profit industries.

Cara is a strategic HR business partner with a proven ability to drive transformation and engagement enabling cross-functional team success in competitive markets. She is passionate about innovation, design thinking, and co-creation that align people strategies to enable performance and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Cara holds education credentials including an Associate of Arts in Music and Early Childhood Care and Development and has continued with deep professional development including Six Sigma, performance and executive coaching, instructional design, and adult education.

Will is a practice lead, HR trends & AI, with McLean & Company. Will is passionate about driving organizational success using HR technology, data and analytics, and uncovering and communicating the people trends affecting organizations and employees. He leads research publications, including McLean’s annual HR Trends Report, and supports McLean members in achieving their goals by applying the research through advisory calls and group facilitation.

Prior to joining McLean & Company in 2017, Will supported qualitative research at the post-secondary level, managing a Canada Research Chair Program-funded research lab to train and support researchers across fields at the University of Prince Edward Island on qualitative data analysis using a variety of technologies. Will also has a background in the education sector, and exposure to the non-profit sector through his volunteer work serving on the Board of Directors for a local charity.

Will holds an MBA with a specialization in human resources from the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Prince Edward Island as well as certifications in advanced analytics and big data from York University.

As Director, Analytics within McLean & Company, Nadia’s role is to help collect, analyze and draw insights from all relevant HR diagnostic data for both clients and research projects. She thrives on completing problem solving tasks and undertaking intricate data analyses.

Through her work with McLean & Company and graduate research, Nadia has obtained experience working with a multitude of different data types and analytical techniques. In particular, her thesis work consisted of developing predictive models for use with individual-level data (microdata).

Nadia earned her PhD in Applied Statistics from the University of Guelph. Prior to her PhD she completed an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics, also at the University of Guelph.

Torrie Lawson-Thompson is U.S. Counsel at Pebl, a global Employer of Record (EOR), where she advises HR and business leaders on complex U.S. employment law matters affecting both Pebl's internal workforce and externally supported employees across a wide range of industries. She provides strategic counsel on complex workforce and employee relations matters, including employment compliance, pay transparency, workplace investigations, and litigation management. She is passionate about translating complex legal requirements into practical, business-focused solutions.

As the practice lead of HR workshops at McLean & Company, Youssef Kamar champions strategy development, organizational design, and HR process optimization in companies big and small across a variety of industries. Backed by McLean & Company’s ongoing best-practice research and benchmark expertise, Youssef works with clients through McLean's tried and tested workshops to address their most challenging problems and develop fit-for-purpose HR strategies and processes in a collaborative and directed environment.

Previously, Youssef spent 10+ years in consulting, working with McLean & Company and Info-Tech clients do develop customized solutions, engaging with leaders in HR, IT, and the wider business. He gladly, brings this experience and expertise to every engagement as he supports his clients to achieve their goals and strategies.

Youssef boasts a Bachelors degree in both Science (from the University of Western Ontario) and Business Administration (from the Richard Ivey School of Business), as well as Masters degrees in both International Business (from the Richard Ivey School of Business) and International Management (from the Global Alliance in Management Education). He also has a certificate in Lean Six Sigma (from the University of Toronto) and a certificate in Digital Business Strategy from MIT Sloan.

Philippa Taaffe is an Executive Vice President in HR at Citco, based in Dublin, where she leads the firm’s Talent Management agenda. She is focused on building a modern, skills-based organization—shaping career architectures, strengthening leadership capability, and aligning talent strategy with business performance. Philippa works closely with senior leaders to connect talent, cost, and strategy, helping drive a more agile, high-performing workforce.

Jennifer Rozon is the President of McLean & Company. She manages the overall vision and strategy for research, product development, business development, and customer experience. She is passionate about elevating HR departments and translating innovative ideas into execution through inspired team members. Jennifer is an analytical leader who drives bottom-line results while staying people focused and embraces change as an opportunity to drive breakthrough performance. She is a firm believer that creating an exceptional employee experience will in turn create a better member experience.

Since joining the organization in 2006, Jennifer has held positions in research, business development, corporate strategy, and product development. Jennifer pioneered some of the first blueprints and diagnostic products, including the development of the Employee Engagement Program.

Prior to joining McLean & Company, Jennifer held roles at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, BlackBerry, and Wal-Mart. Jennifer received her Honors Business Administration from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

Kelly Berte is a Practice Lead, HR Research & Advisory Services, with McLean & Company. She brings energy to translating scientific concepts to real-world application for HR leaders, promoting human-centered change that helps organizations support their people to be at their best.

Kelly started her career and worked for over a decade in employee wellbeing before expanding her scope into a variety of cross-functional HR projects focused on culture and systems thinking. Her expertise lies in culture, change management, HR strategy, HR metrics and analytics, and leadership strategy.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Promotion from the University of Iowa, as well as a Master of Science degree in Organization Development and Leadership from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

Brady Pyle currently serves as Chief Human Resources & Inclusion Officer (CHRIO) at Space Center Houston—a leading non-profit science and space exploration learning center that serves as Official Visitor Center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, hosting more than one million guests each year.

During Brady's 30-year career at NASA, he observed, led, and coached rocket scientists, engineers, and astronauts, twice earning the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal. He served as NASA’s first-ever leader of HR field
executives, playing a key role in reaching and maintaining the Best Place to Work in the Federal Government distinction for eleven consecutive years.

Brady recently published a book about his experience entitled "Building Culture the NASA Way," where he provides mission-critical principles proven to work in any organization.

In 2024, Brady received HRO Today’s Learning & Development Executive of the Year for Lifetime Achievement. In 2025, his team was named one of the Top 50 Human Resources Teams in the 2025 OnCon Icon Awards. In 2026, Brady earned distinction as a Top 50 Culture & Inclusion Leader in the OnCon Icon Awards.

Brady has blogged about leadership for more than twelve years at OutOfThisWorldLeadership.com, featuring over 350 book summaries and earning distinction as a top leadership blogger.

Brady and his wife, Jennifer, live in Houston, Texas and have three adult children.

Eric Daniels is a health care growth executive with more than 25 years of experience leading commercial growth, sales transformation, and go-to-market strategy across employee benefits, consumer-directed health care, financial well-being, and health care services. Throughout his career, he has helped many of the nation's largest employers and health plans develop strategies that improve engagement, simplify health care, and deliver better financial outcomes for employees.

As Managing Director, Market Sales for Inspira Financial's Health & Benefits business, Eric leads national sales strategies that help employers deliver innovative benefits solutions that improve employee health, financial well-being, and long-term engagement.

Before joining Inspira, Eric served as EVP and Chief Growth Officer at Careforth, the nation's largest family caregiver support company, where he led enterprise growth initiatives spanning health plans, strategic partnerships, marketing, sales, and commercial operations. He previously served as Chief Growth Officer at Further, a leading health savings account administrator, helping health plans and employers accelerate growth through consumer-directed benefits strategies.
Earlier in his career, Eric spent nearly ten years in senior sales leadership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, developing deep expertise in employer-offered health care, health plan strategy, and benefits consulting.

Throughout his career, Eric has partnered with Fortune 500 employers, health plans, consultants, brokers, and provider organizations to develop growth strategies that improve business performance while delivering better outcomes for payors, employers, and members. He is recognized for building high-performing teams, developing future leaders, scaling commercial organizations, and driving sustainable growth in rapidly evolving health care markets.

Kristen Elsner is a Solutions Consultant at Orgvue specializing in workforce planning, organizational design, and workforce intelligence. With experience supporting organizational transformation initiatives and helping leaders make data – driven decisions, she is passionate about connecting workforce insights to meaningful business outcomes.

Nicky brings over 20 years of global experience as a senior HR, talent, and organizational development leader to her role as Executive Advisor at McLean & Company. Her expertise spans talent management, leadership development, succession planning, performance enablement, engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, supporting organizations through complex transformation and growth.

Throughout her career, Nicky has partnered closely with executive leaders to design and implement enterprise-wide people strategies that align with business priorities and deliver measurable impact. She is known for her builder’s mindset and her ability to translate strategy into practical, scalable solutions, including leadership frameworks, performance systems, and end-to-end talent programs.

Nicky’s leadership experience spans global, matrixed organizations across industries including mining, financial services and banking, pension and asset management, healthcare, engineering-driven environments, and professional services. She has led initiatives across North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and West Africa, bringing a global and culturally grounded perspective to her advisory work.

Nicky is a trusted strategic advisor recognized for her thoughtful, pragmatic approach and her ability to help HR leaders navigate complexity, strengthen capability, and enable sustainable organizational performance.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Post-Graduate Diploma from the University of the West Indies, a Master of Arts from the University of Warwick, and a Graduate Certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching from the University of Texas. Nicky is an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and is based in the Toronto area.

Vicky Ringwood is Chief Human Resources Officer of Standard Motor Products, Inc., where she leads the company’s global human resources strategy in support of business transformation, organizational effectiveness, and long-term growth. In this role, she is responsible for advancing talent management, leadership development, succession planning, total rewards, employee engagement, and culture initiatives across a global workforce.

Vicky brings more than 25 years of global human resources leadership experience across manufacturing, technology, and services organizations. Before joining Standard Motor Products in 2026, she served as Chief Human Resources Officer for Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc., where she led human capital and culture strategy through significant transformation and change. Earlier in her career, she held senior HR leadership roles at Honeywell, Tyco International, and Samsung, in both corporate and field roles leading talent acquisition, talent management, DEI and HR business partnerships.

Known for aligning people strategy with business strategy, Ms. Ringwood has guided organizations through periods of growth, complexity, and change with a focus on building strong leadership capability, inclusive cultures, and scalable HR practices. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.

Brooke Ferguson joined Gildan in 2025 as Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to this, Ms. Ferguson built her career spanning over 30 years at Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), where she held a series of increasingly senior HR roles, leading operations in Canada, the United States, and India. From 2020 to 2025, Ms. Ferguson served as Chief People Officer at HBC, overseeing enterprise-wide human resources functions. Throughout her career, Ms. Ferguson has held numerous key positions, leading both functional and operational HR areas with a strong commitment to talent development and the implementation of innovative, cost-effective strategies supporting the organization. Ms. Ferguson holds a Human Resources Executive Certification (CHRE) issued by the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA).

Alex Weber is a highly acclaimed International Speaker on Leadership and Peak Performance. Alex has positively ignited over 3.5 Million people worldwide to overcome obstacles, realize their fullest potential, and achieve record-breaking success!

Alex is an Award-Winning Performer for NBC, The Discovery Channel, FX, and more! Bringing his experience as a Professional Entertainer to the Keynote stage, Alex has been critically acclaimed for his contagious energy, bursting humor, and long-lasting positive impact. Alex engages audiences with riveting stories of resilience as a Competitor on NBC's Emmy-nominated series American Ninja Warrior, referred to as one of the most difficult competitions on earth.

Alex is also a Record-breaking Coach and Leader. Alex took over a program that had never won a playoff game in history, and in Alex's first year, he transformed them into the Champions of Los Angeles. Alex was awarded US Lacrosse Coach of the Year honors. Alex brings that same passion now to transforming individuals and organizations!

Alex is also a World Record holder, 5x TEDx Speaker, and a World Championship level Athlete.

More than anything, Alex's passion is to give audiences an actionable roadmap to seize their goals, fulfill their potential, and lead their organizations to record-breaking success!

As a globally recognized innovation strategist and bestselling author, Shawn Kanungo has emerged as one of the world’s most sought-after voices on innovation and AI. He spent 12 years at Deloitte working closely with leaders to help them better plan for the
opportunities associated with disruptive innovation. In his high energy keynotes, Kanungo draws on his extensive experience to provide audiences with an optimistic roadmap for the future; one that embraces unexpected approaches to innovation to remain competitive and
relevant.

Called the “best virtual speaker I’ve ever seen” by Forbes and recognized as one of Edify’s “Top 40 Under 40”, Kanungo has spent over two decades working with and advising Fortune 500 companies. His expertise spans artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, and behavioural economics, enabling him to guide organizations through complex transformations.

Kanungo made history as the first innovation expert with a streaming special on Apple TV and Prime Video. His bestselling book, The Bold Ones — celebrated by McKinsey as essential reading for decision makers — provides a thought-provoking blueprint for professionals and
organization to embrace bold innovation in an era of unprecedented change.

Featured in the Globe and Mail, The Guardian, CBC, and CTV, Kanungo is also a prolific content creator whose thought-provoking insights on innovation has attracted millions of followers across LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

Shazia is an accomplished leader with a powerful blend of business leadership and human capital expertise. As Managing Partner, Executive Services at McLean & Company, she partners with senior leaders to unlock organizational performance through strategic people practices that align with core business objectives.

With a career spanning more than 25 years in Telcom, Engineering and Financial sectors, Shazia has held leadership roles that bridge the gap between HR strategy and enterprise growth. Her experience advising global organizations has honed her ability to deliver high-value insights, enabling clients to address workforce challenges, improve operational agility, and drive sustainable results.

She specializes in areas such as strategy, leadership development, cultural transformation, and operational excellence — all framed through a lens of strategic business alignment. She brings clarity to complexity and is adept at navigating change with both decisiveness and empathy. Whether advising on enterprise strategy or guiding executive teams, she has a passion for helping organizations—and the people within them—thrive.

Shazia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph, a postgraduate certificate in Communications and Public Relations from the University of Western Ontario, and a Diploma in Adult Education from Durham College.

Proven Innovator, Solution Driven.

Robert Horsley is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Fragomen WorkRight, where he played a key role in building the platform from the ground up. He is also a Managing Director at Fragomen and has been with the firm for more than 20 years. Throughout his tenure, Robert has held leadership roles spanning strategy, client services, and integrated solutions. He is instrumental in advancing the firm’s strategic partnerships, talent initiatives, client programs, and data-driven solutions.

In addition to his role as COO, Robert serves as Chief Product Officer, leading WorkRight’s product strategy, go-to-market execution, and day-to-day operations. In recent years, as he has dedicated more of his focus to the organization, WorkRight has experienced rapid, sustained growth and continued to evolve as a leading technology-enabled compliance platform. His leadership has been instrumental in ensuring the solution scales for organizations of all sizes expanding its capabilities, integrating it into already established workflows and most importantly aligning product innovation with client needs in a highly regulated environment.

Prior to joining Fragomen, Robert spent many years as a Consultant at KPMG and has served on the Chaired and sat on the Boards of Worldwide ERC (WERC), Bay Area Mobility Management (BAMM), National Immigration Law Center (NILC), Tech America and several technology start ups.

As Senior Executive Advisor at McLean & Company, Susanna Rothfuchs brings more than 30 years of HR experience to support and guide HR leaders in shaping strategies and prioritizing initiatives that make a meaningful difference for organizations. With a career spanning executive, consultant, and practitioner roles, Susanna has led both generalist and specialist HR teams in organizations ranging from 65 to over 70,000 employees, across industries such as financial services, technology, and marketing communications.

Susanna is passionate about talent and believes people can greatly impact business results. She works as a strategist, trusted advisor, and coach for leaders looking to boost their influence and create positive change. Her focus is on thoughtful talent practices, always aiming to help organizations improve through strong HR and organizational development. She has a love of learning and helping others achieve their potential.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from York University and a Master of Education in workplace learning and change from the Ontario Institute of Education (OISE) faculty of the University of Toronto. She is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Terri Hoskins is an experienced global Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and C-Suite executive who helps organizations unlock performance by putting people at the center of business strategy. Terri’s overarching HR philosophy is simple: organizations are comprised of human beings, not human doings. As a trusted advisor to Boards and C-Suite leaders, Terri is known for integrating talent, culture, and organizational design to accelerate profitable growth and drive operational excellence across multiple sectors including technology, energy, manufacturing, hospitality, finance, retail, and healthcare.

With deep expertise in leadership development, succession planning, executive compensation, labor relations, employee benefits, and enterprise change management, Terri has led organizations through complex transformations, global expansions, and mergers and acquisitions. Her practical, people-first approach consistently builds strong leadership pipelines and inclusive, high-performing cultures.

Terri earned her Master’s in Human Resources and Industrial Relations at West Virginia University and her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Shepherd University. She holds the prestigious Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) credential as well as certifications in Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Hogan Assessments, DDI Facilitation, and Situational Leadership, among others. Several years ago, she co-authored a feature article in the Global Business and Organizational Effectiveness journal entitled, “Enhancing experiential learning through business simulation and emulation” (Wiley).

When she’s not working, Terri can be found at the beach, traveling, working on her golf swing, learning pickleball, or enthusiastically embracing the thrill of a great shopping trip.

Amanda Chaitnarine is a Director, HR Diagnostics, Advisory & Data Insights, at McLean & Company. She leads the advisory team for McLean & Company’s HR diagnostic tools, including the Employee Engagement Program, the McLean Employee Experience Monitor, and the New Hire and Employee Exit surveys. She is also the product manager for McLean & Company’s HR Organizational Alignment (HROA) and HR Management & Governance (HRMG) diagnostics.

In her role, Amanda works directly with clients to identify key insights from survey data across the employee lifecycle and develop action plans to improve engagement in their organizations. She also works with clients to identify priorities that align HR strategy to organizational goals and objectives. She has gained valuable experience in working with organizations large and small across industries and geographies.

Prior to joining McLean & Company, Amanda was an Organizational Development & Human Resources Advisor for a large seniors’ care organization where much of her work was project based in the areas of training and development, onboarding and orientation, recognition programs, survey administration, and HR process improvement.

Amanda is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL). She has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Labour Studies from McMaster University along with certificates in Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion, Human Resources Management, and Adult Training/Education. Most recently, she has completed a Masters Certificate in Organizational Development and Change.

Denise brings over 20 years of experience in technology and financial organizations to her role as Executive Advisor at McLean & Company. Her expertise encompasses learning, leadership, and talent management, where she has supported highly dynamic business groups. Throughout her career, Denise has developed strategic approaches, collaborated with executive leadership, and led robust teams. She is a strategic HR business partner known for her innovative, out-of-the-box thinking and her ability to provide recommendations that enhance business performance.

Denise holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Yorkville University. She is also certified in HR, Learning, and Communications.

Tom Zehren is the Chief Executive Officer of Info-Tech Research Group.

Prior to joining Info-Tech initially as the firm’s Chief Product Officer in 2022, Tom spent a decade with McKinsey & Company, most recently as an Associate Partner, serving clients across North America and Europe on digital growth strategies, digital transformations, and product management.

Tom holds a summa cum laude Ph.D. and was faculty in Technology Management at the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany. He also earned a B.S. and M.Sc. of Finance from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, Germany, and started his career in Finance. He has been a pro bono advisor to Ashoka Globalizer Summit Fellows and other fast-growing technology firms and VC funds across the US, Canada, and Germany for more than a decade.

Marilyn is a CHRO with more than 20 years of experience building people strategies inside global enterprises. She partners with CEOs, and other leaders on transformational work — rebuilding leadership teams, redesigning organizations and cultures, and building talent pipelines that drive sustained results. At Polyconcept, she led a full-scale culture transformation, rebuilt the C-suite, and launched an enterprise HR system implementation while designing workforce programs that reduced turnover and strengthened employer brand. At Kennametal, she developed a global HR strategy for a $2B industrial manufacturer with 12,000 employees. At Lockheed Martin, she spent nearly two decades in progressive HR leadership roles, contributing to the company's recognition on Fortune and Training Top 125 lists. Marilyn holds a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in I/O Psychology from Radford University and a B.S. in Psychology and Communications from the University of Pittsburgh. She is certified as an SHRM-SCP, Life Coach, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Facilitator, and DDI Master Trainer. She serves on the board of the American Red Cross, Chestnut Ridge Chapter.

Manny Ocasio is the Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Vitalant, one of the nation's largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations, where he leads Human Resources for approximately 4,000 employees across the United States. Since joining Vitalant, Manny has helped advance the organization's people strategy while supporting a culture of belonging, innovation, and transformation.

Prior to Vitalant, Manny served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Luminis Health, where he led efforts to significantly reduce workforce vacancies following the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthened the employee experience through a compelling employee value proposition and enhanced benefits informed by employee feedback.

Throughout his career, Manny has held senior leadership roles spanning human resources, compliance, and information technology across healthcare organizations. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, and a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).

David McLean brings over 25 years of experience as an HR and business leader to his role as Executive Counselor at McLean & Company, where he supports and guides HR leaders to map out their HR strategy and prioritize HR initiatives that will have a measurable impact on the business.

David brings a diverse background to McLean & Company. His HR experience encompasses leadership roles in both the public and private sector, with expertise in organizational development, change leadership, organization culture, learning & development, HRIS implementation and HR strategy. His HR leadership experiences include holding the CHRO role for both a private and public sector organization. His industry experience spans the Transportation, Healthcare, and Higher Education sectors.

He is passionate about leadership development strategies that create organization capabilities and culture that enable organizations to win in the marketplace. With his client-focused approach and growth mindset, David has earned a reputation as a strategic thinker and a life-long learner with a deep knowledge of what it takes to build a culture in which employees will thrive. He is a recipient of the President's Award for Leadership from London Health Sciences Centre for his work in leading culture change initiatives.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University, a postgraduate certificate in Human Resources, and a Master’s degree in leadership from the University of Guelph. He holds a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation.

Kelly Carney, SPHR is the Vice President, Human Capital and Chief People Officer at Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a Regional Transmission Organization responsible for ensuring reliable electricity delivery and efficient wholesale power markets across a 14-state region in the central United States. In her role, Kelly leads SPP’s human resources and learning and development functions, shaping strategic initiatives that support organizational growth, culture, and talent development.
With over 20 years of progressive experience in human resources, Kelly has held leadership roles across diverse industries, including healthcare, energy, and insurance. Prior to joining SPP, she served as Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Administrative Officer at Delta Dental of Arkansas, where she led enterprise-wide people strategies and administrative operations.
Kelly is passionate about leadership development, community service, and governance. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Leadership Foundation for Women and is past president of the Governance Board for Arkansas Hospice, where she contributes her expertise in organizational leadership and workforce strategy.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources administration from the University of Kansas and maintains the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification through the Human Resources Certification Institute.

As Principal Director, HR Advisory Services at McLean & Company, Amy brings over 15 years of experience in learning and development, organizational design, and technology integration. She specializes in helping organizations align their learning strategies with business goals through scalable, tech-enabled solutions that enhance employee experience and performance.

Amy has led large-scale learning and change initiatives across higher education, financial and professional services, and the public sector, working with both domestic and global organizations to drive impactful transformation. With both a practical and research-based background in adult learning and education technology, she bridges the gap between strategy and execution. Now, she advises HR leaders on how to modernize their learning ecosystems, leverage data, and embed learning into the flow of work. She is recognized for her ability to translate complex systems into user-centered solutions that support continuous growth and inclusive talent development.

Amy holds a PhD in Education Technology and is an Organizational Development Certified Professional (ODCP). She continues to explore innovations in digital learning, systems design, AI and future-of-work strategies to help organizations stay adaptive and talent-focused.

Maureen Burke is a seasoned human capital leader with over 15 years of experience driving cultural transformation and organizational growth across public, private, and PE-backed sectors. Since joining Saatva in 2021, Maureen has been instrumental in scaling the organization from 180 to over 800 employees, overseeing talent strategy, executive compensation, and organizational development during a period of rapid expansion.
Her impactful tenure at Saatva includes overhauling the HR tech stack, implementing comprehensive compensation and benefits strategies, and fostering a culture of engagement through the launch of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
Prior to Saatva, Maureen served as Head of Talent & Culture at FMCG Direct, where she managed the HR sell-side diligence and M&A integration following its acquisition by Deluxe Corporation. She also holds deep retail and corporate HR experience from her time at Ross Stores, Inc. and Target Corporation.
Education & Professional Credentials
• MBA: University of Connecticut
• BA: Fordham University
• Certifications: Wharton Certificate in Executive Compensation, PHR, and ICF Certified Executive Coach
• Affiliations: Contributor to the Forbes HR Council

Paul is a seasoned advisor and thought leader with over 20 years of experience in HR strategy, organizational culture, and transformational change. As Practice Lead in Human Resources Advisory Services at McLean & Company, he partners with senior leaders across sectors to translate strategic ambition into actionable outcomes, helping organizations adapt and thrive amid complexity and change.

With a sharp focus on culture as the foundation for organizational success, Paul supports executives in assessing and reshaping their workplace environments to foster innovation, resilience, and alignment with core values. His approach is rooted in evidence-based practices and deep consulting experience, enabling leaders to build high-performing cultures that fuel long-term impact.

Paul brings a unique blend of strategic insight, systems thinking, and a strong commitment to values-driven leadership. Known for his ability to distill complexity and drive clarity, he has guided numerous organizations through periods of significant transformation – helping them unlock potential, overcome barriers, and build capacity for sustainable growth.

Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce (Management Information Systems), an MBA in Organizational Enablement, and the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation. He also contributes to his community through civic leadership roles, including serving on the City of Kitchener’s Equity and Anti-Racism Team and the City of Waterloo’s Economic Development Advisory Committee.