Executive Leadership
My education, expertise, and experience culminate in Executive Leadership. I have spent the better part of 16 years in strategy development and execution, including Industry and market assessments and analyses, value proposition
development, feasibility analyses, marketing planning, operations planning, financial planning, resource allocation, and validation. I excel at crafting and executing Vision Mission and Values, and fostering innovation,
collaboration, and loyalty.
Consulting & Management
At the crossroads of entrepreneurship, project management, critical thinking, and leadership, is Consulting. With a background in entrepreneurship and research, I can quickly absorb and understand complex industry, market,
and competitive data, perform assessments to identify causal relationships, pain points, and new opportunities to reduce risk, reduce cost, increase revenue, and better position a firm for competitiveness.
Entrepreneurship
I am not just trained and educated as an entrepreneur, I have decades of practical experience succeeding and failing. I have been coaching and advising entrepreneurs in various industries and at different levels, from pre-seed
to post-revenue. Business Planning, Investor Readiness, Pitching, Data Rooms, Projections, Research, Value Propositions, Business Models, there’s little I can’t do well.
Professional Experience
Retail Procurement & Luxury Fashion
I.T. Hardware & Web Development
Education Coaching & Training
Consulting Speaking & Leadership
Volunteering Social Work & Philanthropy
Expertise
Planning
Strategy, marketing, innovation management, operations, finance,
Consulting
Management, Executive, Diagnostics, strategic optimization, Coaching
Entrepreneurship
Education, Design Thinking, investment readiness, Pitching
Strategy
Research & Analysis, Strategy Crafting, opportunity Validation, Turnaround & Change
Education
Experiential Learning Program
I devised, planned, launched and continue to manage an ethically focused Experiential Learning Program in 2019 for College and University students to gain real-world experience in a variety of fields including management, consulting, research,
marketing, healthcare, strategy crafting, business planning, web and native development, graphic design, human resources management, and more!
Career
Personal Training Specialist
2000 to 2010 (PT)
Kinesiology OAC
I started my professional journey with small jobs in retail, but my passion stemmed from a 1-year OAC course (University-level) in Kinesiology. I learned about more than just anatomy, I learned to analyze movement, energy,
work, and the interwoven relationships between these elements to become a personal training specialist.
Personal Training Specialist
While working on my bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship, I also earned my PTS certificate. I spent a large part of my 20’s as a personal trainer with a ‘no nonsense’ attitude, strict discipline, science-based approach, and
a laser-focus on safety. I stood out in two major ways: My prioritization of safety over performance made it clear to clients that I wanted what was best for them, and not for myself; I was not there to sell them on something
they didn’t need, or that was unsafe, or untested. I also stood out by honing my skills in research and analysis to best understand the underlying principles behind training, avoiding fads, hype, and marketing-driven methodologies
that were only interested in increasing sales; I was there to help clients reach their goals, not to maximize revenues.
Advanced Training
I took my training career to the next step when I was approached by the first professional athlete to become my client. It was more than an honour, it was a validation of my knowledge and ability to work at a high level. In
the professional world, performance and safety must be delicately balanced, and I took on the challenge with a zeal. The experience helped develop my critical thinking, interpersonal communication, teaching/training, and
problem-solving skills. The success of my clients filled my heart with both wonder and joy, and making a positive contribution to just one person’s life was more than enough to bring me a deep feeling of satisfaction and
accomplishment.
Bachelor of Commerce
Honing My I.T. Skills
Earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree
Launching My First Start-Up
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
I attended Canada’s top University for Entrepreneurs, Ryerson University (now known as Toronto Metropolitan University). I was very lucky to study under some of Canada’s and North America’s top Entrepreneurship professors including Dr. Gedeon, Steve Tissenbaum, David Schlanger, and Neil Wolff.
I was taught Entrepreneurship with a rigorous, detailed, and highly analytical mindset. Innovation, Design Thinking, Business Planning, Industry and Market Analyses, Projections, Validation, and Scale were all focused
on, and complementary courses like Critical Thinking and Psychology were there to round out my education.
Awards
Master of Science in Management
2015 to 2017
Research, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
I studied Entrepreneurship in greater detail in my Masters Degree, spending considerable time on Branding, Innovation, Opportunity Spotting, and Business Planning, as well as specialized research in Entrepreneurship itself.
Academic Research
The difference between the MScM a and the MBA degrees is research. We attended and completed the same Quantitative and Qualitative research courses as the PhD students. I now have the honour of mentoring PhD and Masters students in research.
Strategy
Entrepreneurship may be driven by passion, but it is guided by strategy. As such, I made sure to build on my existing education and experience with carefully selected courses like Social Responsibility and Strategy in International
Business.
Interpersonal Trust
My thesis looked at a novel model of Interpersonal Inter- and Intra- Organizational Trust, in which I tested the model’s parsimony, effectiveness, and efficiency in measuring, managing, and repairing trust at various levels.
Awards
CMC
Certified Management Consultant
2018 to Present
What is a CMC?
The Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation is the profession’s only international certification mark, recognized in over 40 countries. It represents a commitment to the highest standards of consulting and adherence to the ethical canons of the profession.
The Canadian Association of Management Consultants (CMC-Canada) fosters excellence and integrity in the management consulting profession. CMC-Canada administers, and its provincial Institutes confer, the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation in Canada. CMC-Canada is a founding member of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI), now
CMC-Global.
Why CMC?
I was introduced to the CMC organization by a Professor S. Tissenbaum at the Toronto Metropolitan University. He had been a member of CMC for years and spoke highly of their acumen, professionalism, ethical focus, and standing in the consulting industry. I was immediately drawn to the organization and its incredible members, and having been a consultant for various businesses throughout my 30’s, I had the experience, education, and expertise to apply for the designation.
I passed all the required tests, as well as their course on ethics in consulting, and earned my CMC designation in the summer of 2018. Since then, I have been an active member of the Greater Toronto Area Board of CMC Canada, later being
named the Professional Development Chair, and FCMC Ontario Nomination Committee Member, all three roles I still hold today.
Roles & Contributions
Start-Up Projects
2006 to Present
I love Entrepreneurship, and am an active member of several start-ups
KnowQuest – Feedback Disrupted |We Build Trust|
The Big Leaf – Executive Consulting Firm
CLUO
Certifications & Designations
CMC
Certified Management Consultant. The top consulting designation worldwide.
2018 to Present
Startup School
Ryerson Entrepreneur Institute’s 15-week modular program in launching a start-up.
2015
Design thinking
Strascheg Centre for Entrepreneurship’s course in Design Thinking and Strategy.
2014
Ethical Behaviour
CMC Canada’s required certification course in Ethical Consulting Practices.
2017
CMC MAS Training
Management Advisory Services certification from CMC-Canada and the Government of Canada.
2020
TCPS 2
Tri-Council Policy on Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans.
2016
ASIST
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Program by the Livingworks organization.
2022
PTS
Personal Training Specialist via Can Fit Pro, specializing in science-and evidence- based training.
2009 to 2011
Philanthropy & Volunteering
I am passionate about doing my part and contributing where I can
Experiential Learning
In 2020, I launched one of the largest Experiential Learning Programs for College and University students worldwide, in which they take part in real-world projects. To date, I have managed 2,200+ students from 94+ schools via
www.thebigleaf.com.
The Big Leaf
World Marketing Summit
For the last two years, I negotiated with the Kotler Impact organization to donate 2 Million tickets to higher education students, to the largest marketing conference in the world,
the World Marketing Summit, with a total value of $98M! This was via
www.thebigleaf.com.
York University
In 2023, I donated $6,000 in-kind advisory and consulting services to York University’s students as part of the I-WIL Venture’s Placement program at York University, and the philanthropy
department at The Big Leaf.
NFIH Entrepreneur Donations
As part of The Big Leaf’s philanthropy department, which I launched in 2020, we donated over $6,000 to Pitch Competition Winners and Women-Entrepreneurs. The initiative was designed
to both celebrate and encourage entrepreneurs.
UR Worth More
I support non-profit organizations that help those that need it most, and the UR Worth More program helps children in need with events, education, and empathetic support. I gladly donated $500 to support the organization.
Toronto Metropolitan University
Through my start-up www.KnowQuest.net, I arranged for $5,000 in donations to outstanding students at the Toronto Metropolitan University. The donations went to students that were nominated
by their peers for their academic achievements.
Public Talks
I have offered my pro-bono publico services to several non-profit organizations such as TheGAAP.net and CMC, including giving public talks on subjects ranging from Consulting, to Entrepreneurship, to Business Planning,
to Artificial Intelligence, Personal Growth, and more. To date, I have given more than 25 public talks.
Case & Pitch Judging
For the last 5+ years, I have judged more than 27 Case / Pitch Competitions, including international competitions, at Universities and Colleges across Canada at the Graduate and Undergraduate
levels, including University of Toronto, York University, Concordia University, Brock University, Toronto Metropolitan University, and more.
