Meet our team

You’re reading this right now because you’re looking for the right expertise & advice to make your work better.

We understand how unique & important this is to you right now.

Our team of knowledgeable certified experts cares about you & provides the practical tools & advice to make work better for you and/or your organization.

We ensure the right coach & consultant fit, and are equally committed to helping you achieve your goals in our partnership & to get true value for your investment. Guaranteed.

Search for a specific team member by name, or search by keyword (ex. science, or HR) to find team members with related backgrounds.

Jason Parks

Vice President, Corporate Development

Jason has 20 years of proven business development expertise and believes in creating raving fans from every client experience. Coming from a background in printing and education, the balance of growing business while managing ongoing client projects comes naturally to Jason.

Erin Patchell

VP, People & Culture Solutions

Erin builds trusted partnerships, taking a great deal of care to understand organizational cultures, business objectives and people management scenarios in order to tailor consulting, learning, training and coaching solutions. Her highest priority is to support her client partners in the Federal and Provincial governments to build their culture from the inside out - top to bottom and bottom to top - living to their highest values, to make real business transformations happen and generate measurable bottom-line results.

Erin has more than 10 years of experience working with senior professionals including coaches, facilitators, learning designers, marketing experts and HR consultants. Her mission is to explore the best ideas, systems, methods, frameworks, tools and assessments and serve as an integrator to connect people and resources.

As a trained professional development coach, Erin is an evangelist of growth mindset and courage, and takes a special interest in service delivery excellence, curiosity, creativity, innovation & agility, organizational learning, culture change and leadership development.

Alan Kearns

Managing Partner and Head Career Coach

Alan Kearns is a leading thought leader on all things work. Author and contributor to The National, The Globe & Mail, National Post and CBC Radio, he shares the latest trends and changes in the Canadian workplace. Voted one of the Top 40 under 40, he is the Managing Partner and Founder of CareerJoy, an award-winning national boutique HR services firm serving 500+ leading Canadian organizations including World Vision, Shopify, The United Way, Toyota and The Government of Canada.
From St. John’s to Victoria, he oversees a team of smart, wise, certified professionals offering a variety of HR services including leadership coaching, transition support, employee engagement and workshops. His team is committed to making work better for Canadian professionals and organizations. He believes in the inherent value of the individual and is committed to supporting change and igniting growth.
People made better is work made better.

Gina McNeil

Client Success Specialist

Gina is heavily committed to professional development and lifelong learning. She has more than 25 years of progressive public and private sector leadership experience, from municipal leadership roles to marketing to customer experience/loyalty programs for a niche global brand.

Gina’s passion has always been serving as an inspiring leader. She enjoys bringing people together to collaborate on ideas, information, and possibilities, and is skilled at achieving positive, unified outcomes where everyone feels valued.

A strong believer in paying it forward, Gina has been a passionate advocate for community initiatives that promote inclusivity, betterment, and growth. Among her achievements is instituting and coordinating the first Positive Recreation Opportunities for Kids (PRO Kids) Program in Atlantic Canada, helping approximately 600 underprivileged children and drawing sponsorships, donations, and volunteers from 150+ organizations.

Gina’s easy-going sense of humor and wit is a defining management strategy to bring out the best in everyone, instill pride, and engage them in cultivating relationships that go beyond customer service.

Meagan Tavenier

Practice Lead, People & Culture Solutions

Meagan is a Hospitality professional with over 18 years of experience in hotels and event planning. She thrives on meaningful interactions and assisting others in achieving their personal and professional goals.

Meagan specializes in building nurturing relationships that are meaningful and supportive, and takes pride in finding the most impactful solutions for her clients.

Alongside her corporate practice, Meagan supports our professional to leadership level individual clients through transformative career transitions.

Amanda Lockhart

Practice Lead, Government Solutions

Passionate about people, Amanda is as enthusiastic about the successes of her team members as about her own and,  is always there to support others when needed.  Her years of experience in operational-based roles have provided Amanda with strong knowledge in process development, project management, and systems development. A Concordia graduate in Therapeutic Recreation, Amanda is very involved in her community through both volunteer work and her seat on the board of directors for a non-profit organization.

Jaime-Lee Patrick

Corporate Success Specialist

An optimistic and motivated professional, Jaime-Lee brings over fifteen years of customer service experience gained in wide-ranging and exciting settings including hospitality, aviation and assisting the Board of Directors and Executive Director of Operations for the Canadian Olympic Committee. A highly-adaptable team member, she strives to support her clients through resourceful and constructive collaborations to reach their goals and achieve success. Jaime-Lee has always been driven to help people navigate through situations, both challenging and rewarding. A global citizen from her love of travel, Jaime-Lee carries an abundance of experience and enthusiasm for what the world has to offer and welcomes opportunities to share and grow with her clients and colleagues.

Kieran Davies

Client Success Specialist

Born and raised in England, Kieran is always excited about a new adventure. Studying Business Marketing & Sales has led Kieran to spending everyday connecting and learning how we can best support individuals. He has multiple years of experience in Marketing and Sales which helps reflect his outgoing personality. Meeting and helping new people is something that Kieran takes pride in. Kieran is one of CareerJoy's Client Success Specialists, looking for new opportunities every day to assist clients in achieving their goals, both professionally and personally.

Jennifer Facchin

Director of Coaching and Culture

An accomplished Facilitator and Certified CareerJoy CQ Career Intelligence Coach™, Ms. Jennifer Facchin is dedicated to guiding individuals on their path to achieving unprecedented results, by aligning their actions and values and propelling the development of their career and leadership skills. Working with professionals of all levels and functions, Jennifer specializes in adopting a consultative approach to sieve through her clients’ stories, looking for the gold that will make their candidacies shine. Having identified their key assets and accomplishments, Jennifer helps job seekers formulate their Professional Value Proposition, determine well-defined goals, and get through every stage of the job search process with confidence, including resume writing and interview preparation. On top of being an ICCP-1 Integral Associate Coach™, DiSC Certified, and International Coaching Federation Member Certified, Ms. Facchin leverages an unmatched ability to connect with individuals and teams to optimize potentials and transitions. With expertise spanning across recruitment, leadership development, employee engagement, OD projects, training and facilitation, business development management, and corporate store management, she has been successfully supporting teams from the private sector for the last 15 years. As a firm believer that the culture of an organization is meant to be lived, Jennifer uses a global vision to instill positive change aligning with both the corporate mission and the employees’ values and aspirations. At CareerJoy, Jennifer wears many hats in contributing to the organization’s expanding footprint as a thought leader in the Canadian industry. Notably serving as a Leadership CQ Facilitator and CQ Team Lead, she mentors aspiring teams to help them reach their full potential and expand their impact in their workplace while championing the importance of employee engagement and how to maximize it via good leadership practices. A transcendental leader and relationship builder, Jennifer embodies everything she preaches by overseeing an internal group called the ‘Culture Crew’. Formerly known as the ‘Happiness Crew’, this group ensures that everyone at CareerJoy is living by the organization’s values, by integrating Diversity and Inclusion workshops, Wellness best practices, Lunch & Learns, and regular meetings focused on accountability, growth, and innovation. Jennifer also plays a pivotal role in driving the continuous improvement of client offerings, by coordinating cross-functional teams to offer best-in-class services, while humanizing and modernizing tools to empower clients and help them take the reins of their own development   ICCP-1 Associate Certification

George Muenz

Career Transition Coach

With over 40 years of experience, George is one of our senior coaches and among the most respected career and leadership coaches in Canada. George specializes in working with clients with their very personalized and individualized needs, all while focusing on real-world strategies. Known for his ability to help clients understand and articulate their capabilities, value, and potential, George is a perfect fit for the CareerJoy team. An expert in outplacement, career transition, job search, and on-site termination support - George has experience working with clients that vary from startups to leading international firms like IBM, Price Waterhouse and Motorola. In addition to this, George is very experienced in working with clients from entry-level to the C-Suite.

Credentials

CCDP (Certified Career Development Practitioner)

Personal Interests

Reading, Self-Improvement, Coaching (Work and Sports), International Affairs, Cycling (Road and Track).

Favourite Clients

Favourite Clients are the ones who thank me for the positive impact I have had on their lives and not just for the Job Search Success. I seem to do well with Senior Executives, C-Level.

Success Stories

George is excellent as a career coach - from helping with informational reviews, to resume tips, to networking, negotiating and interview help. However, what he adds above and beyond that skill set (and what was most important to me as a client), was empathy, patience and understanding for each individual's situation.  I originally met George when I parted ways with an employer that almost destroyed my confidence and spirit, not to mention my love of working in sales. I ultimately landed a job at a great company and I negotiated a salary increase from the initial offer & car allowance – I don’t think I would have been successful without George’s initial patience, guidance and just being there for me. - Eve Groth  

Deborah Plant

Deborah Plant | Instructional Designer

Deborah is a Learning and Development Consultant with 15+ years experience designing, delivering, and implementing strategic, engaging learning programs for Canadian corporations. At CareerJoy, Deborah designs and develops customized learning solutions to enhance leadership competencies, increase employee engagement, and drive cultural transformation.

Credentials:

  • Adult Education Certificate, St. Francis Xavier University
  • Adult Education Diploma, Seneca College
  • Human Resources Post Graduate Diploma, Durham College
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Simon Fraser University

    • Emily Seabrook

    Manager of Corporate Solutions

    With a decade of experience in the non-profit, government, and events industries, Emily is passionate about bringing people together. She specializes in logistics and operations planning for multi-faceted projects and corporate events. Emily enjoys finding solutions and opportunities for growth and supports her clients and colleagues with a positive approach.

    Moises Morales

    Practice Lead, People & Culture Solutions

    Moises has a heart for building high-performance teams, engaging employees, developing leaders, and creating attractive corporate cultures. Over the past 20 years, he has led a myriad of teams within various sectors such as Telecommunications, SaaS, Physical and Electronic Security, Learning and Development, and the Non-Profit sector.

    Moreover, his experience in Lean methodologies and continuous improvement mindset enables him to focus on adding value to customers. He is a natural relationship builder and believes in the importance of getting to know people personally. Colleagues and customers consider him a trusted advisor, a business partner, and an advocate for diversity in the workplace.

    Karen Haas

    Career and Leadership Coach

    Karen has a talent for helping clients see the value of their unique combination of skills and the possibilities those skills hold. When coaching clients and writing their resumes, Karen deciphers each client’s driving factors for success and what exactly sets them apart in their field. She is skilled at recognizing ways of leveraging accomplishments and abilities to strategically set and reach goals. By identifying things clients may have overlooked, she helps them to see how their skills can be transferable. Using an analytical approach, Karen facilitates clients in seeing the potential that may not always be obvious to themselves.

    Credentials

    Bachelor of Arts (Sociology - major; Criminology - concentration; Management - minor) first 5 courses of Certified Financial Planner Designation (former financial planner)

    Personal Interests

    Medical Research, Gardening, tutoring math; clients:

    Favourite Clients

    mid 40's - late 50's professionals, career change, students, identity clients, clients with a sense of humour and humility

    Success Stories

    "Kevin and Karen were critical players in helping me get back on my feet in such a short period of time. I wish I could work with these two forever. Even though I thought I knew how to network, Kevin taught me a lot more. Same with Karen and how to write a real resume." – Andrew Hind

    Claire Dillon

    Practice Lead, People & Culture Solutions

    Claire has over 15 years experience in sales and brand management in the healthcare and luxury fashion industries. She is passionate about understanding her clients’ needs and takes pride in finding the best possible solution for each client. She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a degree in Political Science and never lets an unknown word pass her by without making a note to look up the definition later.

    Anna Consoli

    Career Transition Coach

    Anna has a passion for helping people make a meaningful change in their careers.

    Anna’s coaching involves partnering with her clients in their journey from uncertainty to clarity. Her goal is to help clients enhance their self-awareness, explore skills, and identify strengths, providing them with a clear understanding of the unique value they can bring into a new job or role.

    Through deep questioning Anna guides her clients toward uncovering fears and blocks so they can shift their mindsets to gain confidence, motivation, and inspiration. Clients learn to observe their thoughts, feelings, and actions and intentionally choose the ones that serve them better.

    Anna has had extensive experience with complexity and vulnerability during her career in academia and health research. Those experiences have helped her to bring empathy, compassion, and kindness to her coaching practice. As an authentic and non-judgemental career coach, Anna takes an honest and insightful approach to helping her clients feel safe, inspired, and empowered by their own resources, abilities, and talents.

    Jane Fenton

    Certified Executive & Health Coach | Career Transition Coach

    Jane is a Certified Executive and Health Coach specializing in Career Transitions. Her expertise is uniquely tailored to coaching clients who are navigating endings and embarking on new beginnings.

    Clients who partner with Jane tap into her soul-centered presence and heartfelt passion for people who are committed to deep personal growth. Through sharpened self-awareness and active learning, clients gain high-performance outcomes and solution-focused results.

    A professional coach of 15 years, Jane has lived and raised her family in ten countries around the world. Her experience negotiating employment, as well as logistical, cultural, practical, and linguistic barriers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australasia helps her to identify great opportunities in every pivot.

    Jane’s global odyssey has equipped her with a dynamic range of competencies and expertise in the non-profit, media / communications, investment / finance, and healthcare sectors.

    Jane is an ACC coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is also the co-founder of a Toronto-based eating disorder centre that has helped more than 30,000 women, men, and youth.

    CREDENTIALS/EDUCATION

  • Professional Health Coach Certification (York University; Toronto, ON)
  • Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching (Royal Roads University; Victoria, BC)
  • Embodied Leadership + Somatic Coaching (Strozzi Institute; Berkeley, CA, USA)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Sonoma State University, CA, USA)
  • Life Coaching Certification, Results Coaching Systems (Sydney, Australia)

      • SUCCESS STORIES

      “Jane has a remarkable way of connecting deeply with individuals. Her questions provoke deep self-reflection of personal motivators, behaviours, and actions – they guide you to identify your strengths and become aware of blind-spots. A coaching conversation with Jane leaves you feeling empowered, grounded, and more trusting of your innate capabilities and talents; you will possess the clarity and motivation needed to sustain the changes you desire, both personally and professionally.”

      “Jane brings a courageous, warm, and open presence to her engagements. She creates an inviting and safe place to work through the right things at any given time. Her ability to connect in the spirit of partnership is felt long after your time together. I’d welcome the opportunity to work with her again.”

    Janet Mrenica

    Coaching

    Janet brings over 20 years of bilingual leadership management with the federal public service, 13 of was at the executive level. She is passionate about supporting people through times of uncertainty (including climate change), executive coaching, career/leadership development of the next generation of leaders, and team facilitation. Her working style integrates Circle and Somatic practices.

    Credentials:

  • Certified Integral Professional Coach
  • Climate Change Engagement Coach
  • Member of the International Coaching Federation
  • Practitioner of Neil’s Wheel & the Enneagram
  • The Working Mind Manager, Mental Health Commission of Canada
  • First Aid Mental Health, Mental Health Commission of Canada

    Janet’s career journey was primarily within central agencies, science-based, social & international departments, and social enterprise/not-for-profit sectors in Canada and internationally. She has been engaged in and has led numerous organizational and system transformation initiatives.

    She has spent many volunteer hours in capacity building of the public service financial management community in leadership positions with the Financial Management Institute – Capital Chapter, and infrastructure, the Women’s Infrastructure Network – Ottawa Chapter.

    She is a Fellow CPA/CMA, recognized for the breadth of her career in community advocacy, strategic financial management, and corporate and policy sectors. In 2015 she was awarded the CPA Canada National Award of Excellence in Public Sector Management in the Team Innovation category for her contribution as Executive Lead of the Integrated Management Framework for Environmental Contaminated Sites at Environment and Climate Change Canada.

    Janet’s care and compassion for navigating people change are supported by her ability to be flexible with changing organizational circumstances, her passion for deep listening/meaningful conversation, and her ability in taking on new challenges. She brings to the table her training and exploration of Circle Practice, Mental Health & Grief and Loss programming, and lenses of both healing and reconciliation with indigenous peoples and low climate-carbon economies.

    Rob Wearing

    Coaching

    Rob is a people and culture leader with 35 years of corporate and management experience. Throughout his career, he has held a variety of organizational leadership and strategic career management roles.

    As the Director of Learning and Development at Harley Davidson Canada, and most recently a partner with Durham College Continuing Studies, Rob has been trusted with developing and delivering operational and leadership training programs in addition to counseling for management, career development, and career transition. As a career and skills development subject matter expert and trusted strategic advisor, Rob is a natural at connecting the dots between business and strategy.

    Rob engages employees and inspires productivity by using experiential training methods and adult learning principles. He has helped clients see limitless possibilities through solution-focused, goal-directed actions using real time strategies.

    Respected by his peers and clients as a development and career coach, Rob is a strong believer that “a good coach can make their team see what they can be rather, than what they are.” Let him show you!

    Credentials

  • Masters Accreditation in Adult Training and Development (M.CATD) / Schulich
  • Certified Training Professional, Canadian Society for Training and Development / CTP
  • Professional Leader Designation / Niagara Institute, Conference Board of Canada
  • Bachelor of Arts Degree (Economics and Political Science) / York University

    Success Stories:

    “Rob’s training and facilitation expertise contributed to the success of the company through his ability to align their development goals to the goals of the business and then use his business acumen as the ‘glue’ that provided a unique learning experience for our associates.”

    “Rob is a natural teacher, a talented speaker and a seasoned HR specialist. His relaxed yet professional style allows him to easily engage and communicate with his audience.”

    “Rob is a natural ice breaker and engagement artist.”

    Sarah Willsey

    Career Transition Coach

    Sarah is an enthusiastic, energetic career coach who truly enjoys helping others. She has always known helping people is something that needed to be a part of her career, but she wasn’t quite sure how. After consulting a career coach, Sarah discovered her true passion was helping others discovering who they were meant to be.

    Relying on her experience in sales and marketing to help companies reach their goals, Sarah helps individuals define the unique qualities they bring to a role and to an organization, and how to effectively communicate those strengths and abilities. 

    Sarah has helped clients by finding new roles that better align with themselves, determining their goals in their own career growth, and working with clients entering retirement on how to embrace the new chapter in their lives.

    Defining one’s values, interests and skills can create an alignment with goals and career growth. Always striving for personal and professional growth, Sarah is a candidate for Coaching Certification through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), a recognized institution by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

    Sarah is an avid traveler who enjoys being pushed out of her comfort zone, learning about international cultures, and exploring uncharted territories. Some of her traveling highlights include hiking to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland and partaking in religious ceremonies in India along the Ganges River. She also enjoys refinishing old furniture and raising a small herd of grass-fed beef on her family’s farm.

    Nancy Kalinda

    Facilitator | HR Consultant | Career Transition Coach

    Nancy brings more than 14 years of human resources experience to her coaching practice at CareerJoy. A former HR Advisor, she has a specialization in Organization Design and Change Management within Canada’s federal public service.

    When working with clients who are navigating organizational change, Nancy employs a holistic and human approach to create order and clarity from chaos. She is also a skilled training facilitator who loves to awaken insights in people and within groups. Through her one-on-one Career Transition Coaching practice, Nancy loves to help clients create action plans that align with their goals and that will make them feel alive.

    Rose Kattackal

    Senior Executive Leader, Career Coach, CareerJoy

    Senior Executive Leader with >20 years of C-Suite experience in transforming strategy to programs to business operations and driving practical, innovative solutions aligned to the organizational context.

    A trusted collaborator who builds alliances with partners, senior officials, various levels of government, industry- community- non-governmental stakeholders.

    An action-oriented pathfinder who works with clients across diverse industries to leverage economic- social-sustainable leadership opportunities for citizens/customers.

    Ann Demers

    Coaching
    Former Executive Director, CBSA

    Ann is a perfectly bilingual certified integral development coach specializing in leadership and career development, executive coaching, HR consulting, and team facilitation.

    She has 30+ years of experience in strategic human resource management, talent & learning development, career development, retiring as an Executive Director (EX02) at CBSA where she provided HR services, in the areas of Talent Acquisition and Staffing and also in Training and Learning Design. Ann has supported the development/learning coaching to AEXDP participants and guided the senior executive community (ADM/Deputy Ministers) on program principles, guidelines, and administration; she has delivered services related to career planning, executive development & professional counselling/coaching; She has facilitated Action Learning Group/Peer coaching Leadership Circles; Coordinated and acted as a board member in the participant’s promotion processes (EX-2, EX-3).

    Previous to that, in an executive role at DND, she provided strategic direction on the modernization of HR Service Delivery; as a senior manager, she also managed DND’s Civilian EAP, Well-being program with a particular focus on mental health education, and also oversaw the Awards & Recognition program with a focus on building a culture of recognition.

      Ancienne Directrice exécutive à l’ASFC

    Ann est coach certifiée en perfectionnement intégral parfaitement bilingue, spécialisée dans le développement du leadership et de carrière, le coaching exécutif, la consultation en RH et la facilitation d'équipe.

    Elle a plus de 30 ans d'expérience dans la gestion stratégique des ressources humaines, le développement des talents et de l'apprentissage développement de carrière. Elle a pris sa retraite en tant que Directrice exécutive (EX02) à l'ASFC où elle a fourni des services de RH, dans les domaines d’acquisition de talents et de la dotation ainsi qu’en formation et apprentissage. Ann a soutenu et encadré le développement/apprentissage des participants au PPACS et a guidé la communauté des cadres supérieurs (SMA/Sous-ministres) sur les principes, les lignes directrices et l'administration du programme; elle a fourni des services liés à la planification de carrière, au développement des cadres et au conseil/coaching professionnel; elle a animé des groupes d'apprentissage par l'action et des cercles de leadership de coaching par les pairs; elle a coordonné et agi en tant que membre du conseil dans les processus de promotion des participants (EX-2, EX-3).

    Auparavant, dans un rôle de cadre au MDN, elle a fourni une orientation stratégique sur la modernisation de la prestation de service en RH; en tant que gestionnaire sénior, elle a aussi géré le PAE civil du PAE du MDN, le programme de mieux-être avec un focus particulier sur l’éducation en santé mentale, et a également géré le programme de prix et reconnaissance avec une attention particulière sur la création d'une culture de reconnaissance.

    Sally Thornton

    Coaching
    Sally Thornton is a former Assistant Deputy Minister in the federal public service with strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.  She has 30 years of experience, including work in both central agency and line departments.  She is results-oriented and believes that the best way to achieve results is to invest in people – individuals, teams and at the organizational level. Sally retired from the Public Service in 2020, with extensive experience in expenditure management, strategic policy and planning, operations and human resources.  She is a seasoned executive, with a focus on collaborative approaches to complex problems, including organizational change, program and project delivery, operations, risk and change management.  Her most recent focus is on resilience in the workplace, particularly in a pandemic and post-pandemic world, including enhancing well-being; establishing an effective virtual presence, and leveraging appreciative inquiry and the power of positive change. Since retirement, Sally has been spending more time on her hobbies – painting and sculpting - and has continued to maintain her network in the federal government and enhance her facilitation, coaching and mentoring skills.   Sally Thornton est une ancienne sous-ministre adjointe de la fonction publique fédérale, dotée de solides compétences en matière de leadership, de relations interpersonnelles et de communication.  Elle a 30 ans d'expérience, notamment dans des organismes centraux et des ministères responsables.  Elle est axée sur les résultats et croit que la meilleure façon d'obtenir des résultats est d'investir dans les gens - les individus, les équipes et au niveau organisationnel. Sally a pris sa retraite de la fonction publique en 2020, avec une vaste expérience en gestion des dépenses, en politique et planification stratégiques, en opérations et en ressources humaines.  C'est un cadre chevronné, qui privilégie les approches collaboratives pour résoudre des problèmes complexes, notamment en matière de changement organisationnel, d'exécution de programmes et de projets, d'opérations, de gestion des risques et du changement.  Elle s'intéresse plus récemment à la résilience en milieu de travail, en particulier dans un monde pandémique et post-pandémique, notamment en améliorant le bien-être, en établissant une présence virtuelle efficace et en tirant parti de l'enquête appréciative et du pouvoir du changement positif. Depuis qu'elle est à la retraite, Sally consacre plus de temps à ses passe-temps - la peinture et la sculpture - et continue à entretenir son réseau au sein du gouvernement fédéral et à améliorer ses compétences en matière d'animation, de coaching et de mentorat.

    Julien Lafreniere

    Executive Resume Writer / Translator

    Holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and avid writer since I can remember, I had already produced a number of papers, including a novel and various articles, when I got the opportunity of making my debut as a Resume Writer at a world-renowned organization. Soon after, my skills and dedication to consistently surpass customers’ expectations allowed me to get noticed and be promoted as a Senior Resume Writer and Language Expert (English and French) for the Canadian region. Since 2019, I have the pleasure of contributing to CareerJoy’s continued success as a Translator and Certified Resume & Branding Coach. Passionate about meeting new people, I take pride in building close rapport with my clients to understand their unique backgrounds and desires, helping them confidently attack the job market with high-quality, tailored documents.

    Charlie Guy

    Senior Career and Leadership Coach

    Charlie is a Human Resources professional (CHRE) with over 40 years experience in senior and executive leadership roles extending across a variety of sectors from telecommunication to not for profit.
    He has a strong sense of commitment to personal values of integrity, excellence, and continuous improvement. He has cultivated a solid reputation for mentoring and coaching young leaders up to C-suite executives. His coaching has focussed on team building, leadership development and career transition.  

    Credentials

    Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE)-HRPA Graduate of Rotman’s Advanced Program in Human Resources Management
    Arrow Executive Leadership Program
    Bachelor of Arts-History & Geography
    Bachelor of Adult Education
     

    Personal Interests

    Reading
    Sports, especially playing golf and pickleball
    Coaching Women’s Slo-Pitch baseball
    SPN Umpire
     

    Delia Noel

    Coaching
    Special Counsellor by trade, Organizational change and development consultant by profession.
    28 years in the helping and social services field working with youth and families in crisis. Over 15 years of presenting various workshops and professional seminars.
    My purpose in life is to help change the world, one person at a time.  I aspire to do this by supporting people to have a safe space to question their own beliefs and how those beliefs allow them to navigate the world they live in.

    Paula Connolly

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    For 20+ years, Paula has helped clients improve their individual and business outcomes. Her deep understanding of workplace challenges and how to achieve results comes from years of designing and presenting customized training programs for businesses and government.   Paula’s expertise in human resources training and coaching for government clients has seen her lead hundreds of training sessions. She applies adult learning principles and knows the best results occur when participation and questions are encouraged. Paula is adept at adjusting her approach to suit each group’s specific needs, giving participants opportunities to reflect, challenge, discuss and experience new ideas and skills to enhance their growth and learning.    As a Career Coach, Paula has had great success helping clients plan their careers, improve their resumes and prepare for government interviews.    Originally from Prince Edward Island, Paula dabbles in oil painting and is an avid sports fan.    Paula’s training and coaching successes include:
    • Designed and delivered 50+ Career Planning seminars for provincial government’s Administrative Professionals Learning and Development Program including career coaching for over 500 participants
    • Provided career training and coaching to clients experiencing downsizing or restructuring: Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Pan/Para Pan American Games Secretariat, CIRNAC, Ministry of Community and Social Services
    • Provided individual coaching to 30+ government managers to prepare for executive positions
    • Designed and developed courseware for over 40 classroom and on-line training workshops on diverse topics

    Professional Designations:

    • Bachelor of Business Administration, Acadia University
    • Certificates in Adult Education and Professional Courseware Design
    • EQ-I 2.0 and EQ 360 Certification
    • Personality Dimensions® Certification

    Cynthia Dennis

    Resume Coach

    Cynthia's passion for Human Resources has guided her to devote her career to helping people and companies collaborate and succeed together. Her multidisciplinary career has led her to focus across many of the HR specialities including recruitment, training, organizational development, resume writing and career coaching.
    With over 20 years of expertise and a degree in Labour-Management Relations, Cynthia has the ability to understand an organization's needs and expectations and transform them into a successful recruitment strategy. On the employee side, she has a proven track record of providing insightful career guidance including professional resume writing to help clients take the meaningful steps towards their next career.
    Cynthia enjoys meeting and partnering with clients to create a unique story based on their individual experiences and niches.

    Debora Dekok

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Debora has been a Resume Coach with CareerJoy since 2005 and is also one of CareerJoy’s Biographical Career Report (BCR) analysts. In this role she gets to know her clients’ most satisfying life accomplishments and analyzes those accomplishments to uncover common threads to propel their career direction forward. Throughout her career in journalism, Debora enjoyed getting to the core of a story by gathering information and retelling the story in an easily understood way. At CareerJoy, she does the same with resumes. Debora hones in on a client’s unique skills and experiences, and reframes them with clarity and precision, creating a clear, concise and readable resume so employers can easily understand a client’s career highlights at a glance.

    Professional designations

    • Technical Writer Graduate Certificate
    • Advanced Resume Development certification from the Career Professionals of Canada
    • Photojournalism Diploma
    • Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology
    • Certified Biographical Career Report Analyst

    Personal Interests

    running, creating art

    Favourite Clients

    mid-high management in any industry

    Garen Jemian

    Senior Leadership Consultant

    Accredited by both the Government of Quebec and Canada. Closing speaker of TEDx Concordia 2017 “Motivation Beyond Money” and Author of “Happy People Work Harder.” Garen's primary mission is to improve any and all work-related metrics for the individual, the team and the organization. Developing leadership competencies, engaging the workforce and driving performance, Garen leverages his background in business ownership, management and his coaching mastery to bring the absolute best out of his clients. Professional Snapshot: • Accredited Senior Leadership Development Consultant - Government of Canada • Accredited Leadership Development Consultant - Government of Quebec (CPMT) • Professional Certified Coach (PCC) - International Coach Federation • Certified [LQ] Leadership Intelligence • Certified EverythingDiSC • Certified Emotional Intelligence EQi 2.0 • Certified DYNAMIX Team Performance • Certified Highlands Ability Battery • Author of "Happy People Work Harder" • TEDTalk - "Motivation Beyond Money" Public Service - Departments and Agencies Served Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Canadian Heritage Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor/CNEDA) Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) Copyright Board of Canada (CBCDA) Department of Justice Canada (DOJ) Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFOMPO) Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Health Canada Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Senate of Canada Statistical Society of Canada (SSC) Transport Canada Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)

    Jan Williams

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Jan is a prime example of success in the career coaching world - as head of her own successful cross-cultural training company in Europe, Jan achieved considerable success in training managers to communicate effectively in international environments. Jan's professional coaching background ranges from executive and leadership coaching to career and employment coaching. Jan’s experience includes career management/advice/identity/exploration, outplacements, career transitions, job search, on-site termination, and leadership development. Jan has experience working with clients that vary in professional status. In addition to this, Jan is experienced in dealing with almost every industry in Canada.

    Professional Designations

    Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching, Royal Roads Univ., Victoria, BC 2005 ICF accredited. Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design, Royal Roads Univ. Victoria, BC 2014 CELTA -Cambridge Examination Board Certificate for adult learners, Amsterdam, NL, 1995   Instructional Design For Technology Mediated Learning Royal Roads University                                 Graphic Design for Instructional Design Advanced Project Management   CELTA Cambridge University Certificate for Adult Learning  International Accredited Amsterdam, Netherlands 1997.

    Personal Interests

    I love cycling, hiking, skiing, sight seeing, traveling, talking with good friends over a beer or a glass of wine. By nature, I am a curious person, so I love researching and investigating.   Hobbies - I see myself as a storyteller so I'm working on a number of screenplays.  I've taken classes and really enjoy the prospects of maybe turning my stories into short TV series. I also enjoy languages.  I do speak some French, Spanish and Dutch.  I enjoy learning about new cultures and having conversations about them.  I really enjoy people and their complexities. 

    Favourite Clients

    My Favorite Client - I like working with highly intelligent people, both men and women.  I enjoy the way their minds work and how they see themselves in their world.  I enjoy challenging them.  I really enjoy it when they see something that they hadn't seen before.  For a number of years I taught Business at local  colleges to Korean, Japanese and Chinese students all between the ages of 20 and 30.  It was really fun!  I enjoyed learning about their culture, food, critical thinking and learning a little bit of their language.

    Success Story

    "I thoroughly enjoyed working with Jan. She was very engaged in my development and offered practical advice, constructive feedback and a comfortable environment for discussing personal issues. My favourite aspect of our sessions was finding the language to discuss past achievements, personal preferences and future goals. I found that, by talking through everything with Jan, I was able to unearth stories and ideas I never would have thought of on my own and practice concisely discussing them for future networking/interviews. Jan offered a great balance between leading the direction of our sessions, and also letting me direct where I would like to devote more focus. I wasn't sure what to expect as I started our program, but I left my first session feeling energized and encouraged, and that feeling remained throughout our time together." - Richard Mitchell

    Judith Cane

    Finance Transition Coach

    Judith has worked in the financial services industry for 27 years first as an insurance agent, then as a full service adviser and finally, since 2010, as a Money Coach. She has worked with hundreds of clients to create a clear picture of their financial situation, build a realistic spending and savings plan, implement a “Get Out of Debt and Stay There” strategy and finally help them begin to achieve their financial goals.
    She has spoken on stage and in workshops across Canada and is an engaging speaker who has an ability to connect with audiences, both large and small, at a personal level. Her listeners walk away not only inspired, but also armed with practical, actionable information that they can use to achieve their financial goals and live the life they want. She has presented workshops with Industry Canada, Invest Ottawa, Enterprise Renfrew County, Canadian Medical Protective Agency, National Research Council Canada and Veritaaq.
    Judith is Canada’s Money Coach and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Living and Chatelaine. She has a weekly segment on 1310NEWS and is seen once a month on CTV Morning Live talking about everything money so if you are up early enough, you’ll see her there.

    Professional Designations

    • Human Resource Management Certificate

    Kathleen McLean

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Kathleen started her coaching career following 36 years in the Public Service, the last ten of which were as a successful senior executive. Kathleen is a fluently bilingual Certified Professional Coach. She specializes in assisting clients to make effective and lasting change. Her approach is by exploring and identifying personal goals, identifying solutions to leadership challenges and setting objectives and plan to advance their careers. She brings extensive experience in most Public Service disciplines including strategic business planning and corporate reporting, finance, and human resource management. She is a dynamic, inclusive, adaptive and proactive coach and senior leader who is known to have excellent listening skills. She has a good sense of empathy, a positive outlook and an ability to motivate others.

    Credentials

    • Certified Professional Coach
    • Bachelor’s Degree in Administration
    • NATO Defence College Graduate
    • 360 Feedback

    Favourite Clients

    My favourite client is someone that is willing and enthusiastic about entering into a journey of discovery together

    Laurie Fenske

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Laurie’s coaching successes are rooted in her ability to lead clients to find their best solutions within themselves. Clients are drawn to Laurie’s passion and commitment for helping clients to achieve substantial improvements in their work through high-energy coaching sessions and workshop facilitation. Drawing from her extensive professional experiences, Laurie offers Individual Executive and Leadership Coaching for clients who are striving for more but need leadership guidance to reach their top goals.  She has also had great success as an Organizational Strategic coach, partnering with organizations or entrepreneurs seeking to elevate their business to the next level of success. Laurie offers customized training programs and workshops to enhance the learning and development successes of individuals or teams.

    Credentials

    • Professional Certified Coach 
    • Member: International Coaching Federation
    • 2019 Nominee RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award
    • Certified McQuaig Facilitator
    • Certified Book Yourself Solid ® Coach
    • Indigenous Awareness Certified
    • Indigenous Communication & Consultation Certified

    Personal Interests

    Golf, gardening

    Favourite Clients

    mid to executive level desiring change

    Success Stories

    “Those whom Laurie coaches gain from not only her considerable skills, but also from her understanding of the pressures and importance of performance in business. Her leadership and coaching experience in competitive, performance-oriented business environments is a valuable and rare combination.” – T. Taylor, PBDM

    Lillian Thomsen

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Lillian specializes in executive level competition preparation including identifying leadership competency gaps and opportunities for growth, interview preparation and conducting mock interviews followed by individual assessments. She has also done extensive coaching of public servants and of colleagues in the not-for-profit sector, where she is very active.  She has extensive experience facilitating retreats, change management and leadership development workshops in both the public and not-for-profit sectors and is bilingual in both official languages.

    Credentials

    M.A. (ABD) in Soviet History, Joint BA with full majors in both history and economics. Lean certificate (green) in healthcare

    Personal Interests

    Writing, the arts, healthcare and other public policy issues, including international affairs.

    Favourite Clients

    I enjoy both the group coaching circles and individual coaching, both "goal" focused, i.e., a job competition, or "bigger questions", such as next stages in life/career.

    Lisa Pierosara

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Lisa is a senior certified professional coach, facilitator and collaborative program leader with a history of fostering transformative change, communications excellence and leadership effectiveness. After many years coaching young professionals at the Schulich School of Business and working with Canadian employers for the MBA program, she consults as a professional certified affiliate coach with CareerJoy, among other projects with executive clients across all business sectors (public, not for profit and corporate). Lisa walks the talk of pursuing next-level work that “fits” with who you are and what you want, a common goal for her seasoned roster of career coaching clients. For her executive and leadership development clients, she brings her background in branding, communications, DEI, and management effectiveness to co-create relevant leadership strategies and help clients create and sustain the conditions for high performance.

    Credentials

    BA French; College degree in Marketing ICF PCC (with training by both Adler & CTI) Management Effectiveness (Reddin Global) CoachingOurselves CareerLeader

    Personal Interests

    Cooking, home decor, fitness, downhill skiing, cycling, hiking, historical fiction, hospitality, mentorship, inclusion, communication effectiveness, free speech, anything parenting/family related, art galleries, etc!

    Favourite Clients

    Smart and humble, motivated, progression-focused, reflective, grateful, learner's mindset -- from any industry, function or age-stage.

    Success Stories

    “Lisa was an excellent communicator and facilities the exchange of ideas very well. My sessions felt like they were brainstorming events. I have a much better understanding of what I am looking for in my career life and how career /balance should be. Having a career profession acting as your advocate is a very powerful catalyst when looking for a new direction in a persons work life. The system works. It’s effective and provides results.” – Mark G.

    Lynda Peto

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    A member of the CareerJoy team since 2014 - Lynda’s personal success leads her to be an essential tool for mid-career transitions. Lynda’s coaching philosophy involves unlocking each client's potential and supporting them in developing and achieving a sense of agency in their careers. Lynda’s an expert in career management/advice/identity/exploration, outplacements, career transitions, job search, and on-site termination. In addition to being well versed in group coaching methods, and expert at working with clients of all ages and career points working in any industry in Canada. 

    Credentials

    • Certified Career and Employment Coach
    • Certified Designing Your Life Coach based on the #1 New York Times Best Seller “Designing Your Life - How to Build a Well-Lived and Joyful Life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.
    • Certified Career Coach and Facilitator from the University of Winnipeg
    • Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education

    Favourite Clients

    Student, early career, mid-career  - interested in people in general and always find something interesting to share.  Most favourite clients are the motivated and are doing this work for themselves and not to please others (eg: Mom and Dad :))

    Success Stories

    “Working with Lynda from CareerJoy has been a very productive and helpful process. The in-depth assessments helped me identify my strengths, abilities and passions. I was then able to research careers that best utilized these traits and started charting a new career path. I was able to identify the job description that matches my skills & abilities. I learned how to write a focused resume and cover letter. The best part is that I found a job in a new industry and a new position. The process was extremely valuable to me on both a personal and a professional level. I have know for years that I needed to change my career path but I struggled to find a way out. This process gave me a job description to aim for and then I was able to construct a resume that highlighted my skills to match the needs of the employer. I am very excited about my new position, my new path and the new company.” – Sandi G.

    Margaret Van Amelsvoort-Thoms

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Margaret Van Amelsvoort-Thoms is a bilingual CareerJoy Senior Leadership Facilitator. She is also a former Director General with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS).
     
    After a 35 year career in the public service, of which 30 years were spent in human resources. Before her retirement, she was on assignment as the Special Advisor to the Chief Human Resources Officer. Previously, she was the Executive Director, People Management & Community Engagement at the Treasury Board Secretariat. In this role, she was responsible for supporting transformation of human resource, including the business model; facilitating strategic planning for human resources decision-making; HR community capacity-building; and she was also responsible for people management policies such as Employment Equity, Performance Management and Values and Ethics. A graduate with a BA from McMaster University, Ms. Van Amelsvoort-Thoms has worked in human resources for the public service for 30 years.
     
    In 2018, she was the recipient of the Human Resources Council Michelle C. Comeau Award for Career Contribution in Human Resources in the public service.

    Michelle Horne

    Image and Branding Coach

    Michelle helps her clients as an Image and Branding Coach to discover their Personal Brand statement, define their style identity and use that image to create success in personal and professional situations. Michelle has been described by clients to dig deep to help her clients define their authentic brand and style and get results. Michelle is also a professional speaker and an international trainer. She is known for her thoughtful, thorough, but always fun approach to helping clients take ownership of their authentic images.

    Professional Designations

    • Certified Image Professional

    Success Stories

    "Michelle is a dynamic image consultant who has provided corporate training and individual services to a diverse group of clients. Her spark and enthusiasm ensure that she connects quickly with her audience." - Catherine Bell
    "Michelle provides a comprehensive service that goes far beyond making sure that you look great. In fact, she doesn't even start with how you look - she first learns about you, your lifestyle and your personality. She builds on that foundation to teach you how to create an image that reflects who you are. Michelle's services gave me a better understanding of myself from a perspective that I had never really considered before. The things I learned during the process have given me great confidence as well as tools and techniques to reflect my intentions and my personality in the image I present on the outside." - Maria Ford

    Richard Rochefort

    Certified Career, Executive and Leadership Coach

    Richard is an expert in leadership development, management excellence and learning. He is perfectly bilingual (English and French). Richard is a certified executive coach, excellent facilitator and outstanding public speaker.
    Richard is certified in the application of various psychometric assessment tools. He has extensive experience designing and facilitating innovative conferences, strategic planning sessions, executive retreats, management forums and staff general assemblies.
    Through storytelling, practical examples and interactive exercises, he delivers dynamic workshops, learning sessions and keynote addresses on various topics such as leadership, teamwork, service excellence and organizational culture change. He served as a senior executive for 23 of his 35 years in the Public Service of Canada.
    Retired in 2012 as Vice-President of the Canada School of Public Service, Richard was responsible for all federal public service training programs in Canada. Prior, he created the Service Canada College and served for six years as its Senior Director General. Throughout his career, he devoted relentless effort to the renewal of institutions using coaching, mentoring and learning as strategic levers to create and sustain a culture of service delivery excellence. He is currently working across Canada and internationally on reinforcing public and private institutions.

    Professional Designations

    • Certified Executive Coach

    Sandra Bobkin

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Sandra has more than 15 years of private and public sector experience in a variety of learning, leadership and management roles. She has fostered a powerful reputation of assisting individuals who seek to expand their influence repertoire and pursue their leadership and professional goals. Her coaching has focused on leadership and team development, effective communication, emotional intelligence, career transition/management and 360 feedback results. Sandra has had the privilege of coaching everything from Bay Street executives, to newly appointed leaders to official’s at the most senior levels of the Federal Government.

    Credentials

    • Masters in Adult Education
    • Bachelors Degree in Nursing Science
    • Professional Certified Coach
    • Registered Nurse
    • ADLER Certified Professional Coach
    • Certified in EQ-i 2.0 (a psychometric tool)
    • Accredited the Professional Certified Coach Designation (PCC) through the International Coach Federation
    • Personality Dimensions Certification
    • Advance MBTI Certification
    • FIRO - B Certification

    Personal Interests

    Creating and experiencing art (painting, crafting and drawing), learning new skills, reading,  psychology and neuroscience, business/economics and politics

    Favourite Clients

    My favourite clients include mid level - senior leaders and professionals and aspiring leaders. I also really enjoy working with clients who want to increase their influencing skills/Emotional Intelligence competencies.

    Success Stories

    "Sandra Bobkin is a skilled and seasoned executive coach. She listens to her clients, brings constructive and thoughtful insight to discussions and assists in creating focused goals and plans. Sandra always brings enthusiastic, positive energy to her sessions, and is a pleasure to work with. She has high integrity and reliability. Sandra is very knowledgeable about career planning, resume writing, interview preparation, and network building. I have recommended her to other colleagues looking for effective executive coaching." - Laura Bhoi

    Stephen Williams

    Career and Leadership Coach

    Stephen Williams came to CareerJoy with a comprehensive HR background. He has more than 25 years of experience as an HR Leader specializing in Employee Development, and possesses the solid business acumen, pragmatic thinking and bottom line focus to guide leaders in gaining what they need to grow and advance their careers. In addition to leading HR and training departments, he also has extensive facilitation experience and is at his best when facilitating clients’ career transitions. His keen insights provide the crucial feedback clients need and his deep understanding of HR provides a strong support for clients seeking to re-enter workplaces or change career direction.

    Credentials

    Hon. Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), University of Toronto Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) Certified Human Resource Leader (CHRL) Certificate in Human Resources Management (CHRM), Humber College Certificate in Human Resource Law, Osgoode Hall Law School Co-Active Coach – CTI – Coaches Training Institute Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) Certified Human Resource Leader (CHRL) Designed & developed North American wide training initiative and Leadership Development program Developed Career Guidance program that provided structure to leadership development and succession planning Improved relationships with union business agents by actively engaging them in problem solving and managing issues with their members, resulting in reduced grievances and better bargaining results

    Personal Interests

    Personal interests include music (performing) gourmet cooking and wine collecting

    Favourite Clients

    My favouite clients are the ones who participate and are willing to do the heavy lifting and not just be "present" and expect me to do all the work.

    Client testimonials

    “I am glad to let you know that I have accepted a job offer from XX. I had an excellent interview with the head architects of the firm where we discussed my background and their current projects and they expressed their willing to assist me with obtaining my license. This is a great opportunity and your advice helped me a lot on this endeavor. After years of trial I feel I am getting back on track with my career in architecture. Thank you again for the great advice you provided during the coaching sessions. - SA

    Tanya Smith

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    As an accredited integral leadership development coach, Ms. Smith works with individuals to develop/build their competencies in order to improve their capacity to achieve long-term excellence, self-correct and self-generate.
    Her 25-year career experience spans the public and private sectors. She has worked in leadership roles in both the public sector of the Canadian Government and in private sector industry. She has worked with and supported individuals and teams in both developing and strengthening their competencies to achieve personal and corporate objectives. Tanya is bilingual and can coach in both official languages.
    In addition, Ms. Smith also specializes in Personal Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Business Coaching, Career/Transitional Coaching, Mindfulness, Action Learning Facilitation, Human Resource Management, Project Management, Strategic & Business Planning and Community Engagement Planning /Corporate Social Responsibility Planning.

    Credentials

    University of Ottawa Certified Debriefer SCHOR 360 Feedback Integral Development Coaching Certificate Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Certified in Resiliency Coaching Action Learning/Coaching Circles Facilitator Certification Certified DiSC Communication Consultant-Assessments 24x7 LLC Certified Emotional Intelligence Consultant – Assessments 24x7 LLC  

    Success Stories

    “I used Tanya Smith’s services as a coach for a period of 8 months. This was a period of transition in my life in which Tanya was able to work with me in preparing me for adapting to a new phase in my life. Tanya was extremely supportive and helpful in assisting me with this period of change. Her unbiased view was one that always made me feel at ease to open up and share all my thoughts with.” – Julie Cranton, Manager, Government of Canada

    Taryn Brady

    Certified Career and Leadership Coach

    Taryn's love of science and technology has been a common thread throughout her career.  After her first job as field biologist with Canadian Wildlife Service she knew that working with people was more her passion than tracking elk.  As a Career Coach, Taryn helped hundreds of engineering students through the recruitment cycle in Engineering Cooperative Education (University of Alberta) with resumes, interview skills and job search while also assisting employers from across Canada with recruiting talent. Wanting to spread her wings Taryn went on to start her own business to provide strategic planning and marketing communications services for a wide range of companies and organizations – including many technology start-ups.  Years of experience guiding teams, individuals and leaders to achieve goals culminated into Taryn’s true passion – career and leadership coaching.
    Now as a CareerJoy Coach, Taryn offers a wealth of experience spanning industries from government, university, research, science and technology and manufacturing to oil and gas. One thing for sure, Taryn is a cheerleader for awakening the human potential in each of us. Clients have come to know Taryn as an authentic, creative and solution-focused Career and Leadership Coach.

    Professional Designations

    • Associate Certified Coach
    • Certified in Leadership Circle Profile
    • Bachelor of Science (Zoology),
    • Masters in Spiritual Science
    • Certified in Insight Seminars series
    • Leadership Edmonton Program
    • Professional Speakers training

    Success Stories

    "Taryn was very upbeat and helped me 'off the ledge' on more than one occasion." - Dave Bunney
    “I loved the fact that [my coach and resume writer] both communicated and worked together to help me with my goal. When I met Taryn it was like talking to my friend. She had great suggestions and ideas for helping me find a job and I could tell she truly cared and was invested… I had no idea what to expect with Career Joy but to be really corny… they have made this difficult journey a joy because of their friendly helpful advice. If I had any questions, my emails were answered right then and there. I can’t give enough positive feedback. CareerJoy is lucky to have these women working for their company.” – Anne G.
    “It was a very valuable experience for me. I was given tips on how to conduct myself during interviews which I appreciate. The self-evaluation that I was made to undergo helped me find my strengths and weaknesses.” – Reynald L.
    “Taryn helped me stay in tune with what I needed to stay focused on and how. She offered good insight into tools to use during a career search and during the interview process. Taryn provided guidance on where to improve my CV and cover letter.” – John T.
    “As someone who did not have a lot of experience applying for jobs and going through the interview process, I really found it helpful in just understanding in the process you go through in getting a job. I found the resume and cover letter to be extremely helpful, as well as the coach helping me understand a lot of the assets that I have for a company that I would not usually expect to have identified myself, leading to more confidence when applying for a job. On a personal level the main thing that I gained was self confidence, it showed me that I have something to offer the work force, and gave me the know how to go through the process of getting a job so that I am able to give myself the best shot of being successful. On a professional level, as someone who does not have a great amount of professional experience, it gave me an insight into how things will work in the future when it comes to moving up in an industry or how to weigh different options for careers as I move through my own career. I found the experience very positive, the coach was very helpful, and all the resources that come with the package are also really helpful, along with the fact that I can start to see tangible results after only 4 sessions.” – Evan J.
    “Very good value for professional and personal in terms of future school investments. It was very useful in displaying my talents and abilities towards a school path.” – Taylor H.
    “Excellent coaching. The ability to meet with my coach via phone, gmail, Skype & in person was quite helpful.” – Esther C.
    “More confidence in applying for jobs, much-improved resume, improved interviewing skills. Coaching sessions were very helpful.” M. Coulter
    “Face to face sessions were very helpful and engaging. (Tangible outcome:) Better understanding or confirmation of my strengths & confidence support. This program would benefit anyone looking for career support whether you are just starting out or whether you have been in the job force as myself for years.” - L. Drach

    Victoria Miles

    Coaching

    HR Consultant and Employee Engagement Coach

    Victoria has 25 years of experience in helping organizations shape and deliver strategies centered around the intersection of commerce, culture and community. Whether it has been through leadership roles in global brand companies, as an entrepreneur in a leading-edge corporate consultancy, or working for international and national non-profits, she has always focused on those things that will be truly transformative.
    She has demonstrated her ability to build and lead dynamic teams in a range of fast-paced, and often inflexible industries, and possesses the unique combination of analytical and creative thinking. Victoria is respected for her ability to develop, manage and implement large-scale initiatives around change management, organizational dynamics and employee engagement. Her process of strategic inquiry includes expertise in creating survey tools and measurement techniques to truly evaluate engagement. Part of her work includes the design of customized, tactical approaches to helping organizations understand their culture through their people dynamics – then create tools to help them build and strengthen those relationships.

    Tara Sutorius

    Career Coaching | Accredited PCC-level coach

    As a certified professional coach trained with Erickson International Coaching, Barrett Values Centre and Career Joy, as well as an accredited PCC-level coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF), Tara Sutorius  specializes in helping individuals better understand their personal core values so they may live a more purpose-driven life in alignment with what is most important to them in their personal and professional lives.

    Tara is also the Director of Communications at Export Development Canada (EDC) and the founder of “Tara Sutorius Coaching and Wellness” – a coaching company offering compassionate, transformational, and values-based leadership coaching. Tara has been coaching part-time, offering evening and weekend sessions, for over 7 years. She specializes in using solution-focused coaching methods to guide individuals to find the answers within themselves to transform their mind, body, and soul wellness through consistent action. Working alongside senior leaders in both the private and public sector for over 20 years, Tara also has a keen sense of what is required to be able to connect with one’s personal and professional leadership mission in order to effect meaningful change over the long term and build greater resiliency both at home and at work.

    What Tara loves most about coaching part-time with Career Joy is helping guide individuals through powerful questioning and transformational conversations. Her coaching style is compassionate, action-oriented, motivational, connected, and intuitive. She can help guide you to better align your values with your dream job, clarify your passions, set clear goals, and take greater ownership of your career and overall wellness.

    Grace Olha

    Integral Certified Coach

    Grace is a certified Integral Associate Coach who understands well the highs and lows of achieving personal and professional goals in diverse and dynamic environments.

    Grace has a BA and began her professional career as a marketing expert for the Hudson’s Bay and Estee Lauder companies. With her extraordinary expertise and communication skillset she moved into the HR field in the Public Service with a focus on evolving enduring organizational programs while working with staff and clients in developing their skills and competencies to their better and in preparing them for future opportunities. She does so from a position of knowledge, wisdom and profound understanding and grasp of transitioning people and organizations to meeting their goals.

    Grace has over 30 years’ experience working with very diverse audiences and clients identifying opportunities and best-fit solutions. She has been recognized for her many contributions to people development, most notable from the Deputy Minister and Chief of the Defence Staff of the Department of National Defence.

    It is her mission to help you fill the gap from where you are now to where you want to be.

    -------------------------------------------

    Grace est certifiée Coach Associée Intégrale qui comprend bien les hauts et les bas de la réalisation des objectifs personnels et professionnels dans des environnements divers et dynamiques.

    Grace est titulaire d'un B.A. et a commencé sa carrière professionnelle en tant qu'experte en marketing pour les sociétés La Baie d’Hudson et Estée Lauder. Grâce à son expertise et à ses compétences extraordinaires en matière de communication, elle est entrée dans le domaine des ressources humaines dans la fonction publique et s'est concentrée sur l'évolution des programmes organisationnels durables tout en travaillant avec le personnel et les clients pour développer leurs aptitudes et leurs compétences et les préparer aux opportunités futures. Elle le fait en s'appuyant sur ses connaissances, sa sagesse et sa compréhension profonde de la transition des personnes et des organisations vers la réalisation de leurs objectifs.

    Grace a plus de 30 ans d'expérience dans le travail avec des publics et des clients très divers, où elle identifie les opportunités et les solutions les mieux adaptées. Elle a été reconnue pour ses nombreuses contributions au développement des personnes, notamment par le sous-ministre et chef d'état-major du ministère de la Défense nationale.

    Sa mission est de vous aider à combler l'écart entre votre situation actuelle et celle que vous souhaitez atteindre.

    Caroline Dunn

    Public Sector Coach, CareerJoy

    Caroline Dunn has consistently demonstrated a commitment to people and service excellence throughout her human resources career in Canada’s public sector.

    Caroline has a deep understanding of public sector career development, and during her 31 years in field, she mentored many aspiring leaders, helping to hone their leadership skill sets in their quest to advance their public sector careers. She is an experienced participant in many executive staffing processes in a variety of government departments and agencies.

    Caroline’s natural collaboration and strategy skills saw her leading several multi-year business transformation strategies at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and at Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

    Caroline held the title of Assistant Deputy Minister of Human Resources for CSIS from September 2018 to May 2021. Prior to that, she held senior Human Resource roles at National Research Council, Canada Post, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Finance Canada, the Canadian International Development Agency and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

    She has a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Certificate in Industrial Relations and is a member of the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA).

    Awards:

  • Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Top Public Service Manager), 2012
  • Michelle C. Comeau Human Resources Leadership Award, (Human Resources Leader), May 2017
  • Michelle C. Comeau Human Resources Leadership Award (Career Contribution in Human Resources), May 2021

    • Lama Younes

    Certified and ICF accredited coach

    Lama is a certified and ICF accredited coach and has 15+ years of experience in corporate HR. She worked for General Electric and Deloitte covering local, regional, and global HR roles in Canada, the Middle East/Africa, and the US, across various businesses and levels from the front line to C-suite. In the workplace, she is known for making authentic and lasting connections by focusing on talent development and well-being. Through these experiences, she has deep insights into leadership that creates a positive work environment and excellence in performance and results.

    Coaching Philosophy

    Lama’s solution-focused coaching puts the client and their goals front and center, which means the coaching conversation doesn’t end until there are actionable and measurable takeaways, and likely a few insights as well! Her coaching philosophy is to provide a purpose-driven, judgment-free space for the client while asking powerful questions that lead to the best solution. Lama works to empower her client to feel safe bringing their whole self to the session, helping them to deliver sustainable decisions and best performances back to their workplace. She is especially passionate about the development and mental well-being of women in the workplace.

    Lama holds a solution-focused coaching diploma from Erickson International and an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto.