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In addition to being a leader in corporate learning and development, Marion has extensive experience in board governance and organizational leadership. She was elected as a trustee for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board in both the 2003 and 2006 elections, serving as Vice Chair and Chair of the Board. She served in same roles on the Board of Governors for St. Jerome’s University and is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees for St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener. She is also a founding director for A Better Tent City Waterloo Region an organization that provides safe shelter and support for those who are experiencing homelessness.
As a member of the St. Jerome’s board, Marion chaired a task force that proposed establishing a system of bicameral governance for the university resulting in the first senate-like body in the university’s history.
As a consultant, Marion’s work with not-for-profit boards ranges from workshops on governance in general and what directors need to be aware of to be effective stewards of their organizations to work that targets each organization’s specific needs such as updating policies, ensuring effective monitoring of the organization’s work and building relationships among board members. She presented a workshop entitled, Implementing Policy Governance, One Step at a Time, at the International Policy Governance Association (IPGA) conference in Las Vegas. She has been a part of the OESC (Ontario Education Services Corporation) team since 2011, has worked with multiple school boards across the province as well as the Ontario Ministry of Education on issues related to board governance.
In her role as Executive in Residence for Capacity Canada, she designed governance training for board directors based on gamification theory, leads a workshop for Executive Assistants who support boards and is a co-facilitator for the series, Emerging Governance Strategies.
Marion has extensive experience with public sector leadership beyond the board table as well. In one project she produced a series of modules on Municipal Leadership: The Fundamentals of Municipal Leadership, Good Government Model, and Leading to Achieve Results. She also led the project for the Ministry of Education that resulted in the guide, Multi-Year Strategic Planning. A Guide for School Board Trustees.
Christian Vulpe and Kathrina Loeffler are a mother-son team who run Facilitated Improvement for Corporate Success, Inc. Together they and their team of professionals provide a number of services to their clients including leadership and management services where they are responsible to manage operations and report to two Boards of Directors: a not-for-profit organization and a charitable organization. They also provide accreditation services for associations and regulators including the development and evaluation of standards and the development and management of accreditation processes. And finally, they provide leadership development education to leadership teams and coaching services to leaders within those teams.
Kathrina is the CEO of FICS and the Executive Director of the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (CMTCA) and Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR). Christian is the COO of FICS and General Manager of CMTCA and Director of Finance and Administration of CPAR. He is responsible for ensuring that all of the services FICS provides to their clients are supported with a strong financial, HR and IT infrastructure. Providing cost-effective, high-quality services to our clients is our reason for being and we couldn’t do it without a high performing, nimble and multi-talented team of professionals supporting all of our work.
Kathrina and Christian both have a B.Ed. and M.Ed. and are Certified Ontario Teachers as well as Certified John Maxwell Team members. Christian and Kathrina were trained by St. Francis Xavier University in adult education and Kathrina has the following certifications, CHE, CPF, Licensed LEADS Facilitator and Certified Lean Practitioner.
Managing Partner of Carters, Mr. Carter practices in the area of charity and not-for-profit law, and is counsel to Fasken on charitable matters. Mr. Carter is a co-author of Corporate and Practice Manual for Charitable and Not-for-Profit Corporations (Thomson Reuters), a co-editor of Charities Legislation and Commentary (LexisNexis, 2022), and co-author of Branding and Copyright for Charities and Non-Profit Organizations (2019 LexisNexis). He is recognized as a leading expert by Lexpert, The Best Lawyers in Canada and Chambers and Partners. Mr. Carter is a former member of CRA Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector, and is a Past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association and Ontario Bar Association Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Sections.
BCL,JD,MBA,FCIS,Acc.Dir.
Ms. Riven, based in Montreal, has an established consulting practice on governance and compliance matters with clients encompassing publicly listed and closely held companies, as well as various types of not-for-profits, and is currently Adjunct Professor at the John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, where she teaches Corporate Governance. She is a well-known speaker both in Canada and abroad at conferences on corporate governance and has acted as a facilitator for boards and board committees of a number of different organizations seeking to improve their governance effectiveness. As well, she is an experienced board member, having participated on dozens of boards including the Facility Association and the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI).
Ms. Riven was formerly Vice President, Compliance and Secretary for the Canadian and global operations of RBC Insurance. She is a member of the Quebec Bar, a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute, and currently serves on the boards of the Chartered Governance Institute of Canada (CGIC) Quebec, and PAALM, a not-for-profit community organization.
Kathrina Loeffler and Christian Vulpe are a mother-son team who run Facilitated Improvement for Corporate Success, Inc. Together they and their team of professionals provide a number of services to their clients including leadership and management services where they are responsible to manage operations and report to two Boards of Directors: a not-for-profit organization and a charitable organization. They also provide accreditation services for associations and regulators including the development and evaluation of standards and the development and management of accreditation processes. And finally, they provide leadership development education to leadership teams and coaching services to leaders within those teams.
Kathrina is the CEO of FICS and the Executive Director of the Canadian Massage Therapy Council for Accreditation (CMTCA) and Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR). Christian is the COO of FICS and General Manager of CMTCA and Director of Finance and Administration of CPAR. He is responsible for ensuring that all of the services FICS provides to their clients are supported with a strong financial, HR and IT infrastructure. Providing cost-effective, high-quality services to our clients is our reason for being and we couldn’t do it without a high performing, nimble and multi-talented team of professionals supporting all of our work.
Kathrina and Christian both have a B.Ed. and M.Ed. and are Certified Ontario Teachers as well as Certified John Maxwell Team members. Christian and Kathrina were trained by St. Francis Xavier University in adult education and Kathrina has the following certifications, CHE, CPF, Licensed LEADS Facilitator and Certified Lean Practitioner.
As President of The Thornton Group and author of his new book ‘Presence, Impact and Influence’, Neil brings 20 years of experience to business and management development, strategic planning, executive coaching and team culture. A hands-on consultant, he’s met clients everywhere from job sites to shop floors, boardrooms, remote teams and everywhere in between.
Neil is well known for his highly energetic, dynamic speaking style and in-depth knowledge on topics ranging from strategic execution to the new reality of business development, branding, speaker and leadership development, body language and communications.
Committed to turning teams into business thinkers and asking the tough questions, Neil demands honesty and authenticity in every interaction, from himself and his clients. In return, he throws away the traditional management handbooks to help them get real work done by turning ideas into action, holding them accountable and bringing them measurable results that dramatically improve their performance, vision and culture.
Senior Vice President
Sean has over 25 years experience as a corporate facilitator and public speaker. He leads HORN’s facilitation team and ensures that all of HORN’s facilitators hold themselves and their learners accountable in the learning environment. Sean is well known as an energized, dynamic public speaker who infuses passion, authenticity, knowledge, and his own professional and personal experience into every delivery. Sean leverages his prior real world experience in Marketing, Sales and Sales Management with well known brands such as Carling-O’Keefe Breweries, Molson Breweries, and Warner Lambert. He has extensive experience in every major industry vertical and has trained sales and leadership teams across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
Global Thought Leader on Digital Transformation and Culture Change
When companies like Microsoft, FedEx, and 3M want to accelerate innovation, they call Andrew Au. Today, the dynamics of industries are changing. No enterprise is too big to fail, no start up is too small to disrupt. Agility has become the new currency of business, and organizations need to respond. That’s where Au comes in. He helps organizations respond to the now and prepare for what’s next — helping them rethink how they engage their customers, motivate their employees, operate their business units, and inject innovation into their solutions.
Referred to by Forbes as a “digital transformation expert”, Au helps organizations respond to the new culture and nature of work. Through his innovative work, he was the youngest person to be inducted into the Entrepreneurs Organization at the age of 22. He is among the few to be named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list and has received over 50 domestic and international awards for business innovation and thought leadership. What makes Au’s perspectives unique is that he doesn’t just study digital transformation and culture change — he makes it real for the largest organizations in the world, every day.
Au has delivered live, virtual, and pre-recorded keynotes for leading organizations such as Microsoft, Rogers, Canada Life, Mitel, Harley Davidson, and a wide variety of industry associations. He shares his dynamic perspectives on leadership and emerging technologies with media including Forbes, Business Insider, Tech Insider, Bloomberg, BNN and the National Post.
Au is the co-founder of Intercept, a strategic consultancy that has led large scale system implementations and culture change programs.
An accomplished speaker and facilitator, Erin’s particular expertise is in the business of the membership association. In over a decade of working with membership organizations, Erin has observed that the not-for-profit organization is a business and must be operated in a business-oriented manner to be sustainable.
David Kurt is a Broker Owner of Lake City Realty Ltd., in Sudbury Ontario. He has been involved at a volunteer capacity at all levels of real estate including; president of his local board, director at OREA and volunteer on CREA committees.
Amie is a 3rd generation REALTOR®, broker and business partner at Erie’s Edge Real Estate Ltd Port Dover, Ontario, inaugural chair of OREA’s YPN, Past President (Simcoe & Dist. R.E. Board) & Past Chair (ORTIS). Amie carries both her Accredited BuyerRepresentative & Seller Rep. Specialist designations.
Laura Leyser is no stranger to the real estate profession. As Past President of the Ontario Real Estate Association and the Canadian Real Estate Association, she continues to take an active role to represent the industry on boards and committees across North America. As a Certified Instructor & Facilitator, Laura presents in a high-energy real-life format through-out Canada and the U.S.A. She candidly shares her many experiences first hand during her presentations. Her involvement in a variety of civic and charitable organizations has allowed her the break often needed when working full-time in real estate.
Paul Feuer, CREA Senior Competition Counsel, provides legal advice to CREA and its member boards and associations, primarily on competition, consumer protection, and misleading advertising issues. Paul also conducts presentations for boards, associations, and REALTORS® on the basics of competition law compliance.
Laura has built two highly respected firms that respectively provide proactive HR law and HR consulting advice designed to minimize workplace law challenges, maximize employee engagement and boost bottom-line performance. Laura is also a seasoned workplace investigator, routinely engaged to conduct complex workplace investigations, and is recognized for specific expertise in investigations related to equity, diversity and inclusion. As a professional speaker, Laura regularly delivers keynote talks on topics relevant to entrepreneurs, business leaders, HR professionals and lawyers. Laura has recently launched a podcast for business leaders and HR Professionals called, We ThriveForward–Conversations with Laura Williams which is available on all major platforms.
Juanita Gledhill is an award-winning Human Resources (HR) professional providing public, private and broader public sector organizations with strategic and operational business solutions to improve organizational effectiveness. Her experience includes operational and executive leadership in not for profit organizations, private sector technology firms, and community social and health services.
As Principal of MCC Group Inc., founded in 2002, Juanita has provided a full range of services including strategic business planning and leadership development. A skilled facilitator and accomplished public speaker, Juanita has delivered workshops and education sessions for staff, management and boards of directors on a wide range of subjects related to Human Resources, Leadership Skills, Strategic Planning, and Governance Practices. She is adept at bringing the lens of the client to her work. She is able to effectively engage people in one on one conversation and in large group settings maintaining focus and energy to achieve desired outcomes.
David is Canada’s leading thinker, speaker, writer and practitioner in corporate governance. As Executive Vice-President and the team’s lead consultant, David has helped countless organizations improve their governance and board effectiveness.
David cares deeply about corporations and their innate capacity to do good – as well as their inherent risk of doing bad. His life’s work is helping leaders make better choices for themselves and everyone they touch. With over 30 years’ experience in corporate governance, David has trained thousands of board members and C-suite executives. He’s served as a consultant, coach and mentor for hundreds more.
David’s also co-founded over a dozen board governance education programs, including university-accredited certification programs, The Professional Director Certification Program®, the Directors College, and more.
Prior to joining Governance Solutions in 1995, David had a distinguished 20-year career in Canada’s financial services industry. As an insolvency specialist, he learned hard lessons about the necessity for good corporate governance – and how badly things can go in its absence.
David holds a B.Comm (Hons) from Queen’s University in addition to Chartered Director and Professional Director designations in corporate governance. He’s also served as an accredited faculty member of several universities, including the Universities of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, Saskatchewan, and McMaster University.
David has authored dozens of articles and publications on corporate governance, and co-authored several books, including the best-selling ESG Matters: How to Save the Planet, Empower People, and Outperform the Competition and Governance Solutions: The Ultimate Guide to Competence and Confidence in the Boardroom.
Content and activities for Leadership 201
Content and activities for L300: Enhancing Leadership Skills
Personal resource for identifying how you want to apply what you’ve learned
Presiding Like a Pro resource on how to handle motions using Robert’s Rules of Order
Presiding Like a Pro resource on how to handle amendments using Robert’s Rules of Order
Presiding Like a Pro resource for using at meetings to help maintain orderly discussions
A step-by-step worksheet to help association decision-makers exercise diligence on major planning decisions and on urgent and important decisions.
