Early life

At the age of three at a live performance of the Nutcracker, I told my mother I dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Just after my fourth birthday, I began ballet lessons. Studying ballet gave me many talents and skills but most valuably it instilled in me a great talent at observation. The ability to observe tiny details to precisely adjust my body positions to perfectly execute each ballet move. As I got older, I think this early passion for detailed observation and precision ignited my passion for science. In the end, I pursued a degree in Biochemistry instead of a career in ballet.

Education

Biochemistry developed my fascination with systems. In particular, the imperfect systems we see in living things and the delicate balance of ingredients and interactions that are required to thrive. At the University of Alberta my engagement in student life and student politics also exposed me to relationship building, advocacy and persuasion, and the power of collaboration to achieve greatness (Go Green and Gold). At the U of A, not only did I walk away with a Science degree, but I walked away with a desire to make a difference in business.

Career

My career in project management began as an accident when my boss at the time recognized my skill for organizing people and events but my parents would probably tell you I was cut out for projects and operations at the age of 2. The meandering and diverse journey of the past 20 years has seen both public and private sector work across organizations of many sizes, cultures, and missions. From helping to get low salt food products into your grocery store; to artificial intelligence in primary industries and healthcare, I’ve worked on a lot of tough problems and with a lot of tenacious teams. Through it all I became interested in the ingredients and interactions that make organizations successful. As it turns out, organizations and chemistry have a lot in common.

Current Work

I’ve gathered my observations of how organizations, operations, and projects interact for success or failure into the Value Chemistry Operations Model. My work focuses on helping organizations from Stealth to Series B implement ways of working and supporting structures that maximize the ability to deliver value and lay a strong foundation for a successful business.

Where I fit

I thrive in the intersection between people, projects, process, and profits. As your right hand I'm bringing critical thinking and profitable positioning to your mission alongside execution magic. I focus on right-sized systems to support optimal interactions between your people - freeing them to give their best work to bring your ideas to life. My only criteria is your organization has to want to be better.

If your great idea is stuck somewhere between the start and finish I hope you’ll book an Intro Call so we can untangle the mess together.