Our coaches

Lisa Cormier is an executive coach and leadership trainer living in Ottawa, Canada. She brings over 20 years of experience in management and organizational development. Lisa’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Honours in Psychology) and a Master’s degree in Social Work (with a concentration in Administration and Policy). She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (Coaches Training Institute™) and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation. She is certified in three well established 360° Feedback Instruments as well as the Myers Briggs Type Inventory, in addition to having experience with a variety of assessment tools. As an employee of the City of Ottawa, she held various policy and management positions from 1992 to 2001 and her first-hand experience continues to inspire and inform her in her work with other professionals. 

Lisa has been working as a group facilitator and executive coach in the area of leadership development since 2002 in both official languages. She has provided facilitation services and one-on-one coaching to hundreds of managers ranging from first time supervisors to the assistant deputy ministers and vice presidents. Drawing on her experience in the four disciplines of psychology, management, organizational development and consulting, she has a superior understanding of complex organizational and human resource issues. She thrives on supporting executives, managers and high-potential leaders who want to leverage their strengths to achieve personal and organizational success, and make an impact on the environment in which they are working.

As a former Vice President in the Public Service of Canada and with more than 20 years in the executive rank, Patricia Jaton has extensive knowledge and experience and honed competencies in several areas including executive/leadership development, conflict resolution, values & ethics, employee and organizational effectiveness and well-being, as well as in transformational initiatives related to organizational culture. She now works with various clients as a trained professional coach and consultant, and she shares her passion for people and their growth. 

Over the course of her 34-year career, Patricia created and implemented several new people-centric programs and services – she was Health Canada’s first Ombuds in the early 2000’s – and she worked on Public Service-wide HR policies and guidance as VP, Policy and Communications, at the Public Service Commission from 2017 to 2021. When she was at the Canada School of Public Service, Patricia was responsible for leadership development programs. Moreover, Patricia occupied the position of Deputy Secretary to the Governor General from 2011 to 2017 which allowed her to work on national and international matters.  The various positions she held in several departments allowed her to acquire considerable experience and expertise in dealing with a wide range of people management issues that were both complex and sensitive. 

Patricia is recognized for her engaging collaborative approach with various stakeholders and partners and strong communication/writing abilities in both official languages. 

Patricia is an ICF accredited professional coach who also offers mentoring and career management services including preparing for interviews at the executive level. 

In addition to her university degree, Patricia obtained a University Certificate in Organizational Values and Ethics from Carleton University. She successfully completed the training offered by an institution recognized by ICF to act as a professional coach, and by the International Ombuds Association to serve as ombuds. Moreover, she is certified to administer and interpret the Leadership Circle Profile (LCP) – a 360-degree leadership assessment tool – and she possesses a Certification in Creating Positive Change offered by The Change Lab in Australia. 

Daniel Labonté is a retired CEO with over 30 years of leadership experience spanning the private, not-for-profit and public sectors.   He has led diverse teams across sales, marketing, information technology, talent management, organization development and general management.  Since retirement, Daniel has continued to shape the next generation of business leaders by sharing his vast knowledge and experience through individual coaching. Prior to retirement, Daniel was the CEO of MD Financial Management, a wealth management firm dedicated to serving Canada’s physicians and their families.  As MD Financial’s CEO, Daniel completed the successful M&A integration of MD into Scotiabank and delivered the first Canadian pension fund designed specifically for physicians. Post-retirement, Daniel continues his support of MD and the physician community by serving as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Medicus Pension Plan.  

Throughout his career, he has delivered transformational business results by creating environments where individuals and teams can thrive through collaboration and innovation. His inspirational leadership is anchored in his deep belief that truly outstanding organizational success is achieved by developing brilliant talent. His commitment to Executive and Leadership coaching is a hallmark of his career, one that he has been engaging in for over 15 years. He is a trusted leader and is sought out for his unique ability to help people see the unrealized potential within themselves. 

Daniel has applied his experience in strategy and business to various board governance and committee roles including the Investment Funds Institute of Canada, MD Financial Management and MD’s multiple OSFI regulated subsidiaries. Daniel’s creative and unique perspectives drove new methods and approaches to expanding public programs with private sector funding, both at a national and international level.  His ability to navigate complex business situations while maintaining unwavering commitment to people development has been instrumental as he led companies through enterprise and cultural transformation, M&A, divestitures and a global pandemic.  

Daniel earned both a Bachelor of Science and an MBA from the University of Ottawa. He holds a Post-Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University, as also graduated from the Advanced Management Program at the Harward Business School. He is fluently bilingual in French and English, and has an International Coaching Federation certification (PCC).  

Denis Lévesque acquired his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa. Eighteen years later, he obtained his graduate certificate in executive coaching at the University of Royal Roads (CEC) and his professional coaching certification from the International Coaching Federation (PCC). Denis is a professional who helps companies and leaders ignite growth, improve profitability and achieve results. Known as an engaging coach, speaker, trainer and author, Denis uses his business acumen and expertise in human performance behaviours to spark success.

Jean Ogilvie, an Associate of Telfer Centre for Executive Programs, is the founder of the Aeshna Project, a company that specializes in developing leaders, teams and organizations.  Jean splits her time between one-on-one coaching of leaders and designing and facilitating leadership development programs and initiatives in the public, private and educational sectors. Jean has been involved in highly successful leadership development programs including the UN's Deep Dive Program offered in Italy and Sweden, The Leadership Development Intensive with John Scherer in Europe and Canada and Telfer Executive Programs’ Boundless Leadership: A Breakthrough Program for Women. She has also coached teams at Queen's University’s Smith School of Business for several years. She approaches this work through a focus on developing the intelligences of the whole person - somatic, emotional, cognitive and spiritual. She has most recently focused on developing resilience and agility from the inside out, based on emerging research in neuroscience demonstrating that in leadership, we 'start with ourselves', move to relational health, and then work on our impact in context. Jean is an ICF certified coach of 20 years, with an M.A. in Communications and doctoral studies in Adult Education.

Prior to retiring from the public service in 2020, Marie was a faculty member at the Canada School of Public Service and led the launch of a new Executive Leadership Development Program for senior public sector executives. 

Over the past 32 years, Marie has held various positions at Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Industry Canada and Finance Canada, where she provided strategic advice and managed a number of programs relating to energy, transportation, environmental and science policy.  Since 2007 she has held executive positions with responsibilities in leading transformational projects, corporate planning, business & vision process reviews and managing inter-departmental initiatives. Over the course of her career, she has launched several people-management & leadership development initiatives.

Marie is an accredited Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and holds a B.Sc., and an MBA from the University of Ottawa as well as a Certificate in change management from Queens University.

Christina Tector draws on over 20 years of experience working in the federal public service in the fields of leadership and organizational change. She is passionate about facilitating, supporting and accompanying leaders to discover their own personal development edges, fulfill their potential and elevate the teams of people they lead. Christina cares deeply about creating a climate of trust, compassion and authenticity for healthy humans to thrive in healthy systems.

Christina delivers leadership programs through the Canada School of Public Service, the University of Ottawa’s Telfer Executive Programs & the Global Learning & Development Centre at the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR). She works with teams to support them to strengthen both their relationships and their impact. Christina also coaches clients individually and in small groups, to help them re-discover their own sense of agency and inner guidance.

Christina is a lifelong learner. She is an Integral Associate Coach, a Qualified Mindfulness-Based Symptom Management teacher.  She is a certified Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i) Feedback Facilitator and Action Learning Group Facilitator. She holds a Masters of Education Degree in Counselling Psychology from McGill University.

Kristopher Tharris is an experienced educator, facilitator, and leadership consultant with over 15 years of practice in creating engaging, learner-centered environments. Known for his ability to translate complex ideas into clear, visually compelling models, he specializes in using technology to enhance learning, ensuring it is grounded in both theory and practice. Kristopher has lived and worked across North and South America, Europe, and Africa, bringing a global perspective to his work. He is fluent in French and English and holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Western University), an MBA (Royal Roads), a Master of Educational Technology (UBC), and undergraduate degrees in Education and Spanish Literature (Trent University). He is also a Certified Management Consultant (CMC Canada) and LEGO Serious Play facilitator. His recent work includes collaborating with the International Federation of the Red Cross Red Crescent on a global resolution related to first aid, teaching at the University of Western Ontario in the Faculty of Education and leading innovation strategy workshops for the United Nations Environment Programme.