Professional Faculty
Business executives, professional educators, CIOs, consultants and business strategists … the Leaders Beyond™ faculty comes from all aspects of business and the public sector. Using curriculum that has evolved over a decade of leadership training experience, their proven approach to education features a high degree of teacher/student mentorship and extensive use of case study analysis.
Cindy Seibel
Program Director, Leaders Beyond; former CIO, Energy Resources and Conservation Board, Alberta
Cindy is an award-winning CIO whose experience spans the public, not-for-profit and private sectors. Her unique combination of expertise in information technology, human resources, leadership and learning has led to a track record of high-performing multi-disciplinary teams. She has served as program director for successful multi-million dollar technology implementations. Her work in developing strategic technology plans for organizations has been led both as a CIO and an external consultant. Cindy is a lifelong learner who loves to share her passion about leadership and technology in the 21st century.
Karen Ryan
Program Director, Leaders Beyond; President, OpenCapability Inc., former Vice President Management Consulting Practice, CGI
Karen is a strategic technology advisor and management consultant who has designed, developed, and transformed businesses in multiple industries. Her extensive background in operations, including technology transformations, has provided her a unique, pragmatic point of view. Karen is founder and president of two consulting companies, as well as advisor to several start-ups.
Rainer Beltzner
Former Managing Director and Consulting Partner, KPMG
Rainer has a distinguished track record in providing information technology and business strategy advice and solutions to a broad spectrum of global clients over many years. As a Certified Corporate Director, chairman, president and CEO he has in-depth first-hand insight into the roles and functions of executive teams and boards of profit and not-for-profit organizations. He has designed and delivered numerous professional business courses for Canadian Universities and is a fellow of Chartered Professional Accountants Ontario and a member of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants. He is also on the faculty of the Toronto Center for Mindfulness Studies and teaches the Mindful Self-Compassion program to business, health care and education professionals. Rainer is an avid car enthusiast, race driving instructor, competitive racer and automotive journalist.
Cecilia Carbonelli
Senior Executive, Information Technology, Haventree Bank
Cecilia is known as a skilled communicator, mentor and visionary IT leader with more than 20 years of experience in leadership, program and project management, development and technology. As a key player in the highly competitive Canadian financial services industry, her role is to lead the technology organization in gaining and sustaining competitive advantage by tightly aligning IT solutions and strategic investments to business value.
Duncan Card
Senior Partner and Chair of the Information Technology Practice, Bennett Jones LLP
Duncan is internationally recognized as an authority on CIO corporate governance, IT procurement, IT transformation, and IT project and risk management best practices. He is widely regarded and independently ranked as one of Canada’s leading IT business lawyers and is the author of the highly acclaimed book: Information Technology Transactions: Business, Management & Legal Strategies. He has taught extensively at over a dozen Universities internationally, including The National War College in Washington DC, Case Western University (USA), and the IT Governance module of the ICD/Rotman ICD.D program.
Jim McDade
COO Aware360; former CIO Purolator Courier, Alberta Health Services and Ontario Workplace Safety Insurance Board
Jim has more than 30 years of experience as a provider and CIO in implementing and operating large scale, complex IT solutions for both the public and private sector. Following a 20+ year career at Accenture as the lead for the Canadian Public Sector Practice, Jim led many IT teams as CIO for Purolator Courier Ltd., CTO / CIO for Alberta Health Services and CIO for the Ontario Workplace Safety Insurance Board. Jim specializes in building and developing the capabilities of all employees, large scale business transformation, and strategy / business change execution. As COO, Jim is responsible for all operational activities, focusing on leading Aware360’s positioning and growth in this rapidly evolving technology space.
Michael McInerney
President of Rapid Alignment Inc.
Michael has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and developer of highly innovative solutions that mobilize boards, executive teams, leaders and work forces to improved performance and sustainable and measurable change. He is a frequent speaker on subjects such as rapid alignment, organizational change, talent management, leadership, reward strategy and board governance. He has held senior executive positions with Nortel, IBM, Xerox and Gulf Canada, and has consulted extensively with organizations such as Manulife, SONY, Royal Bank, TD Bank, Sobey’s and Prudential. In addition to his numerous published articles he has completed research with the Ivey School of Business, Queens University and the Conference Board of Canada. Michael has also served on numerous boards, including Bank of America (Canada), the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada and the Make a Wish Foundation of Canada where he was president of the Toronto Chapter.
Edmond Mellina
President, ORCHANGO; former CIO, Delta Hotels
Edmond gets powerful messages across with his highly dynamic speaking style and engaging stories. He is internationally respected for his expertise in nimble change management for the age of digital disruption. For over 25 years, he has partnered with public and private sector clients in Europe, North America and the Middle East to build their change capabilities while helping them win in an increasingly digital world. Edmond was CIO at Delta Hotels when Expedia disrupted the hotel business; and VP Corporate Development & General Manager USA for the technology business of Envoy Communication Group when design and marketing agencies started to become digital.
Dr. James L. Norrie, DPM, LL.M
Professor of Strategy & Cybersecurity, former Founding Dean of the Graham School of Business, York College Pennsylvania; Managing Partner, e-Venture Consulting, Inc.
James conducts industry research, speaks globally at conferences and consults to companies with a focus on aligning business and IT strategy. He was previously Associate Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University in Toronto where he taught business and technology strategy, leadership and project management. James is the author or co-author of 5 books and hundreds of presentations and articles. Prior to his teaching career, he was an entrepreneur who founded and managed several high-tech and e-business ventures.
Lucy Proteau
President. Leap Software Services
Lucy is a dynamic leader, effective communicator, mentor, and problem solver with almost four decades of IT executive leadership and program management experience in the areas of Financial Services, Publishing, Retail, Consulting, Government, Telecommunications, Pulp and Paper, Aviation and Manufacturing. She has performed the roles of CIO and Vice President, Information Technology, and has successfully partnered with business owners, leaders, and project sponsors to lead numerous technology-enabled and culture change projects that helped move business strategy forward. She is recognized as an outstanding builder of high performing cross functional teams that get the job done and inspire team members toward ever increasing levels of achievement.
Brigitte Robinson
Personal and Professional Effectiveness Coach
Brigitte is a well-known professional stage and screen actor who has devoted a 35-year career to perfecting and refining the most effective verbal and non-verbal communication techniques. As a teacher and coach, she helps her clients in business and government to harness the power of these same techniques to elevate their performance at work, allowing them to improve their personal confidence and professional effectiveness. Her craft has been honed over 13 seasons with the Shaw Festival, numerous TV and film roles, including Murdoch Mysteries, Street Legal and St. Urbain’s Horseman, major stage appearances such as the Mirvish productions of Sound of Music and Calendar Girls, and The Graduate at the Segal Centre in Montreal, for which she was nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of the iconic Mrs. Robinson.
