Our Network
Get to Know Us
COACHING - CONSULTING - TRAINING - FACILITATION
Christina, CEC, MScIB, MIB, B.Comm.
With over 15 years of experience working across the full spectrum of organizational life from top executives to front-line staff, across all operational divisions in both private and public sector organizations, Christina has developed a holistic, systems understanding of organizational strategy, leadership, and performance. Having been involved in various organizational strategy and change initiatives, she has an exceptional understanding of what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to driving performance. She is able to help organizations uncover creative solutions based on her in-depth understanding of human behaviour from a global perspective.
Christina currently teaches with the Queen’s University Faculty of Law in the area of managing Human Resources in the context of legal firms, with a specialization in cross-cultural management. Christina was also a former adjunct faculty member with the Edwards School of Business (University of Saskatchewan).
Christina has spent the majority of her career working in the public sector for healthcare, social services/community resources, and post-secondary education. She also offers public sector and global experience, and was the VP of Human Resources for a global manufacturer.
CONSULTING - TRAINING
Shai, LLB., B.A.
Shai offers a diverse professional background of over 40 years to his teaching, coaching and consulting activities. Shai is currently a professor at Smith School of Business and the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University. His areas of research and teaching include negotiations, conflict management and cross-cultural management.
Shai began his career as a commercial pilot, having founded and run his own executive aircraft charter company and flight training school in Toronto. He later practiced corporate commercial law with two major law firms in Toronto, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and aviation. He further served as an officer in the Canadian Forces (Reserve) from 1981 to 2010, and became a legal officer in the JAG branch in 2000.
Shai has held many notable roles ranging from the Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel and member of the Board of Directors of Quicklaw Inc. (a leading provider of legal online database services) to the Director of programs, including the Cornell-Queen’s EMBA program, the Queen’s Masters of International Business program and the Queen’s Full-time MBA program.
Shai has served on various boards, such as the United Way of Kingston and the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (Chair). He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Leon Centre Community Advisory Board and the Chair of the investment review committee for the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation.
COACHING - CONSULTING
Vanessa, CEC, B.Sc. (Honours), B.Ed.
Vanessa Paesani is Certified Executive Coach. She works with executives who strive to put purpose at the front and center of their strategy and culture. Through her past work, she knew that the consulting approach that yields the best long-term results is to be a coach - to work alongside clients in developing the best solution for their complex organization.
Vanessa’s career is rooted in science and education that she applies in business. Her background in science gives her a deep understanding of how to build hypotheses and experiments, and measure outcomes. Her background in education reminds her that nothing is possible without people.
She’s travelled to 5 continents, and worked locally and internationally. Some highlights of her work are that she’s helped build a charity delivering energy and environmental education from starting in a garage (literally) to being a province-wide institution supported by key stakeholders. She’s led a large music festival through a key transition. She’s worked with a youth leadership organization in celebrating its accomplishments and wrapping up 10 years of impact. What all of these have in common are great people who believed in a greater future. All they needed was a guide to help them get there.
Vanessa gives back on a national level through serving on the board of Venture for Canada - a Canadian charity focused on accelerating youth into entrepreneurial careers - and chairing the Investment Readiness Program Advisory Committee of the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
