Who We Are
Our People
We hire only the best. Period.
Our Refinery consultants hold business and education degrees relevant to our field, many having advanced degrees . But you'll find no lofty academic types here. Our studied consultants also have extensive experience working in the business environment, either as senior executives themselves or consulting at the most senior levels.
Meet the accomplished individuals who shape our values, our methods and our exceptional results.
Our Team
- Rosie Steeves, Principal
- Barbara Ross-Denroche, Principal
- Mark Frein, Consulting Practice Lead
- Greg Nichvalodoff, Consultant
- Laura Villacrusis-Weaver, Consultant
- Mike Bryde, Consultant
- Katie Wyka, Consultant
- David Gibbons, Consultant
- Tim McGrady, Consultant - Mexico/Latin America
- Juan F. (Paco) Castellanos, Consultant - Mexico/Latin America
- Lisa Eckmyn, Consultant
- Krysty Wideen, Consultant
- Valerie Nishi, Consultant - Calgary, Alberta
- Stephanie Enns, Project Coordinator
- Jenny T. A. Nguyen, Marketing and Projects Assistant
Our Associates and Partners
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Our Team Rosie Steeves, PrincipalWith over 30 years of experience in the leadership development field, Rosie Steeves has spearheaded initiatives in countless organizations, from small corporations experiencing start-up challenges to Fortune 500 corporations pursuing aggressive growth strategies. Today she primarily works with the CEOs and senior executive teams of large corporations. A certified executive and leadership coach, Rosie has a PhD in Human and Organizational Development from the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. A former Executive Director of Outward Bound, Rosie holds a BA and MA in engineering from Cambridge University, England, where she graduated with first-class honours. A prolific writer, Rosie writes a monthly column for a local weekly business publication and is currently in the process of writing a book. Rosie regularly appears as a leadership expert at conferences and is widely published and quoted in numerous publications, including most recently The National Post, the Financial Post, Canadian Business Magazine, HR Management Magazine and Directors Monthly. |
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Barbara Ross-Denroche, PrincipalFor over 20 years, Barbara Ross-Denroche has shaped leadership development best practices as a senior manager within organizations and as an organizational consultant. A certified coach who specializes in working with executives and managers, Barbara has been recognized with an Award of Distinction from the Human Resources Management Association of BC and an Award of Distinction from the Quality Council of British Columbia and LifeScan Canada, a Johnson & Johnson company. She has also taught leadership at Simon Fraser University and Royal Roads University, where she earned her own Masters in Leadership and Training. Barbara is past president of the BC Special Olympics and the BC Human Resources Management Association.barb@refineryleadership.com |
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Mark Frein, Consulting Practice LeadWith a passion for designing performance improvement systems that have a profound effect on the way we think, act and work, Mark Frein has developed innovative management and leadership programs for a diverse set of organizations across multiple industries. Mark holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of British Columbia. During his studies, he received the prestigious Killam Predoctoral fellowship for research on imagination and learning. Before joining The Refinery, he spent seven years as a Senior Associate in the Learning Strategies Group at Simon Fraser University where he earned a reputation as one of Western Canada’s leading executive educators and learning designers. Today he continues at SFU as an Adjunct Professor in Business Administration, teaching organizational structure, change and learning, and researching organizational culture. Mark also speaks at professional associations on emerging trends in strategic human resource management, organizational learning and development, and learning design.mark@refineryleadership.com |
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Greg Nichvalodoff, ConsultantAfter 20 successful years in a range of business roles from Branch Manager to Chief Executive Officer, Greg Nichvalodoff's diverse career has taken him across the globe from Canada to Bahrain. Today, he brings this wealth of experience to his work at The Refinery where he specializes in leadership development, executive coaching, business diagnostics and strategic planning. Greg received his MBA with a specialization in Leadership from Royal Roads University and his BSc in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. He a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade, the American Management Association, and the International Federation of Coaches. |
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Laura Villacrusis-Weaver, ConsultantLaura has over 12 years of experience in organization development, change management and leadership development, with specific expertise in designing organizational and individual processes that facilitate multi-level leadership development. Before joining The Refinery, Laura was an organization development consultant for several top companies, including Intel, and a change management consultant for Andersen Consulting. Laura earned her Master's in Organization Development from Pepperdine University, California, and her Bachelor of Economics from the University of the Philippines. She is certified in facilitating development processes such as Human Dynamics and the Insights Discovery Profile, and has led programs developed by the Society for Organizational Learning, Price Pritchett and DDI.laura@refineryleadership.com |
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Mike Bryde, ConsultantWith experience in large organizations including Electronic Arts and the federal government, Mike is a young and growing leader who adds a fresh perspective to our team. Mike has completed his Simon Fraser University’s Bachelor of Business Administration program where he studied human resources. At SFU, Mike has been a business writing mentor and has taught effective business communications. He also helped start up the SFU Human Resources Students’ Association and educated his peers with career planning. After spending nine years training for trampoline competitions, Mike recently retired to focus on something else that gets him excited—developing effective organizations. |
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Katie Wyka, ConsultantKatie’s work at The Refinery includes facilitating, teaching, coaching and consulting with client organizations on performance management, leadership and skill development, team integration and functioning, and interpersonal and emotional intelligence. Drawing on her passion, training and experience in psychology, organizational behaviour, human resources practices and human systems, Katie designs and leads workshops, facilitates team and group sessions, coaches 1:1 and partners with clients to rethink and enhance their people practices. Prior to joining The Refinery she worked in a variety of HR roles with D-Wave Systems, Radical Entertainment, Creo Inc., MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates, BC Hydro and Ballard. She’s had the great fortune to work in an HR and OD capacity for projects in Canada, the US and Hong Kong. She sees her role as helping organizations discover and cultivate the capabilities and culture that inspire exceptional performance. Katie holds a B.A. in Psychology from Simon Fraser University, a Human Resource Management Diploma from BCIT and a certificate in Training and Development from Boston University. She is also a certified consultant for the EQ-In-Action emotional intelligence assessment. Katie serves as the Secretary and Member Relations Co-Chair for the BC Organizational Development Network and is currently working on her Masters degree in OD at Fielding Institute. katie@refineryleadership.com |
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David Gibbons, ConsultantThe Refinery’s David Gibbons has built and led corporate leadership development programs for an impressive list of Canadian businesses. His teaching expertise focuses on what some refer to as “hard” business skills. He teaches financial analysis and planning, operations, business statistics and strategic decision-making. Prior to joining us, David was executive director of the Learning Strategies Group at SFU Business. A dedicated educator and student, David continues to teach at SFU’s Faculty of Business in the undergraduate and MBA programs, and has pursued his PhD studies in strategic decision-making. |
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Tim McGrady, ConsultantFor ten years, Tim McGrady’s leadership training classroom was some of the most remote parts of the planet, from the glacial fiords of Alaska to the Sierra Gigante mountains of Mexico to the offshore waters of the Pacific Ocean. Before joining The Refinery, Tim designed and facilitated outdoor leadership development programs in Canada, Mexico and the US, teaching participants how to lead their peers while negotiating the interpersonal and environmental challenges of self-supported wilderness expeditions. This unique leadership development work is complemented by more traditional corporate management experience in the tourism and high tech sectors. Tim has an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of British Columbia and an MA in leadership and training from Royal Roads University. |
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Lisa Eckmyn, ConsultantLisa Eckmyn's 17 years in organizational development include extensive experience with coaching, group facilitation, organization wide training, needs analysis and mediation. In 1990, Lisa founded Eckmyn Consulting. Serving the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, she has helped build healthy organizational cultures and mediated workplace conflicts for clients such as BC Hydro, SkyTrain, YWCA, Mountain Equipment Coop, BCAA, Matsqui Prison, and Family Services of Greater Vancouver. Lisa's education includes an MA in Applied Behavioural Science from the Leadership Institute of Seattle at Bastyr University and a Certificate in Coaching for Personal and Professional Mastery and Organizational Learning from the Newfield Network. She is a member of the International Coaching Federation, and currently serves as Chair of the Board of the New Learning Society (LifeSong School), an alternative elementary school.lisa@refineryleadership.com |
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Juan F. (Paco) Castellanos, ConsultantPaco brings over ten years of experience teaching leadership for a variety of US and Mexican government agencies, NGOs and educational institutions. As a faculty member for the National Outdoor Leadership School, he led expeditions in remote wilderness areas of Mexico, United States and South America before becoming branch director based in Baja California. He also has wide-ranging experience managing and developing partnerships with regional NGOs, state and federal public land management agencies in Southern Nevada and the Eastern Mojave Desert for the Great Basin Institute. He was principal investigator and project coordinator for research projects funded by Earthwatch Institute, The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service and The National Commission for Protected Wildlands in Mexico. Born and raised in Mexico City, Paco has a BSc in Marine Biology and a Masters in Coastal Resource Management from the State University of Baja California Sur. |
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Krysty Wideen, ConsultantKrysty joins The Refinery as she finishes her Bachelor in Business Administration with Honours at Simon Fraser University. Krysty has worked for a variety of organizations including PMC-Sierra, the British Columbia Ministry of Education, and COBS Bread. She has represented SFU at case competitions across Canada and has helped develop student life at SFU Business with her work with the Human Resources Student Association and the Business Administration Student Society. She has also taken advantage of being a student by travelling across Canada and to Europe and South America. Krysty’s focus in her education and work has largely been in Human Resources and Project Management and she looks forward to new challenges and providing a new perspective to The Refinery’s team. |
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Valerie Nishi, ConsultantFor over 18 years Valerie has created environments and experiences for people to release their leadership potential. She has held leadership and senior consulting roles in the oil and gas and telecommunications sectors. At TransCanada, she and her team developed strategies, and practices for talent and succession management, workforce planning, learning and development, and employee engagement. Her work with TELUS, Stentor and BCTel touched various areas, including strategic planning, organizational development, international alliance management, marketing and customer service. Co-founder of the Women's Leadership Foundation, Valerie and the WLF team delivered four leadership forums, engaging over 50 corporate, government and community partners, and impacting over 3000 leaders across Canada. She is also past director and special advisor to Youth In Motion. Valerie holds an MBA from the University of British Columbia, a BSc in Psychology from the University of Victoria, and is a Leadership Calgary alumnus. |
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Stephanie Enns, Project CoordinatorWith a number of projects on the go, someone needs to keep everything in line. Stephanie is our cheerful project coordination champion. Her sharp eye comes from over 6 years of experience in administration roles, working for government agencies and overseas organizations from Taiwan to Australia. Stephanie holds a BA from Mount Allison University in Sociology/Anthropology and maintains a keen interest in human development--a perfect fit for The Refinery team. stephanie@refineryleadership.com |
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Jenny T.A. Nguyen, Marketing and Projects AssistantIn a time of increasing reliance on technology, Jenny joins the Refinery’s talented team with a wide set range of technological, design and communicative skills. Her passion for self growth and leadership development had her working in collaboration with the Refinery and Ipsos Reid in the Spring of 2008 on behalf of Simon Fraser University’s LEAD program. Pursuing a desire to be a part of the sustainable change that the Refinery creates with its clients, she joins the team in a supportive role during her work experience year. Jenny holds a certificate in Innovative Leadership from SFU and is currently working towards a degree with a joint major of Communications and Business and a minor in Interactive Arts and Technology. jenny@refineryleadership.com |
Our Associates and Partners |
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Scott Borland, Partner - CYGNUS Management Consultants Inc.With over 25 years of experience in management, human resources development and organizational effectiveness, Scott Borland adds immense depth to our team. Prior to his external consulting experience, Scott worked for a major corporation as an internal consultant specializing in human resources development and organizational effectiveness. Scott is a perceptive, energetic workshop leader who uses a variety of techniques designed for adult learners. Combining his academic knowledge with real-world experience, he has earned recognition as a truly effective and challenging facilitator. Active professional memberships include the Canadian Association of Management Consultants, Human Resources Management Association, Society for Human Resource Management, and Organizational Development Network. scott@cygnus-inc.com |