Lisa Hsia is a media executive and board member who has been at the forefront of television, film, and digital media for the past 40 years. In her most recent role as Executive Vice President of Audience Acquisition and Growth at NBCUniversal Entertainment, Lisa oversaw the monetization and growth of audiences on digital platforms for NBCU’s broadcast and cable networks, including NBC, USA, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, SYFY, and Universal Kids. Previously, Lisa served as Vice President of NBC News, where she had executive oversight of the "Today" show, "Dateline," and the long-form programming unit, Peacock Productions. During her early career in broadcast news, she worked as a producer and senior producer for Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric. Lisa has also produced documentaries, including Made in China and The Emperor’s Eye: Art and Power in Imperial China, as well as two independent feature films for Orion Classics. She holds a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Currently, Lisa serves on the Board of Directors for Blue Ant Media and the Producer’s Guild East.

Leadership

Livia Grujich, founder of Prescribing Happiness, specializes in helping corporations and health centers create and maintain a happy, engaged workforce. With over 20 years of experience in marketing and education—and drawing on her own journey of balancing career and family—Livia is passionate about guiding individuals through life transitions. She shares her insights in her upcoming book, Stop Searching for Next. A Toastmasters International Speech Contest winner, Livia also gives back to the next generation through Confident Young Voices, a program she developed to empower youth with public speaking and leadership skills.

Majid Majzoubi is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at Schulich School of Business, where he brings a unique blend of computer science expertise and strategic insight to his award-winning teaching and cutting-edge research. His pioneering research leverages advanced machine learning and natural language processing techniques to unlock strategic insights from big data, focusing on how companies can optimize their market positioning and stakeholder communications. Majid’s works, published in leading journals like Strategic Management Journal and Organization Science, helps executives understand how their strategic choices influence market evaluations and analyst perceptions.

Coaching and Collaboration

Malcolm Cowan is a global technology executive having worked in Canada, UK, US, France and Denmark.

• Seasoned telecom executive for 35 years, half of that time for Nortel Telecommunications
• Headed up Nortel U.S. wireless division and introduced major cellular networks
• CEO of start up company in Data Networks
• Executive in Residence at Schulich School of Business, Toronto Canada
• CEO of business consulting company for 19 years.
• Partnering with Schulich ExecEd;
  • Designed and run 30+ leadership programs over 14 years
  • Action Learning Coach (ALP) Project coach for over 350 projects and 35 organizations over 17 years

Marie-Hélène Budworth researches and teaches in the areas of individual development and learning. She holds a PhD is in Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, a Master’s in Counselling Psychology, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology. Her early work in psychology and natural science guides her work and her approach to research. Her current research program is focussed on development and interpersonal interactions within the context of work. She is interested in how people learn, acquire knowledge, make choices, and negotiate with one another in order to succeed. She believes that learning and development are socially constructed and, therefore, looks at the individuals and networks that surround people as a way of understanding conditions for success. She also examines the value of psychologically based interventions for enhancing and promoting development within systematically disadvantaged populations. She is particularly interested in how people succeed when faced with systemic barriers such as discrimination and bias. She is currently serving an Associate Editor at the Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences and sits on the editorial boards of Organizational Dynamics, Human Resources Management Review, Human Resource Development Quarterly.

Communication, Healthcare

Since 2006, Marion Howell has led the leadership development coaching and cultural transformation projects at the Iris Group. Marion is kind and direct, she is emotionally intelligent, and she has the ability to quickly notice clients’ self-imposed blocks and barriers that may hold them back from their peak performance. Marion’s coaching approach integrates the clients’ context and objectives with best models and scholarship in the areas of leadership development and organizational effectiveness. With Marion’s support, clients are able to deepen their insight on how to lead complex challenges, often by reframing and then develop personalized strategies that align with their natural strengths. She also supports the development of high-performance mindsets, particularly as clients transition to greater levels responsibility. Marion has a passion for Complexity Theory and she loves to share practical tools that support leaders in the midst of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity). Marion works extensively in the Canadian health care sector as well as for-profit organizations and Children’s’ Aid Societies. Her clients include leaders at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Southlake Regional Health Centre, Markham Stouffville Hospital, Healthcare Materials Management Services, Humber River Hospital, Mackenzie Health Centre, Health PEI, Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners, VersaPay, Simcoe Muskoka Children’s Aid Society and Highland Shores Children’s’ Aid Society to name a few. Since 2011, Marion has provided individual and peer coaching services to both the Schulich Executive Education Centre in programs designed for Canadian physicians and health care leaders that has recently become LEADS certified (www.leadscanada.net). Marion has a BAS Hons Marketing degree and is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation. She has completed a Masters Certificate in Organization Development with the Canadian Organization Development Institute (CODI) and she holds a Myers-Briggs certification.

Project Management

With more than 20 years of technology and global business experience, Mark is a seasoned Project Manager in the two key technology areas of application development and IP networks. Highlighted by Cisco Systems as a technology project leader, Mark has become a North American leader in project management best practices in complex technology environments he learned from leading consulting companies such as Accenture and Oracle Corporation. He draws from his experience in various roles in corporations which have included New Product Introduction Manager, Director European projects, Team Lead, Business Systems Analyst, Sales Engineer and Programmer. Mark has brought two software products to market, opened and directed a company in Europe, assisted in raising capital from leading firms such as Morgan Stanley in New York, a well as Cisco Systems and Kleiner Perkins Caufield Beyers in San Francisco. Mark has completed his Certificate in Adult Education to complement his corporate experience. Combining this with his global project experience, Marks’ training approach is a focus on discussion and application of real life examples, which makes the material directly relevant to the learner.

Communication

Mark is a leader in both European and North American training, with a solid track record of lecturing regularly at the UK's top universities including Oxford and Cambridge, and academies, including the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). A highly distinguished and internationally awarded performer himself, Mark has a diverse and rich training and performance background with some of the world's most noted communicators. Mark is the creator of a totally unique model of training for public speakers, The Gesture-Plane System™. This system encompasses the world's fastest and most practical techniques for confident and influential presentation, used now by top business, political and entertainment performers across the globe.

Change Management

Mark is a professional leadership consultant and trainer with extensive experience facilitating teams and relating to the psychology of human dynamics in the workplace. He has led major organizational change initiatives for diverse clients including GM, Sears, General Mills, CN, Domtar, North York Hospital and Concordia University. Mark has facilitated with thousands of people from assembly lines to boardrooms. He currently devotes his efforts to helping leaders and teams rise above the issues that impede creativity, productivity and growth.

Big Data and Analytics

Mark Peco, CBIP, is an accomplished Data Analytics Consultant and Educator with over 30 years of experience in data analytics, data science, and data management. He has a strong background in developing and implementing data strategies for organizations across various industries, including energy, utilities, and financial services. Mark specializes in teaching analytics concepts in an accessible and engaging way, using real-world examples and hands-on exercises. His expertise spans machine learning, data warehousing, business intelligence, and performance management, making him a valuable resource for students seeking to understand the practical applications of data analytics in today’s business environment. As an instructor at York University, Mark has designed and delivered courses that bridge the gap between theory and practice. His teaching approach emphasizes the development of practical skills, empowering students to apply their learning in real-world scenarios. Students in his courses benefit from his extensive knowledge, industry insights, and passion for education. Mark holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering from the University of Waterloo and is a Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) at the mastery level.

Marr Morgan has been a Production Accountant in the Television & Film Industry for over 40 years. She is experienced with a wide range of Productions, including small independents, multi-million-dollar blockbuster features, and both Domestic and International/Co-Produced television series. She has worked both internationally and across Canada. Marr has been an active member of the Directors Guild of Canada since the Accountants joined the Guild. She was elected to serve on the DGC Executive Board as the Accounting Caucus Representative for both the National and the Ontario District Council Executive Board and served 3 terms (6 years) on each Board. Marr has been an integral part of the training of Accounting within the DGC. She has helped to develop many courses, including a 10-day course for DGC Quebec in collaboration with Netflix and L’Inis (a professional training institute for workers in the film, tv and interactive media industry). Marr is very passionate about the future of the industry and the role that Production Accounting has within it. She has been very active in recruiting new members into the DGC and taught an Introductory Accounting Fundamentals Course (specifically for Film & Television) for many years. She believes very strongly in “on the job training” and has acted as a Mentor to many DGC members, including those wanting to move up into the role of Accountant.

Leadership, Management, Public Sector

Dr. Martine Durier-Copp is a highly experienced educator, facilitator, researcher, and curriculum design specialist in public policy and management, with a strong focus on Public Sector Leadership. She has managed and taught in the Dalhousie University Master of Public Administration (Management) program for over fifteen years. The MPAM is a specially designed graduate program for mid-career public officials, offered in a blended model (online and in person), and is delivered in close consultation with all four levels of government. As such, she has strong insight into the specific needs and requirements of adult learners in the public sector. Martine teaches the capstone Public Sector Leadership and Ethics course in the MPAM. She initiated and designed the online Dalhousie Certificate in Public Policy and Management, which has attracted over 500 working professionals from all 13 jurisdictions in only three years. A published and award-winning researcher-author, she has presented her work on public sector leadership and virtual leadership at international conferences, government sessions, and workshops. Additionally, she is co-founder and Director of the CELNeT Lab, with Dr. Binod Sundararajan—a next-wave research hub and network specializing in e-leadership, hybrid work, and digital transformation. Having partnered with the Federal Government on a major partnership research project, supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, they designed an innovative framework on e-Leadership [Connect Framework]. Training and development sessions have been successfully delivered to many federal, provincial, and municipal clients. Martine holds a PhD in political theory from McGill University, as well as certifications in leadership programs (Harvard Executive Education, McGill University, and IBM Leadership Centre). She has led several international projects focused on public sector leadership and capacity development in South America, the Caribbean, as well as in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and FSU countries.

General Management

Matthias teaches in the BBA and MBA Programs at Schulich as well as in the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA Program. He also teaches a program on cross-cultural management in the international week of the Kellogg-WHU EMBA in Germany, which is attended by students from all Kellogg partner schools. Since joining Schulich two years ago, Matthias has already been nominated twice for the Seymour Schulich Excellence in Teaching Award. Matthias has extensive international experience, having previously worked in the United Kingdom and Spain and holding degrees from Germany, France and the United States. He speaks four languages fluently (English, Spanish, French, and German) and also has a passive knowledge of Italian and Russian. Matthias has been invited as a Visiting Professor at several prestigious universities around the world, including Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, the Institute of Innovation Research at Hitotsubashi University and Meiji University, both in Tokyo, Japan and the University of Toulouse in France. On many occasions, he has taught or given seminars to executives during his time there. Before becoming an academic, Matthias has worked in the Paris and London offices of Braxton Associates, the strategy consulting division of Deloitte. During his previous academic appointments, he has developed and taught internal training programs for a number of European enterprises, including a large electrical engineering firm in Germany and a French pharmaceuticals and personal care products company. He is currently developing several projects with Schulich ExecEd.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Strategic Leadership

Program Director, Centre of Excellence in Innovation Leadership, author and founding partner of Mitchell Consulting. Megan is one of Canada’s top innovation practitioners with over 25 years of experience in innovation, marketing, sales, HR and leadership. Her passion is leadership effectiveness to build innovation capacity and better work environments to help people thrive.

Memfi is a passionate and certified trainer and facilitator specializing in multicultural team building and leadership development. Born in Italy, she brings international experience to her role at TCO, with a strong focus on cross-cultural awareness, team dynamics, and motivation. Her engaging style, influenced by theatrical improv, inspires audiences and enhances team agility. Her work with major multinational companies and her contributions to diversity and inclusion highlight her commitment to nurturing young global leaders. She has co-developed key programs such as The Bridge Builders, Developing Empathy, Understanding Motivation, and Facilitating Teams. Having lived in England, Denmark, and Norway, Memfi has gained a deep appreciation for cultural adaptation, making her a valuable asset to clients with international needs.