Experience

DIG360 Consulting Ltd.

• Canada
• Think Tanks
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founder & Strategist

  • Feb 2008 - Present

  DIG360 is an amalgam of my professional background and personal beliefs coming full-circle. It reflects my strength in thinking holistically and making connections in all compass points around a problem. This also enables a structure under which my team and extended network can contribute their skills to solving client problems. DIG360 is an amalgam of my professional background and personal beliefs coming full-circle. It reflects my strength in thinking holistically and making connections in all compass points around a problem. This also enables a structure under which my team and extended network can contribute their skills to solving client problems.



New Zealand Trade and Enterprise

• New Zealand
• International Trade and Development
• 700 & Above Employee

• Beachead Advisor

  • Jan 2017 - Present

  Building on a long running professional relationship with NZTE and New Zealand exporters, am more formally involved as an advisor in two ways: 1. A subject matter expert on retail and consumer product go-to-market strategies in North America. 2. An Impact Session Facilitator - a trained role to help NZ executives validate or find gaps in North American strategies, across a wide range of sectors. Building on a long running professional relationship with NZTE and New Zealand exporters, am more formally involved as an advisor in two ways: 1. A subject matter expert on retail and consumer product go-to-market strategies in North America. 2. An Impact Session Facilitator - a trained role to help NZ executives validate or find gaps in North American strategies, across a wide range of sectors.



Retail Council of Canada (Awards and Events)

• Judge and Advisor

  • Jan 2018 - Present

  Judge of annual ERA Award for Best in Class Retail and planning committee advisor to various RCC events. Judge of annual ERA Award for Best in Class Retail and planning committee advisor to various RCC events.



Forum Research

• Netherlands
• Market Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Fractional Director of Qualitative Research

  • Apr 2022 - Mar 2023

  Took on a very special opportunity to refine and lead, on an fractional interim basis, a rebooted qualitative research division at the Canadian quantitative leader, Forum Research. Professional work focused on gelling a team in the aftermath of COVID work-from-home, introducing tools and approaches while coaching junior and mid-level staff through to projects they began to lead. The team progressed to become self-reliant and profitable. Along the way, I designed, conducted, and reported on online qualitative projects for their crown corp and public sector clients. This delivered results for Forum while at the same time modelled approaches with strong Team engagement. Show less



British Columbia Institute of Technology

• Canada
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Lecturer, Marketing Management, School of Business

  • Jan 2020 - Dec 2022

  Taught consumer behaviour at the advanced undergrad level. Developed own approach to integrating Customer Journeys with key concepts in consumer behaviour, culminating in a major end of term group project. Taught consumer behaviour at the advanced undergrad level. Developed own approach to integrating Customer Journeys with key concepts in consumer behaviour, culminating in a major end of term group project.


Schulich School of Business - York University
• Canada
• Higher Education
• 200 - 300 Employee
• Lecturer, Marketing Research

  • Sep 2021 - Apr 2022


The Business of Retail

• Canada
• Think Tanks

• Podcast Co Founder & Co Host

  • Nov 2020 - Mar 2022

  Developed and hosted a twice a month shared discussion during the COVID Pandemic focused on better understanding of the rapidly transforming retail ecosystem, with four other thought leaders from diverse backgrounds in the sector. We often had high profile leading experts join the conversation. Developed and hosted a twice a month shared discussion during the COVID Pandemic focused on better understanding of the rapidly transforming retail ecosystem, with four other thought leaders from diverse backgrounds in the sector. We often had high profile leading experts join the conversation.



The DMZ

• Canada
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Startup Advisor (Retail Ecosystem)

  • Jan 2015 - Nov 2020

  Special advisor to ventures in retail and consumer innovation at Canada's largest tech accelerator and top-ranked University-based incubator in North America. Includes teaching a standalone seminar on Better Go-To-Market for Retail. Special advisor to ventures in retail and consumer innovation at Canada's largest tech accelerator and top-ranked University-based incubator in North America. Includes teaching a standalone seminar on Better Go-To-Market for Retail.



Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University

• Canada
• Higher Education
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Advisor and Part-Time Lecturer (RADIUS)

  • Sep 2017 - Dec 2019

  Mentored and advised selected founders in the RADIUS Ventures programme. Included teaching a course on How to Sell to Retail. RADIUS incubates and accelerates top emerging social ventures to scale impact, grow revenue and build the foundations for sustained success. Mentored and advised selected founders in the RADIUS Ventures programme. Included teaching a course on How to Sell to Retail. RADIUS incubates and accelerates top emerging social ventures to scale impact, grow revenue and build the foundations for sustained success.



BCBusiness

• Canada
• Media Production

• Panelist "Top Innovator" Award

  • 2010 - 2013

  Have been honoured to be part of the advisory panel for the most innovative organizations in BC awards and special issue of BC Business in 2010-2012 and now again in 2013. Have been honoured to be part of the advisory panel for the most innovative organizations in BC awards and special issue of BC Business in 2010-2012 and now again in 2013.



Sustainable Brands

• United States
• Technology, Information and Media
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Advisor to SB10

  • Apr 2010 - Jul 2010

  Participated with a select group of sustainability, consumer goods and brand experts on the Sustainable Brands 2010 Advisory Board to shape and conduct post-mortem on that leading event. Participated with a select group of sustainability, consumer goods and brand experts on the Sustainable Brands 2010 Advisory Board to shape and conduct post-mortem on that leading event.



Globe Conference on Business Sustainability

• Spotlight on Retail Chair

  • Oct 2009 - Mar 2010

  Generated the concept and built support with Globe Foundation for a link on green business through retail. Oversaw the design of the Spotlight, curated it, and moderated the CEO Panel at the prestigious Globe Conference in Vancouver, Canada Mar 24-26, 2010: the Spotlight on Retail. Info: http://bit.ly/auL0MU Generated the concept and built support with Globe Foundation for a link on green business through retail. Oversaw the design of the Spotlight, curated it, and moderated the CEO Panel at the prestigious Globe Conference in Vancouver, Canada Mar 24-26, 2010: the Spotlight on Retail. Info: http://bit.ly/auL0MU



Retail BC

• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Volunteer Chair, 2009 Passion For Retail Conference

  • Mar 2009 - May 2009

  In follow-up to our successful Retail Executives Summit on Sustainability in February, the 2009 Retail BC Annual Conference theme was Green Retail. A stellar line-up of presenters included Peter Robinson (David Suzuki Foundation, ex-MEC CEO) and Gary Hirshberg (Stoneyfield Farm and Danone Europe. In follow-up to our successful Retail Executives Summit on Sustainability in February, the 2009 Retail BC Annual Conference theme was Green Retail. A stellar line-up of presenters included Peter Robinson (David Suzuki Foundation, ex-MEC CEO) and Gary Hirshberg (Stoneyfield Farm and Danone Europe.



Sixth Line Solutions

• Principal

  • Mar 1994 - Dec 2007

  Started a service firm and extended network in 1994 successfully dedicated to three things: 1) business intelligence with no silos, 2) shifting the Canadian retail sector toward strategic best-practices, enhancing experience & intuition with facts and analysis, 3) developing a community of like-minded professionals to create new approaches. Sixth Line Solutions grew to be a leading resource for - and about - the retail sector in Canada with many well-known national, regional and international clients. Under the umbrella of Sixth Line, purchased an underutilized focus group facility in 2000 and developed it into one of the top such services for the research community in Western Canada. Sold this business in 2007 at a substantial profit. Show less



David Gray & Associates

• Consultant

  • Jul 1992 - Feb 1994

  Experienced a variety of interesting engagements from market researcher specializing in expert interviews with senior financial industry professionals (for Brendan Wood International), to helping develop first major operating budget for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, to providing marketing and business modeling suppport to an early touch-screen customer satisfaction research start-up. Experienced a variety of interesting engagements from market researcher specializing in expert interviews with senior financial industry professionals (for Brendan Wood International), to helping develop first major operating budget for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, to providing marketing and business modeling suppport to an early touch-screen customer satisfaction research start-up.

• Manager (Haub Program in Environment & Business)

  • Sep 1991 - Jun 1992

  Personal efforts to integrate Sustainability Issues in Business School education (MBA and BBA) were rewarded with an offer to administer the start-up of the first endowed chair in sustainability in a Canadian business school (Schulich). Handled initial budget and managed start-up period to hiring of first Chair, while on leave from IOL. Personal efforts to integrate Sustainability Issues in Business School education (MBA and BBA) were rewarded with an offer to administer the start-up of the first endowed chair in sustainability in a Canadian business school (Schulich). Handled initial budget and managed start-up period to hiring of first Chair, while on leave from IOL.



Imperial Oil

• Canada
• Oil and Gas
• 700 & Above Employee

• Financial Analyst (Esso Canada)

  • Feb 1988 - Jan 1992

  Analyzed and reporting monthly earnings for Esso retail operations. Handled many special projects, some of which saved millions of dollars, and began liason programme between Financial Services and Marketing "clients". In charge of successful Continuous Improvement Programme (CIP) Pilot in credit card division. Exceeded goals and was given a rare (for IOL) leave-of-absence to pursue MBA full-time and start-up Haub Programme. Analyzed and reporting monthly earnings for Esso retail operations. Handled many special projects, some of which saved millions of dollars, and began liason programme between Financial Services and Marketing "clients". In charge of successful Continuous Improvement Programme (CIP) Pilot in credit card division. Exceeded goals and was given a rare (for IOL) leave-of-absence to pursue MBA full-time and start-up Haub Programme.