Jessica Orchin

Director of Sales and Marketing

A graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University, Jess leverages her education and experience in Sales and Marketing to help The Gasparotto Group grow.

About Jess

Born and raised in the small mountain town of Banff, Alberta, Jess is passionate about the outdoors, community involvement, and leadership development. Jess began her undergraduate studies at Western University where she studied International Relations for two years before entering The Richard Ivey School of Business to complete her degree. At Ivey she focused her studies on leadership development through the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership.

Jess believes that the biggest learning opportunities come from active participation. At Western she led a finance team as the Chief Financial Officer for Enactus Western. At Ivey she was the Vice President of Finance for Ivey Connects, a program that connects business students to charities in the local community. In May of 2019 Jess volunteered to teach business foundations at the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Teaching in the ambiguous and challenging environment of East Africa posed new challenges each day; that enhanced her ability to adapt to changing circumstances and gave her a new perspective on the world. She is a proud member of her community and seeks out leadership opportunities for development that also allow her to use her skills to give back.

Jess’s work experience ranges from coaching ski racing to working as a Heritage Presenter for Parks Canada and leading the Operations and Public Relations portfolios for a start-up business: Banff Walk. She leverages her diverse background in a variety of industries and functions to offer unique perspectives for business development and client engagements at The Gasparotto Group.

At The Gasparotto Group Jess works to build and strengthen client relationships as the Director of Sales and Marketing.

Shawn Groves

Director of Operations

Shawn is an innovative and experienced leader who is passionate about leadership and developing effective and cohesive teams.  He has formed, developed, and led teams for over 30 years, and has a proven record of leading and inspiring people, and building successful, resilient teams of diverse capabilities, and cultivating a culture of trust.

About Shawn

A decorated veteran, Shawn is a transformational, innovative, and experienced leader who is passionate about leadership and developing effective and cohesive teams. As a former Canadian Army Engineer, who, through excellence in skills, knowledge, and demonstrated leadership performance and potential, progressed through the non-commissioned ranks and then into the officer ranks, he has a proven record of leading and inspiring people, cultivating a culture of trust, and building effective, cross-functional teams of diverse capabilities.

Shawn has extensive instructional experience at both the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering and the British Army School Royal Corps of Engineers, where he played a key role in developing, delivering, monitoring and adjusting training to meet the needs of the Army. He has designed, implemented and validated individual and collective training curriculums and courses. His operational experience was key in his capacity as an observer-controller-trainer and exercise developer, to validate the operational readiness of army units prior to their overseas deployment. 

A proven problem solver in volatile and dynamic situations, Shawn has considerable international and domestic operational experience and is highly skilled in operational analysis and planning. Shawn’s ability to develop leaders and thier effective, cohesive, and resilient, teams has been proven and tested.

Since leaving the military Shawn has gained significant experience as a project manager and company executive; thereby, developing an understanding of the relevant application of his military experience in the business context and setting. Shawn has successfully transitioned his military skills, knowledge, and breadth of experience into the business and corporate world and brings this to Gasparotto Group. 

Education & Relevant Training

 Baccalaureate in Military Arts and Sciences

Diploma in Agriculture

PMP Designation (Ongoing)

Certified Engineering Technician

Organizational Behaviour and Leadership

Risk Analysis & Management

Erica Oliver

Associate

Drawing upon 21 years of military experience, Erica is focused on the application of varied leadership approaches to inspire and motivate people to achieve their potential.

About Erica

Erica joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1997 and has two tours in Afghanistan, one in Haiti and one in Iraq. She has significant operational experience ranging from commanding small teams in battle to briefing at the strategic level. She was invested into the Order of Military Merit and has been awarded several commendations including one from the Chief of Defence Staff for her actions under fire in Afghanistan. As a 5-year instructor at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering she has a solid understanding of how and when to apply the most suitable instructional techniques to reach her audience. Erica believes that our ideas of personal limitations are merely a skewed perception of reality which, with the application of the right tools, can be shifted to realize what is actually possible.

Passionate about professional development she draws upon current theories, testing them in the field to further refine her own leadership skills and apply these lessons to her teaching. She displays unbounded enthusiasm which she uses to inspire those around her to strive for greatness in being the best version of themselves.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Military Arts and Science, Royal Military College of Canada

Molly McAlea

Graphic Designer

Molly has nearly a decade of experience in the realm of visual design and marketing, providing the knowledge to bridge the gap between Gasparotto Group and our clients through branded apparel and graphic design.

About Molly

Molly has had a lifelong interest in art and design, not only visual appreciation, but a desire to learn from it. Art history always fascinated her because it facilitated a critique of classical art that brought forwards fresh perspectives and even new understanding of techniques and design systems.

Her desire to blend form and function led her to study Fashion Design at Ryerson University, where she received her BDes in 2016. After graduating, Molly began working as a contractor doing design work and marketing for Jennifer Fukushima, Twiss & Weber and Gasparotto Group, among others. This allowed her to engage in ethical fashion and support domestically-made products and services.

Under the banner of Marketing and Design Support for the Gasparotto Group, Molly bridges the gap between the team and our clients through branded apparel and graphic design.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Design, Ryerson University.

Scott Williams

Associate

Drawing on 10 years military and 15 years construction industry experience, Scott focusses on the leveraging of individuals strengths to develop team outputs which are “greater than the sum of parts”.

About Scott

Scott joined the British Army in 2003 and served in Germany, the Falkland Islands and Canada. He completed two operational tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq, where he was awarded a Joint Commander’s Commendation for his leadership in combat during an extraction operation in Basra in 2005. He has a broad depth of instructional experience having served at both the British and Canadian Schools of Military Engineering, in addition to having commanded a high threat training detachment whilst with the Joint Counter Terrorist Training and Advisory Team. Post military, Scott has worked as a Project Manager in the heavy construction industry, most recently acting as the Infrastructure Branch Manager for the Capital Projects Division at a nuclear research and development reactor site during an $800M facility revitalization undertaking.

Scott strongly believes most people’s limitations are consciously, or unconsciously, self-imposed and enjoys coaching others to achieve the “impossible”. Passionate about team dynamics, he relishes in the leveraging of individuals strengths, through mutual respect and trust, to build high functioning teams.

Qualifications

Project Management Professional, Project Management Institute

Mark Gasparotto

President

A leader by any definition, Mark’s outside-the-box tactics have delivered results in combat, business, and bureaucracy. Now he’s ready to help your organization excel, whatever your field, whomever your team, wherever your battle.

About Mark

Mark is the President of The Gasparotto Group, a boutique consultancy that provides clients with practical leadership solutions.

Mark leverages his strategic and tactical leadership approach to help private and public-sector organizations increase their members’ leadership and resilience, strengthen their teams, enhance their organizational culture, and expand their influence. An accomplished TEC Canada speaker, Mark combines rich personal experience with applicable theories and current trends to deliver practical, achievable outcomes, whatever the leadership challenge.

During his highly decorated two decades of military service, Mark served in key leadership roles in international hotspots such as Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Haiti. From commanding small tactical units, to overseeing large, multinational peacekeeping operations, his emphasis on results, teamwork, and effective communications elevated him to the upper-ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Passionate about self-reflection and personal development, Mark’s brand of cerebral enthusiasm and entrepreneurial approach has proven contagious and effective inside and outside his military profession. Concurrent to his military career, Mark earned a Masters of Defence Studies, a Masters of Arts in Leadership, and is a published co-author of Clearing the Way: Combat Engineers in Kandahar—now an award-winning documentary film. He enjoys pushing his personal limits in military ironman competitions and wilderness expeditions. That, and parenting two teenage daughters—his greatest leadership challenge. He was thrice decorated in uniform: once with the Meritorious Service Medal for his actions under fire during Operation Medusa in 2006, and more recently with another Meritorious Service Medal and a Brazilian Army Medal for his senior leadership role in the United Nations multinational peacekeeping force in Haiti. Mark lives in Ottawa with his wife Shannon and daughters Abigail and Emily.

Qualifications

Master of Arts in Leadership, Royal Roads University

Master of Defence Studies, Royal Military College of Canada

Bachelor of Engineering, University of Waterloo

Licensed Professional Engineer (Ontario)

MBTI

EQi 2.0

Lifestyles Inventory and Leadership Workstyles 360° (Human Synergistics)

Management/Leadership Impact 360° (Human Synergistics)

Organizational Culture Inventory (Human Synergistics)

Awards & Decorations

Meritorious Service Medal with Bar

Brazilian Army Medal

Mark as an Influencer

Veteran follows passion to create Outside the Wire leadership development program, Canadian Military Family Magazine / Video

Unlocking the many mysteries of PTSD, The Halifax Chronicle-Herald

Speaker at the Spartan X Leadership Talks, Spartan Race

Intrapreneurship: A Culture of Innovation, Human Resource Professional Association Conference 2018 Speakers’ Corner

Spare the austerity, spoil the military, National Post

Top Honours at Forest City Film Festival, London Free Press

Anthony Robb

Associate

With extensive military experience, Anthony brings a deep understanding of leadership fundamentals, emotional intelligence, teamwork, and communication.

About Anthony

Armed with over 17 years of experience in the Canadian Army, Anthony is a proven tactical leader and operational planner. Anthony joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2000 and has served on two operational tours to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his leadership in combat in 2006 and has served as the lead planner for post-war reconstruction and development operations. In addition to co-authoring Clearing the Way: Combat Engineers in Kandahar, Anthony continues to publish leadership material in respected academic journals.

Anthony believes that the best days of life should never be in the past. True leaders aspire to reach beyond their perceived potential. He is known for his infectious enthusiasm, tactical agility and ability to blend analysis and intuition. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s of science in organizational leadership, Anthony’s leadership experience is balanced by a strong academic and technical foundation. He believes in interrogating reality and challenging people and organizations to understand why they do the things they do.

Anthony believes that processes and systems work for us, not the other way around. It’s time for leaders to take ownership.

Qualifications

Master of Defence Studies, Royal Military College of Canada

Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, Norwich University

Degree in Electrical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada

Project Management Certificate, University of Waterloo

Peter Ceponis

Associate

With a rich background in research, medical planning, and clinical support to soldiers, Peter provides the academic link that connects theory with practice.

About Peter

Joining the Canadian Armed Forces as a medical student in 2006, Peter entered active duty in 2010. He has since served in a variety of capacities, including as a Flight Surgeon in direct medical support to Arctic operations, and in coordinating international medical support for soldiers. Most recently, he completed a fellowship in Hyperbaric Medicine at Duke University and serves as a nation-wide Consultant in Diving Medicine for the Forces.

As a physician with a broad foundation in family, sport, and environmental medicine, Peter cares deeply about physical and mental health. Combined with his expertise in public health, he strives to optimize health and performance at both the individual and population levels. His contributions to over 20 peer-reviewed publications, invited speaking events, and mentoring of medical trainees also highlight a personal goal of communicating sound information.

Peter is a communicator, researcher, and clinician who aims to bring evidence-based leadership practices to bear.

Qualifications

PhD in Cellular Microbiology, University of Toronto

Master’s of Public Health candidate, University of North Carolina

Hyperbaric & Undersea Medicine Fellowship, Duke University

Diploma in Sport Medicine, CASEM

Certification in the College of Family Physicians

Doctor of Medicine (MD), University of Toronto

Masters of Science in Health Science, McMaster University

Bachelor of Science in Medical Toxicology, Guelph University

Cindy Legarie

Associate

With over 20 years of military experience, Cindy focuses on awareness of the impact individuals can have on a team, on how being accountable helps you thrive as a leader and that building trust is the foundation of any team for success.

About Cindy

Cindy Legarie is an Engineer Officer with over 20 year of experience in the Canadian Army and a Professional Engineer with the province of New Brunswick. Cindy joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1997 and has served in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Afghanistan and Ukraine in leadership and planning positions. Cindy complied personal anecdotes from soldiers who served in 2 Combat Engineer Regiment into a book Bridges, Jumpers, Divers and Demolitions: An anecdotal History of 2 Combat Engineer Regiment in time for the unit’s 40th anniversary.

Cindy focuses on personal leadership development by raising awareness of the impact leaders have on their team and being fiercely accountable for their actions and decisions as well as the results and atmosphere of their team. She is believes all teams need to be grounded in a common purpose and the foundation of a good team is trust.

Qualifications

Masters of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of New Brunswick

Certificate in Applied Science and Technology, City & Guilds London Institute

Degree in Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada