Allison ByrneSenior Director, Major Projects & Calgary OperationsAmos Kamande

Senior Director, Operational Excellence

Amos Kamande brings over two decades of experience in quality assurance, engineering, production and productivity improvement. He has a Master’s degree in Engineering and Management and is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt through his training with the George Group, established by Lean Six Sigma founder Michael George and acquired by Accenture in ***

Recently, Amos initiated and developed the LSS Black Belt (BB)

and Green Belt (GB)

training, coaching, and certification program. He customized the training materials, used them to train LSS BB candidates, and coached them through their projects

Amos has helped businesses in different industries be more productive, competitive, and profitable. He wants to make Alberta businesses the most competitive and efficient in the world

amos**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Amos KamandeSenior Director, Operational ExcellenceErin Arnston

Finance & HR Administration Coordinator

Erin started at Productivity Alberta in 2011 as a summer intern. She stayed on part-time until she completed her degree and joined Productivity Alberta full time in April of ***

Erin holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. She plans to continue her education and is currently pursuing her Certified Management Accounting designation

Within the Finance and Administration department, Erin helps manage and implement the day-to-day back office operations

erin**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Erin ArnstonFinance & HR Administration CoordinatorJacquie Boily

Creative Lead & Digital Content Strategist

Jacquie Boily joined Productivity Alberta in September 2011 as Coordinator of Marketing and Communications, and recently moved into the role of Creative Lead. She oversees the development and implementation of the company brand, material design and social media strategy

Previously, Jacquie worked as an Executive Assistant with Almita Piling. She oversaw the Office of the President, helped guide the company’s vision and mission, organized company events, and ensured adherence with corporate branding and messaging guidelines and policies

Jacquie’s entrepreneurial spirit took a hold in 2008 when she opened Downtown and Back Again, a business and personal concierge service. Her background is in project management, client care, and event planning

She is married to Dave and they are blessed with two boys, Layne and Payton

jacquie**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Jacquie BoilyCreative Lead & Digital Content StrategistJeff Baker

Senior Director, Strategic Marketing & Communications

Jeff started his career in 2003 with the Government of Alberta’s Industry Development Branch. Since then, Jeff has been involved in economic development and competitiveness across a number of industrial sectors across Alberta, including Metal Fabrication, Environmental Products and Services, Forest Products, and Construction

In March 2009, Jeff joined Productivity Alberta

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in International Business and Management Science from the University of Alberta School of Business, and studied international management and marketing at the University of Wollongong in Australia. In his spare time, he enjoys live music, travelling and hunting for the greatest new local restaurants and hot spots

jeff**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Jeff BakerSenior Director, Strategic Marketing & CommunicationsJori Davidson

Program Development & Client Services Coordinator

Jori joined Productivity Alberta in January 2012. She joins the team after a decade in Alberta’s financial sector. Her experience is varied and includes senior roles and team management. Jori gained experience with project management amongst various departments and companies throughout Alberta

Jori’s experience allows her to deliver high quality service and maintain positive working relationships with Productivity Alberta clients and staff. Jori joins Productivity Alberta with enthusiasm to gain knowledge about a new industry and support companies to realize their full productivity potential

Outside of work Jori is an avid traveller and enjoys spending time with family and friends

jori**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Jori DavidsonProgram Development & Client Services CoordinatorKevin Erickson

Technical Director, Operational Excellence

Kevin’s diverse background includes ten years in the downstream petroleum industry where he led improvement projects in a variety of back office and customer facing areas. He received his MBA in Executive Management at Royal Roads University and has taken a range of training in Six Sigma and Business Process Improvement including Productivity Alberta’s Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program

As the Technical Director of Operational Excellence, Kevin supports the delivery of Productivity Alberta’s suite of programs to its client organizations. This includes project implementation, workshop facilitation, and various speaking engagements. Kevin also maintains a personal blog with topics focussing on aspects of Lean Enterprise and Lean Leadership. Finally, he enjoys the opportunity to foster industry and community connections through the course of his work

kevin**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

587 877 ***

Kevin EricksonTechnical Director, Operational ExcellenceMatt Knight

Senior Director, Client Services

Matt joined the Productivity Alberta team in 2013 to help promote productivity improvement initiatives, generate client-centered solutions and work with companies to improve and sustain productivity and competitiveness

Matt adds a diverse skill-set to the team：he has split his career between firms such as Deloitte and Ernst & Young, and working in industry with Suncor and Ledcor to focus on business improvement. He brings proven success in productivity, coaching, business improvement, system selection and implementation, Lean Six Sigma programs, operations and strategy

Matt has an undergrad degree in international business and supply chain management, and is currently completing his MBA in Community Economic Development

matt**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Matt KnightSenior Director, Client ServicesMillie Porfon

Office Administrator

Millie has worked for the Government of Alberta since July 1979. Her duties have provided her with a breadth of experience in the administrative services side of government

Prior to joining Productivity Alberta, Millie worked in the Industry Development Branch of Alberta Finance and Enterprise as an Administrative Assistant

Millie’s outside interests include reading, the company of her family and friends and Edmonton Eskimos football— she’s been an avid fan and season ticket holder for a number of years

millie**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Millie PorfonOffice AdministratorPam Thompson

Relationship Manager

Pam Thompson joined the Productivity Alberta team in January 2014 as our Relationship Manager. Pam invites you to have a conversation and discover how Productivity Alberta can best serve you. Pam will listen, explore and walk with you as you determine your goal and help you achieve your company’s productivity potential

Possessing an overriding passion for helping people, Pamela has defined herself as an excellent listener, motivator and service specialist

Her nearly 25 years of experience in Human Resources Management, Retail Management, customer satisfaction and team development make Pam uniquely qualified to understand the many challenges clients face in their business

pam**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Pam ThompsonRelationship ManagerRene Ziorio

Manager, Program Development

Rene holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and French Studies from the University of Alberta as well as a certificate in translation

After completing her degree, Rene moved to France to teach and continue her French language studies. Upon returning home to Alberta, she began her career with the Government of Alberta. Dedicated to the province’s prosperity, she jumped at the chance to work with Productivity Alberta where she has remained since October ***

In addition to connecting companies to the latest in productivity tools, programs and services, Rene manages the development of new programs at Productivity Alberta. Committed to continuous improvement, she is currently pursuing her project management certificate from MacEwan University in Edmonton

rene**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Rene ZiorioManager, Program DevelopmentScott Penner

Technical Director, Operational Excellence

Scott is a Professional Engineer, with a PhD in Optical Sciences and an MBA in Management of Technology. He holds his Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and is in the process of becoming a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Scott’s educational background is complemented by over fifteen years of industry experience throughout the United States and Canada. He has a proven track record of success and provides a unique perspective that bridges the gap between technical and business perspectives to advance your business’ strategic objectives

Scott’s experience and expertise are a great addition to the Productivity Alberta team, and he is determined to help Alberta become one of the most productive and profitable regions in the world

scott**[ta]**ductivityalberta.ca

780 784 ***

Scott PennerTechnical Director, Operational ExcellenceTom Lieu

Senior Director, Finance and Business Strategy

Tom joined the Productivity Alberta team in 2014 as the Senior Director of Finance and Business Strategy to develop and execute Productivity Alberta’s strategic direction. He is responsible for the financial, administrative, risk management, and human resources departments. Tom has over 17 years of industry experience and a proven track record of improving systems and processes in manufacturing, construction, retail, and services organizations. Equipped with CMA/CPA designation and working on his MBA, Tom’s passion is to leverage his education and work experience to assist organizations to become more competitive through effective leadership and management, productive lean operations, and innovation processes. Alignment with Productivity Alberta’s service offerings and the company’s traits of professionalism, integrity, culture and spark, is what attracted Tom to Productivity Alberta. Tom is married and an active father of three. He spends his spare time studying, coaching and learning from others, especially from his children. (780) 784-***

Tom LieuSenior Director, Finance and Business StrategyBoard of Directors

Productivity Alberta has set itself apart from other organizations because we’ve had industry at the table every step of the way—from the very beginning when we were developing a name and brand all the way to today as we develop new tools and deliver programs and services

Our Board of Directors is comprised of senior leaders from some of Alberta’s most successful companies in the manufacturing and construction sectors. Please take a minute to meet the members of our Board

Paul Verhesen

President & CEO, Clark Builders

As President & CEO, Paul Verhesen is responsible for business strategies and overall operations of Clark Builders. For over 30 years, Paul’s ability to apply value engineering principles and big-picture perspective to a variety of project types has complemented his commitment to exceed client expectations. He is committed to building positive relationships and effective teams

His experience in different construction projects lends itself to the growing team of Clark Builders, where “doing the right thing every day” has become his trademark leadership style. He is invested in the development of Alberta’s business and non-profit sectors and contributes his time, energy and expertise to a number of professional and community organizations, such as the Edmonton Construction Association, the National Research Council Canada, and Women Building Futures