Jeff Gerkin
  • Strategic Planning & Scaling Up
  • CEO Growth Coaching
  • Senior Leadership Development
  • Technology Optimization

Jeff Gerkin

Growth Advisor

Expertise


Strategic Planning
CEO Growth Coaching
Senior Leadership Development
Technology Optimization

Grounded in over 25 years’ senior leadership experience in organizational effectiveness, technology optimization and strategic planning, Jeff Gerkin has worked in diverse sectors, including financial and business services, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods and energy, in companies, large and small.

Described as authentic and relatable, he has worked with C-suite leaders and professionals at all levels, helping them to develop the emotional intelligence and abilities needed to confidently scale, accelerate growth and lead successful change through changing cycles. He also works to build cross-functional organizational alignment from the boardroom to the front lines, bridging high-level strategy with ground-level implementation.

The objective is the multiplier effect – when the right pieces, the right timing, the right environment are all aligned and then everything explodes.

Jeff earned a BSc in Economics, from Illinois State University, an MBA from Minnesota’s University of St. Thomas, and a Chief Digital Officer Certificate, from Illinois’ Northwestern University. As a Certified Executive Coach, he works to develop intentional, inspiring and engaging leaders who achieve their goals by making better choices.

A committed life-long learner and workforce and leadership development geek, Jeff stays current through continual executive education at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, focusing on growth strategy, AI, analytics, behavioral science, and digital leadership.

Married 32 years, with two “best daughters in the world” and two dogs, Jeff can often be found in the great outdoors biking, hiking, and snowshoeing.

Testimonials


Marty Yaskowich
  • Strategic Planning & Scaling Up
  • CEO Growth Coaching
  • Senior Leadership Development
  • Company Health Assessments

Marty Yaskowich

Growth Advisor

Marty’s 20+ year career has shaped him as a valued strategic partner. As a former broadcaster and journalist, he brings innate curiosity to business and the interpersonal dynamics of leadership teams. Marty is cognizant of the workings of a team and how to build high-functioning, high-performing teams, while enjoying fun and success along the way. Confidence is a key thrust of Marty’s coaching and consulting practice. He wants to cultivate leaders who are confident in their strategies, their people, their judgements, and ability to make changes: in themselves, in their teams and in their businesses.

Marty spent 12 years at critically-acclaimed DDB Canada where he was responsible for leading both the integrated planning and innovation mandate for the agency as well as lead of the digital and social media practice (Tribal Worldwide). Marty led the strategic planning that launched Canada’s first full-online insurance company (Sonnet.ca), helped revitalize a dated brand (Capital One) and helped launch one of America’s beloved department stores (Nordstrom) into the Canadian market. More recently Marty was the Chief Operating Officer for iQmetrix, a $50 million retail software company that powers more than 20,000 retail stores for Verizon, Sprint, TELUS, Charter and COX.

Marty knows how isolating leadership can be for CEOs and Executive teams. As an ICF-certified (ACC) executive coach, he wants to be a trusted, critical thinking partner to leaders who are trying to grow and thrive and build generationally-resilient businesses. He also wants the leaders he works with to be able to balance the demands of work with the joy and abundance that comes from having strong mental and physical interests and resilience outside of work.

When he’s not in the Boardroom coaching and consulting with clients, he can be found coaching on the sidelines (high school football, hockey, baseball and/or soccer) and has been chasing ’scratch’ on the golf course for many years. Marty has taught social media governance in UBC’s Continuing Studies program. He’s a semi-retired marathoner and triathlete, having completed more than 4 marathons and an Ironman triathlon among many other races that have challenged his physical and mental fortitude. He and his wife have a place in Osoyoos where they spend a lot of time in the summer wakesurfing with their teenaged son and his friends.

Testimonials


Julia Cottrelle

Julia Cottrelle

Sr. Content Marketing Manager

Expertise


Content Marketing

Julia comes to her role at Lawrence & Co. with a background in Pharmaceuticals, HealthTech, and HRTech marketing and communications. With a penchant for analytics and strategy, a deep connection to the written word, and a belief in sharing stories as a vessel for motivating change, Julia is driven to get to the bottom of essential topics.

Julia’s training in literature, creative writing, and psychiatry make her insatiably curious about human behaviour, and she spends the majority of her time listening to and reading books, and working on her own novel to strip down complex issues. Julia is intolerant of separation from her Corgi, Audrey and spends her free time farming, cross-country and downhill skiing, playing tennis, running, biking, doing yoga, and pilates.


Chris Howe
  • Strategic Planning & Scaling Up
  • CEO Growth Coaching
  • Senior Leadership Development
  • Company Health Assessments

Chris Howe

Growth Advisor

For Chris, strategy is the sweet spot. With more than a decade of strategic expertise, Chris approaches strategic coaching with a motivation to unlock leadership potential by empowering executive teams to face the brutal facts and commit to momentous growth. He has solved strategic and operational challenges in Retail, Food tech, Edtech, and Aviation.

Known for his ability to get to the heart of the matter with thoughtful and probing questioning, Chris holds teams accountable to critical and challenging questions. He has developed his strategic lens through the ’Scaling Up Methodology,’ and Jim Collins’ principles, and in his work as a counsellor. He prioritizes practical frameworks to facilitate enduring change. Above all, Chris is motivated by quality and human curiosity.

A former professional athlete, he brings a pursuit of excellence from the sports arena into the business world. Chris spends his free time outside with his dog, Penny, listening to audiobooks or working with his hands, good tunes in the background.

Testimonials


Tim Dumas
  • Strategic Planning & Scaling Up
  • CEO Growth Coaching
  • Leadership Education

Tim Dumas

Growth Advisor

Tim approaches his work as a coach with magnanimity – a calling to bring out the greatness in others, and to support entrepreneurs in creating corporate cultures that support the fulfillment of people’s dreams.

His greatest satisfaction comes from helping clients to live with greater self-awareness, and purpose aligned with their priorities.

This people-centric approach is grounded in his deep experience in owner-operated businesses building to scale, and in Family-owned, Retail, Hospitality, Tourism, Charitable and Professional Services sectors.

A Certified Coach, Speaker & Trainer with the John Maxwell Team, Tim is also a Certified Facilitator & Trainer with the Extreme Leadership Institute, a Partner & Consultant with the Virtuous Leadership Institute, a Forum Chair with MacKay CEO Forums, and a Partner & COO with JAK’s Beer Wine & Spirits.

When not coaching in the board room, Tim can be found on the field, enthusiastically coaching soccer with South Delta United, and football with the South Delta Rams. He and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Tsawwassen, BC, just outside of Vancouver, with their six children.

Get to Know Tim


Testimonials