Meet the Team
Fareed Amin
Canada, UAE
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion/Public Affairs
Fareed Amin
Fareed is an accomplished public servant, senior leader and Executive Coach who spent over 30 years in the public sector, serving at the provincial and municipal levels in Ontario and internationally. Fareed served as a Deputy Minister in a number of Ontario ministries, including Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Energy and Infrastructure; Municipal Affairs and Housing; Economic Development and Trade; and Intergovernmental Affairs and as the Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Finance.
At the international level, Mr. Amin served as an Advisor to the Chairman of the Department of Municipal Affairs and with the General Secretariat of the Executive Council (GSEC) in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Between 2004 and 2006, served as Deputy City Manager at the City of Toronto with responsibilities for land use planning, water and wastewater, solid waste management. transportation, the waterfront secretariat, amongst others.
In the private sector, he served as Senior Vice-President of Policy (Ontario) at Walton Global Investments.
Fareed obtained his certificate in Diversity Equity and Inclusion from Cornell University and for the last four years, has been the Head of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Practice at the Phelps Group – a Canadian Company that provides Leadership Advisory, Executive Recruiting and Interim Leadership Services.
Mr. Amin has an undergraduate degree in Applied Geography and Planning from the University of Guyana; a Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Toronto, Canada; a master’s degree in public administration from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada and a Certificate in Leadership from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA.
He serves on the Board of Directors for a number of private and public sector organizations, including as Chair of the Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation. He served a six-year term as the Chair of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee and was a member of the Board of Governors of Seneca College and the University of Toronto (Scarborough Campus). He is also a founding member of the Islamic Institute of Toronto.
Paul Bellavance
Middle East, Asia
Business/Performance/People Catalyst and Strategist
Paul Bellavance
Paul specializes in blending HR expertise with business strategy to drive organizational growth. With over 25 years of experience, he has worked extensively in the Middle East, Asia, and North America, demonstrating a strong capability to design, develop, and successfully implement strategic Human Capital projects and practical business solutions. Leading key initiatives such as HR assessments for numerous Emirates Government Excellence Programs and transformative projects in Qatar and South East Asia, Paul’s experience includes conducting human capital assessments for over 50 government and private entities, consistently aiming to achieve the highest standards of excellence.
After years of honing his craft, Paul has emerged as a master facilitator, specializing in delivering online leadership programs that utilize simulations and gamification to foster experiential learning and development. Additionally, he has provided individual and team coaching to over 200 leaders in the APAC region, enhancing leadership capabilities and improving team dynamics across diverse organizational contexts. Paul’s experience has provided him with deep insights into talent management, strategic planning, and agile HR practices, making a significant impact across various sectors. His role in delivering HR consultancy and training programs has been recognized globally, evidenced by his contributions to international conferences and as a guest lecturer at HEC Paris.
Holding a degree from the University of Ottawa and engaging with prestigious organizations like the American Management Association and INSEAD, Paul has earned recognition as one of the “Most Fabulous Middle East Coaching Leaders” by the World HR Association. Geographically mobile and able to travel as needed, Paul welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with organizations worldwide, seeking to navigate challenges and pursue excellence. Offering his comprehensive global expertise in HR and business consulting, he is committed to helping achieve strategic objectives and driving transformative change.
Wylie Burke
Canada
Innovation Consultant, Facilitator, and Leadership Coach
Wylie Burke
Wylie Burke is an innovation consultant, facilitator, and leadership coach. She has over 15 years of experience in business administration, human resources, strategic and operational planning, and leading high performing teams. She brings a unique perspective to her work, having had the pleasure of working for a diverse range of organizations including United Way Toronto, CIBC, SickKids, WSIB, and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Having led large-scale merger and integration initiatives, cultural transformation, and change strategies, she is recognized for taking a people-centred and creative approach to her work and is inspired by helping people and organizations realize potential and reach new heights.
As a sought-after coach, consultant, and facilitator, Wylie is recognized for creating inclusive environments that inspire insights, connection, fun, and shared learning, that result in personal and organizational integration. She teaches as part of the Industrial Relations Centre at Queen’s University and is a leadership coach through the UofT’s Centre for Learning and Leadership.
In her consulting work, Wylie is passionate about unleashing potential inside organizations. By taking a skills-based approach to leveraging intergenerational talent, evolving talent models, programs, processes, and strategies, she turns organizations into innovative, agile, flexible hubs that connect talent decisions to value-creating outcomes. She thinks of her work as community building and recognizes that there is never a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about learning and applying concepts in an adaptive way that brings about sustainable change, taking into account the dynamic, unique, and varied needs of individuals and organizations while also nurturing a shared understanding and appreciation of differences.
She lives in Kingston, Ontario with her sweet special needs pup Lucy. She loves to spend as much time gardening and canning as the Canadian weather will allow. She is also the adoring Aunt to her wonderful niece Rooksby and nephew Hugo.
Wylie holds an MBA from Queen’s University, an Honours Degree in Sociology from York University, and she is an Adler Trained Coach.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
UK
Social & Environmental Responsibility, Business Ethics and Integrated Transformation
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Alex has extensive experience building system-wide responsibility frameworks – developing strategies, policies, and transformation plans which integrate ethics whilst navigating the complexities of operational realities. A deep knowledge of human rights and scope of their application across operations, investments, supply chains and partnerships has influenced the body of her work. Drawing on a global perspective having worked in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, UK and across Europe, and North America, Alex’s background brings a broad knowledge of responsibility frames (human rights, anti-corruption, and environment) with a solid understanding of the need for an integrated approach.
As the former Head of Ethics and Compliance for Oxfam GB, Alex spearheaded the strategy to enable a coherent approach to addressing employee misconduct through policy, process and oversight alignment between incident response, prevention, risk & assurance, and culture & people. Prior to that, she set up the first social & environmental responsibility programme in the International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) sector as well as led research, company performance assessments and labour rights initiatives at organizations such as UNICEF, The Body Shop International and the Ethical Trading Initiative (UK). Alex holds an MA in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and qualified as an associate member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).
Elena Di Battista
Canada
Strategic Planning, Research, Evaluation
Elena Di Battista
Elena is passionate about working collectively to ensure that children, youth, and families have all the supports, relationships, and services that they need to grow and flourish. Elena’s experience spans over 4 decades working in the not-for-profit sector with a focus on children, youth, and families. For the past 20 years her work has focused on effective partnership building across multiple sectors and stakeholders, collaborative leadership, and collective impact. Elena has a strong focus on research evaluation and collaborative impact. She is a proven motivational leader and excels in strategic thinking and development. With a focus on sustainable relationship building and collective impact she has led and grown Success by Six in Peel and The Our Kids Network in Halton.
Elena received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from York University and her Child and Youth diploma from George Brown College. She is trained in Collaborative Leadership and Governance as well as in Result-Based Accountability. Elena has served on several boards of directors and was a Fellow with the Council for Early Development founded and led by Dr. Fraser Mustard. She served on the Provincial Steering Committee on Community Hubs and has received the Mary Neville for her work in Peel.
Sharon Douglas
Canada
Community Engagement, Capacity Building, Diversity & Inclusion
Sharon Douglas
Sharon Douglas has worked in the Human Service Sector of Peel Region for over 20 years. She has held a variety of positions from Executive Director of the Peel Halton Dufferin Training Board and the Cultural Interpreter Service of Peel to the Diversity Coordinator of Family Services of Peel, Public Education Coordinator for the Social Planning Council of Peel and most recently as the Director of Community Investment, United Way of Peel Region (UWPR).
Sharon was responsible for UWPR’s community engagement, community development and capacity building initiatives. She is responsible for providing leadership to the Community Advisory Councils, UWPR’s diversity and equity initiatives as well as the organization’s community development priorities such as the Syrian Refugees Taskforce. Sharon is the Chair of the Peel Alliance to End Homelessness, and currently the Co-chair of the Peel District School Board’s We Rise Together Community Advisory Committee. She is a founding member and past Chair of the Regional Diversity Roundtable (RDR), past member of the Board of Directors of the Peel Leadership Centre. Sharon has consulted, delivered training and facilitated many community discussions and consultations with and for the non-profit sector.
Sharon was presented with the BCAN 2016 Leadership & Legacy award as a recognition of her leadership work and commitment to the community.
Denise Gutierrez Maldonado
Canada
Engagement Specialist
Denise Gutierrez Maldonado
Denise is a graphic designer and software developer with experience in content development, brand awareness & strategy, and web-end design & development. As a University of Toronto graduate in Culture, Communication, Information & Technology and a current Sheridan student in Software Development & Network Engineering, she is actively using her professional experience and education to provide innovative, high-tech, and achievable strategies at Ryelle Strategy Group.
Ivanette Hargreaves
Canada
Emergency Response, Enterprise Risk Management, Excellence Optimization
Ivanette Hargreaves
A seasoned risk management expert and transformational leader, Ivanette has driven outcomes both in the field and in corporate environments. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of healthcare, the urgency of emergency response, or the intricacies of government agencies, she thrives on catalyzing positive change, leveraging international experience to assess and foster a culture of organizational excellence. Working with organizations across Canada and internationally, Ivanette adapts to the cultural context to inspire transformation and deliver tangible results,
Working with organizations such as the Canadian Department of National Defence, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, the Dubai Government Excellence Program as well as Ottawa Hospital and the Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario, her career has been fueled by a relentless passion for nurturing organizational cultures that authentically support employees to reach their fullest potential. Grounded in evidence-based practices, she champions the evolution of workplace environments that not only foster individual growth but also drive systemic improvements. From streamlining processes to implementing innovative policies that balance organizational needs and front-line realities, every endeavor has been guided by a singular mission: to empower individuals to thrive within their organizational ecosystem and ultimately improve client service.
With a proven track record in implementing evidence-based tools for decision-making and driving system-level improvements, Ivanette offers a compelling blend of strategic vision and hands-on experience. Her ability to craft effective education initiatives and design robust evaluation frameworks ensures that organizational goals are not just met but exceeded.
Erin Hochstein
Canada
Retail Advertising/Marketing, Marketing Intelligence, Public Relations
Erin Hochstein
A results-driven, hands-on senior leader with a successful track record in building and leading global communications teams, Erin brings a wealth of experience in brand building for iconic international retail and technology brands. Working almost 20 years within these industries, Erin has elevated skills in public relations, market intelligence, stakeholder engagement and customer experience in major international markets including: North America (USA and Canada); EMEA (including Dubai, UK and Germany) and APJ (Singapore, Australia, New Zealand), for companies like lululemon atheltica, Shopify and Rubikloud Technologies.
Passionate about building brands founded on vision and values through a unique and creative combination of B2B and B2C strategy and tactics, Erin has well-developed decision making skills and is known for her exceptional leadership and team building ability that places a strong emphasis on the delivery of high performance through the empowerment of others. Erin is currently pursuing her Masters of Business Administration at Queen’s University and is an alumni of the University of Victoriawhere she obtained her Honours in English and Professional Writing and Diploma in Public Relations.
Nedal Ismail
Canada
Business Strategy, Operations, and Finance
Nedal Ismail
Ned is a senior corporate executive with over 25 years of operations, strategy, and leadership experience in diplomatic, public and private sectors. At the start of his career, Ned spent 16-years in diverse international assignments as Trade Commissioner and Political Officer with Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. As Chief International Operations Officer for a Washington DC-based boutique firm he was responsible for leading planning on large-scale public-private-partnership projects with governments in Africa, Middle East, Europe and South America. Since this time, Ned has served as a subject matter expert for the governments of Jordan, Nigeria, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.
As an Academic Director and Professor in the undergraduate and post-graduate programs at the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto, Ned has built the inaugural Bachelor of Commerce programs in Supply Chain Management and Management Studies. Ned’s education includes a B.Comm from the University of Saskatchewan, an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and is currently completing his doctoral work at the Henley Business School at the University of Reading (United Kingdom).
Carol Kotacka
Americas, International Markets
Owner, Managing Director, and Strategist
Carol Kotacka
Carol is a results-oriented leader specializing in driving strategy, performance and transformational change in local, national and international markets. Holding senior leadership positions in industry, healthcare and NGOs, her background reflects a deep understanding of the nuanced approach different cultures and stakeholder groups require- results proven time and again through work in North America, Europe, the Middle East and, most recently, South America.
As Managing Director of Ryelle Strategy Group, Carol has the privilege of co-creating strategic vision and system wide solutions with organizations, residents, employees, government entities as well as first responders. Working in the field is where she provides best value.
Carol’s experience in academia includes being an Adjunct Lecturer for the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, as well as Lead Facilitator for Queen’s University IRC’s Organizational Transformation program. Her undergraduate studies include Social Sciences and Public Affairs. Post-graduate work includes Strategic Business Leadership from the Rotman School of Management and an EMBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.
Joelle Monje
Canada
Associate Consultant
Joelle Monje
Joelle crafts impactful digital marketing strategies through an integrated approach towards account and project management, search engine marketing, and content strategy. She owes her passion for captivating copy and strategic communications to her current Master of Information – Critical Information Policy Studies and Knowledge Management & Information Management studies at the University of Toronto Faculty of Information, and degrees in Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology from the University of Toronto Mississauga and Public Administration from the University of the Philippines. Through her experiences spanning small businesses, major brands, and non-profits across healthcare, technology, finance, insurance, manufacturing, industrial, and more she has delivered integrated communications and marketing strategies and replicated successes across industries and sectors. As a colleague, you will find her to be a true self-starter and problem-solver — she gets things done, while always eager to learn new skills and grow to meet the changing standards of the communications industry.
Irene Oduor
Africa
Human Resources, Performance Management, Diversity & Inclusion
Irene Oduor
Irene is a seasoned professional with over 13 years’ experience in the field of Human Resources. She brings a talent and resourcing, performance management, learning and organizational development, diversity and inclusion, and culture perspective as former Global Head of Talent & Resourcing for Oxfam International, responsible for streamlining the same across 67 countries. She also draws on private sector HR consulting experience from PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte where she led projects around executive search and selection, organisation review and design, job analysis and evaluation, remuneration surveys, 360-degree feedback and psychometrics.
Irene holds an MSc degree in Occupational Psychology from the University of Nottingham in England, and a joint undergraduate degree in Management Studies and Psychology from Aberdeen University in Scotland. She is a Certified SHL administrator for ability and competency-based assessments as well as an experienced assessor in assessment and development centers. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Executive Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaching, UK and has undergone Competency Based Interviewing Training by Assessment & Development Consultants, UK. She is collaborative, inclusive and embraces feminist leadership. She also brings proactive thinking, global experience, long term vision, wide networks, and pragmatism to any engagement.
Ashley Pettifer
Canada
Director, Client Experience and Operations
Ashley Pettifer
As Director, Client Experience and Operations, Ashley oversees Ryelle Strategy Group’s management consulting projects in Canada and around the globe. With a laser focus on delivering excellence, Ashley leads teams in driving strategic outcomes and building client’s execution infrastructure across public sector, NGOs, and the Labour movement. Central to everything she does, is a commitment to delivering an exceptional client experience.
Starting her career in external strategy and revenue diversification, Ashley has applied these relationship building skills to organizations’ internal landscape. Leading the firm’s People, Culture & Capacity portfolio, Ashley brings engagement, collaboration and co-creation to organization’s strategic plans, organizational processes, and culture change initiatives.
Ashley’s education and training feature an Honours Specialization in Childhood and Social Institutions from the University of Western Ontario as well as a Graduate Diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability from the University of Toronto. This commitment to social justice and population health outcomes has led her to become an active community volunteer holding positions at the highest levels.
Angela Rea-Mahoney
Canada
Project Management, System Optimization
Angela Rea-Mahoney
Angela is an enthusiastic, empathetic and experienced healthcare leader who places value on relationships to build systems of care, services, support and change. With over 30 years of hospital and health system experience, Angela has provided both operational and program management leadership. Her project experience ranges from clinical initiatives to technology solutions to capital and infrastructure projects. Operational roles included Manager and Director positions in clinical programs and in patient experience. She has worked in both small and large hospitals, in government, in member associations and in primary care organizations. Her attention to detail coupled with her collaborative approach instills confidence for well managed client engagements.
Angela holds a Master of Business Administration, Health Services Management specialization from McMaster University. She also holds certificates in Thanatology and as an End-of-Life Doula and ITIL Foundations.
Maham Tarar
UK
Manager, Client Experience and Operations
Maham Tarar
Over the past 11 years, Maham has worked extensively with social enterprises, non-profit organizations, and public-sector institutions, focusing on building programs and services that contribute towards the economic and social wellbeing of households and communities. Her work has focused on issues of equity, gender justice and livelihood development. She has demonstrated experience and knowledge in research, project management and stakeholder engagement with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
Maham has experience working with social enterprises and diverse owned businesses, supporting them to increase community impact through their work. Maham has coached and mentored teams and has also provided several non-profit organizations with strategic, change management and governance support.
Maham has a master’s degree in social Anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and has participated in several international training programs focusing on social entrepreneurship and impact-based programming. Maham recently completed a six-month project management certification course from McGill University.
Diego Torres
Spain
Director, European Markets
Diego Torres
Diego Torres, CEO and Founder of Infinite Labs, leads his third entrepreneurial venture with a solid background in telecommunication engineering, an MBA from ENEB, and a master’s in cybersecurity from INISEG. With over 15 years of experience, Diego has adeptly managed diverse and skilled teams across various sectors, notably in multimedia and consulting. His significant contributions to Blockchain projects with Banco Sabadell and active participation in the European Bank Association (EBA) and Alastria ID Workgroup underscore his expertise in the field. As a Subject Matter Expert for the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) since 2017 and a contributor to the “AI & Human Rights Community,” Diego’s leadership at Infinite Labs is marked by a commitment to leveraging technology for societal benefits, driving the company towards key milestones in technology and digital transformation.
David Ward
Canada
Strategic Leadership, Policy, and Public Affairs
David Ward
Senior Strategic Advisor David is a collaborative, inclusive leader with a unique blend of business development, policy, strategic planning, operations, stakeholder engagement and public affairs experience gained over a 30+ year public service career. As a previous senior leader at the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (ServiceOntario) and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, David has collaborated with private and public sector partners to deliver on forward looking strategic plans, groundbreaking social policy initiatives and intergovernmental trade and cooperation agreements that have produced meaningful results for citizens and businesses across Ontario. His strategic focus, strong relationship management, service delivery acumen and deep understanding of government allow him to provide insights and strategic directions to a broad range clients helping them to meet their objectives. David has supplemented his lengthy public service career by completing the Queen’s Public Executive program and the Ontario Public Service Leadership, Education and Development (LEADS) program. He has been an executive leadership coach and a diversity, equity and inclusion mentor and long-time leadership ambassador for United Way and Federated Health campaigns within the Ontario Public Service.
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