Elevate International Executive Advisors
Expert leaders providing remarkable leadership to elevate Women & Girls Globally
Elevate Executive Advisors are an incredible group of leaders providing expert guidance to our organizations, working committees and volunteers in order for Elevate International to achieve its goals efficiently and successfully.
Jeff Todd
VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS - WCPD INC.
Jeff leads marketing and communications for WEALTH (WCPD Inc) and the WCPD Foundation. His duties include marketing, business development, media relations, event planning and brand building.
He is President and VP of Partnerships for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in Ottawa and Co-Founder and Board Member of the Exuma Foundation of Canada.
Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Jeff was an international journalist with experience in Canada, The Bahamas and the United Arab Emirates. His work appeared in newspapers across North America, including the New York Times, the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.
He is also a multi award-winning author of six books, with a specialization in memoirs and ghost writing.
Marie-Michèle Laferrière
DIRECTOR - COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS
Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE)
Enthusiastic, reliable, responsible and always ready for a new challenge! Marie-Michèle Laferrière works in collaboration with the marketing and communications sectors to optimize the achievement of recruitment, retention and outreach objectives. She designs and implement relationships with stakeholders and various community organizations (locally and regionally); analyzes different markets and client segments and proposes better outreach initiatives ; and orients, mobilizes and supervises the team of counsellors as well as volunteer teams.
Previously held the role Executive Director for the Forum for Young Canadians, where her focus was To engage young Canadians about the role and function of the three levels of democratic government in Canada and promote Canadian citizenship.
The programs of the Foundation have also served to foster leadership skills in young Canadians. Participants in these programs have had the opportunity to learn about government, democracy and citizenship, to meet various actors in the Canadian public sphere, and to connect with other young people whose interests are similar to their own. Citizenship. Democracy. Governance.
Kyle Turk
CEO - MEERKAT MARKETING
Kyle is an entrepreneurial, award-winning marketing leader, with extensive experience creating strategic and creative marketing and branding solutions. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a Major in Marketing, a Chartered Marketer designation from the Canadian Marketing Association along with a Marketing Strategy Certificate from Cornell University.
Kyle has been recognized for his leadership and achievements in the marketing industry through a number of awards including Best Performance in Marketing from the Ottawa Business Journal, Canadian Marketing Leader of the Year in the Canadian Talent Awards, and a Forty Under 40 recipient.
As the CEO of Meerkat Marketing, he has also earned the firm a number of awards to celebrate their client work including; 2x Platinum Winner in the LIT Commercial awards, Winner for "Best Home Decor/Interior Website", Platinum Winner in the Summit International Marketing Effectiveness Awards and many more. His marketing industry leadership spans globally as a featured expert contributor in Business Insider, USA Today, Ivy Exec and many more.
Shannon Kot
PARTNER - DELOITTE CANADA
Shannon is based in Ottawa and is part of Deloitte’s Government of Canada leadership team. She leads Deloitte’s Federal Immigration team, focused on Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada and the Immigration Refugee Board – and across the broader immigration ecosystem – and has a passion for how Deloitte transforms to deliver better on the promise of immigration, accelerate social integration, and economic prosperity of newcomers.
In addition to her work with Immigration clients, Shannon is part of Deloitte’s Technology Strategy Consulting team and works the CIOs across the Government of Canada.
Daniel O. Livvarcin
CEO - VECTORS GROUP
Dr. Daniel O. Livvarcin, CEO of Vectors Group, is a distinguished leader with a PhD in Strategic Management and authorship of multiple management and children’s books.
Dr. Livvarcin’s expertise encompasses strategic evaluation and planning, risk management, and AI for nonprofit management.
Driven by a passion for community service, Daniel co-authored influential works like “Risk Management for Nonprofit Organizations” and “Understanding and Using AI.” With a rich background in academia, including teaching roles at the University of Ottawa and Royal Military College, he brings invaluable insights to his consulting endeavors. Having collaborated with over 300 nonprofits, Daniel’s commitment extends beyond professional realms, as he finds fulfillment in mentoring youth and engaging with underprivileged communities.
Lisa Anna Palmer
FOUNDER & CEO - LIGHT YOUR LEADERSHIP INC.
Lisa Anna Palmer is the Founder & CEO of Light Your Leadership Inc. Lisa is the international bestselling author of Light A Fire In Their Hearts: The Truth About Leadership.
She speaks, coaches, and trains high performing subject matter experts, managers, and executives to shift their mindset. Lisa helps managers and executives to see leadership from a different perspective so that they can foster more inclusive and engaging workplaces, attract and retain talent, and create thriving organizations.
With over 25 years in the fields of Leadership and Human Resources & Organizational Development, Lisa has is a trusted advisor for managers and executives at all levels, from team leader to CEO.
Lisa’s fundamental belief is that what sets great leaders apart is their ability to connect at the human level.
Lisa Is also a proud Ambassador of the “She Did It!” Movement
Ivana Sudzum LL.B
IN-HOUSE LEGAL COUNSEL - ROYAL CANADIAN MINT (RCM)
Ivana is In-House Legal Counsel at the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM). In that capacity, she represents RCM in a wide range of legal matters and closely collaborates with various internal and external stakeholders to provide strategic, legal, regulatory and policy guidance on matters associated with all areas of RCM business, including contractual, intellectual property, data protection and corporate matters. Ivana also leads, from beginning to end, the drafting, reviewing, negotiating and closing of various commercial transactions, including services, sales and purchase, licensing, collaboration and consulting agreements and related documents.
Prior to coming to RCM, Ivana served as Legal Counsel for Export Development Canada, where her duties consisted of providing legal advice in support of Insurance, Financing and Marketing teams, and drafting and negotiating loan agreements, guarantees, endorsements to insurance policies, among others. She also worked as Regulatory Advisor on the Caribbean Community & Common Market - Canada Project at the Ottawa’s North South Institute. Ivana is a member of the Ontario Bar Association, the Organization of Women in International Trade - Ottawa, and Canadian-Serbian Professionals in Law.
As someone who has lived and worked in different countries (Serbia, Austria, Netherlands and France) and has travelled to many more, she’s aware and passionate about issues affecting women and girls across different cultures. In her community, Ivana provides pro bono legal assistance to low-income women, and immensely enjoys supporting any initiative empowering women and girls to play a leading role in every sphere and every field.