Robert Czerny

Robert Czerny’s career has married theory and practice. He is an experienced manager, researcher, educator, communicator and facilitator. His principal strengths are systematic, structured analysis combined with creativity; facilitation of planning and learning; and superior oral and written communications in English and French. His academic foundation is mathematics and humanities, particularly philosophy – engineering with abstract materials and the specialist training of a generalist. In 21 years with the Canadian federal government, he applied his skills throughout the management cycle from policy development and strategic planning to program management and evaluation; and in areas as diverse as training design and delivery, human rights, educational technology, information management and technology transfer. He worked in five departments and agencies: Secretary of State, National Research Council, Communications, National Archives and Treasury Board Secretariat. Prior to his government service, he had some experience as a journalist. Along the way he learned that – regrettably – “Most communication isn’t.”

Since joining the private sector and founding Agora in January 1995, Robert has provided a wide variety of services: partnership, management consulting, communications, program evaluation, surveys, facilitation, training and ethics. He is the principal author of The Federal Government as ‘Partner’: Six Steps to Successful Collaboration, published by Treasury Board in 1995; and of Forming Health Care Leaders: A Guide (Catholic Health Alliance of Canada, 2009). His clients have included departments and agencies of the governments of Ontario, Nunavut, Canada and Bermuda; several national associations; and private sector firms. Among other topics, his translation (French to English) and editing work has been on themes in philosophy and theology.

Robert is a member of the Research Ethics Board of the National Research Council of Canada. He serves on the board of directors of the Ethics Practitioners Association of Canada and the Ottawa Chamber Music Society. Another volunteer activity is designing and leading adult discussion series.

Brian Cameron

Brian Cameron is a writer, editor and communications strategist with thirty years of experience in government and non-governmental organizations. Brian specializes in developing, writing and editing communications products that increase public awareness of issues. This includes web sites, videos, promotional and informational materials such as brochures, newsletters and media releases, as well as more detailed reports written and/or edited in clear language. Brian also has extensive training and experience in researching issues and presenting the results in a compact and easily understood format.

Brian Cameron served as Press and Information Officer for Amnesty International in its Ottawa office for four years (1982-1986). In this capacity, he significantly increased the organization's profile in Canada by introducing a wide variety of printed and audio-visual promotional materials and by working with the national media. He subsequently served for six years (1986-1992) as Director of Corporate Communications for the City of Ottawa, where he was responsible for developing corporate marketing plans, advertising programs, information materials, public participation programs, and special events, and for coordinating the City’s twinning relationship with The Hague and Beijing. In the last twenty years as a communications consultant, his clients have included over twenty federal government departments and several non-governmental organizations. He was also editor in chief for the final reports of two Royal Commissions: the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials with Respect to Maher Arar (2006), and the Internal Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin (2008); and he served as lead writer for the Qikiqtani Truth Commission Final Report: Achieving Saimaqtigiiniq (2010).

Margot Cameron

Margot Cameron has consulted in strategic human resource and organizational issues for nearly forty years. Her clients have been principally in the federal government and the high tech industry. Margot’s particular skills lie in working with groups and individuals to help them effect changes in their organizations and in their lives and roles as managers or workers. Margot specializes in employee-based change, targeting team-based organizations and the creation of self-directed work teams. She employs a wide variety of psychological exercises, instruments, and personality assessment tools such as the Myers Briggs and the Birkman Method, to help people achieve effective working relations and personal stability. She combines this expertise in individual and group performance in organizations with a solid knowledge of strategic planning processes to support high impact strategic planning and the setting of new directions and strategic goals.

Margot has assisted management with change and communication strategy and advice, coaching on process and interpersonal issues, career transition, organization design and organization development issues, identification and integration of differing cultures, employee surveys, and strategic planning, particularly in the domain of human resources management. She has also done extensive work auditing human resource management systems.  Margot facilitates complex sessions, in either English or French as required.

Gerald Halpern

Gerald Halpern has extensive experience and is a specialist in social science research; program and policy evaluation (evaluation, performance measurement; performance enhancement); and survey research (design, implementation, analysis and use of findings). His highest degree is a Ph.D. in Industrial Psychology. He is an active contributing member of the Canadian Evaluation Society both as an Ottawa Board Member and as a Member of the National Council. He is a Member of the American Evaluation Association and a Past-President of the Association of Educational Researchers of Ontario.

Michael Marta

Mike Marta has 25 years of senior level experience in the areas of Partnership and Sponsorship Development. He was the Marketing Manager for Canada’s National Alpine Ski Team from 1986 to 1990. He served from 1990 to 2010 as Executive Director, Corporate Development for the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation. He established its Corporate Marketing Division and oversaw all aspects of its Partnership and Sponsorship programs, negotiating and implementing agreements with rights fees reaching as high as seven figures. In addition, he oversaw the creation of the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation Foundation, a separate legal entity dedicated to partnering with the Museum on revenue-generating activities. Mr. Marta has conducted workshops and presentations on the topic of partnerships for Federal departments/agencies and he has spoken at numerous national and international conferences. He now has his own firm, Marta and Associates.

David Mulcaster

David Mulcaster’s management and executive career spans the public, private and academic sectors. His focus is on bi-lateral and multi-lateral partnerships, technology commercialization, company start-up and incubation, and international trade development. He has been a private investor in, and business strategy advisor to, several companies. He has a university degree in industrial economics. David has had extensive professional training in organizational planning and is experienced in guiding and managing organizational change. He currently specializes in identifying opportunities for company development and growth through financing, market expansion, partnerships and strategic alliances. David has also had extensive international experience in trade and investment agreement negotiations.