McLean Signature

Crystal Washington

Futurist, Author, Hall of Fame Speaker

Futurist, author, and Hall of Fame Speaker, Crystal Washington equips organizations with the knowledge they need to become “future-proof.” As a technology strategist and certified futurist, Crystal makes complex artificial intelligence, social media, and app technology easy to understand and accessible for everyday people.

Crystal’s clients include Fortune 100 companies, including Google, American Express, and Pfizer. As a sought-after keynote speaker, she has entertained and educated audiences around the globe.

As one of Forbes’ 50 Leading Female Futurists, she appears weekly on season two of the Emmy nominated show Life 2.0. She’s also appeared in numerous publications, including Entrepreneur and Bloomberg Businessweek, and major television networks regularly call on her as a tech expert.

Crystal is the author of One Tech Action and The Social Media Why.

Paul Okoye

Director, HR Advisory Services, McLean & Company

Paul is the Director of HR Advisory Services at McLean & Company, specializing in HR strategy and culture services. With over 20 years of management consulting experience, Paul helps leaders in various sectors translate their organizational goals into tangible outcomes. Recognized for his expertise in culture transformation, Paul supports organizations in aligning their cultures with core values and business objectives.

Paul is known for his ability to analyze complex situations, identify opportunities, and formulate actionable strategies. He has been instrumental in guiding organizations through periods of growth and transformation, bringing a unique blend of analytical acumen, interpersonal skills, and a commitment to ethical and socially responsible decision-making. Paul holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce (Management Information Systems), an MBA (Organizational Enablement), and a PMP designation. He actively contributes to community engagement as a member of the City of Kitchener’s Equity and Anti-Racism Team and the City of Waterloo’s Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Maureen Cahill

Senior Managing Partner, McLean & Company

Maureen is the Senior Managing Partner of McLean & Company's Executive Services team, bringing nearly 30 years of experience as an HR practitioner, consultant, advisor, and business leader. A former Chief HR Officer for two major healthcare organizations, she has led HR functions in for-profit, nonprofit, private, and publicly traded companies. Maureen is known for building strong HR infrastructures that support growth and enhance the employee experience. She has worked closely with Boards of Directors on talent strategy and has guided organizations through multiple executive transitions, including CEO successions. At McLean & Company, Maureen leads a team of Executive Counselors and Advisors, providing top-tier support to HR leaders. Her expertise lies in aligning business goals with HR strategy, developing talent-focused action plans, and executing with impact. She holds a bachelor’s in business management, an MBA, and certifications in professional and executive coaching from Duquesne University and the University of Georgia.

Dessalen Wood

Chief People Officer, Syntax

Dessalen Wood, CHRP, is the Global Chief People Officer at Syntax, a global provider of cutting-edge cloud and managed IT solutions. Dessalen leads company-wide human resource strategies, fostering a vibrant culture for over 2,800 employees in 15 countries.

With over 25 years of experience, Dessalen has built and developed People & Culture teams, creating customized professional development initiatives at renowned Canadian and US enterprises like Reitman’s Canada, Hudson’s Bay Company, and The Disney Stores. Before Syntax, Wood served as Chief People Officer at ThoughtExchange and Vice President of Talent Development at Cineplex Entertainment. Recognized with multiple awards, including the Retail Council Award for Talent Development, Waterstone Top 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures, and most recently is proud to announce Syntax having been named a Great Place to Work by their employees in all the countries in which they operate.

Karen Smith

Vice President and CHRO, Bruce Power

Karen Smith is the Vice-President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Bruce Power, with 16 years of experience in various HR and corporate roles. She previously worked at BlackBerry and holds an Executive MBA from the Schulich-Kellogg program, a Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, and an Executive Certificate in HR Leadership from Cornell University. Karen is involved with the Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) and the Girl Guides of Canada Board of Directors. She is dedicated to Talent Management, HR transformation, and fostering a culture of excellence.

David McLean

Executive Counselor, McLean & Company

David McLean brings over 25 years of experience as an HR and business leader to his role as Executive Counselor at McLean & Company, where he supports and guides HR leaders to map out their HR strategy and prioritize HR initiatives that will have a measurable impact on the business.

David brings a diverse background to McLean & Company. His HR experience encompasses leadership roles in both the public and private sector, with expertise in organizational development, change leadership, organization culture, learning & development, HRIS implementation and HR strategy. His HR leadership experiences include holding the CHRO role for both a private and public sector organization. His industry experience spans the Transportation, Healthcare, and Higher Education sectors.

He is passionate about leadership development strategies that create organization capabilities and culture that enable organizations to win in the marketplace. With his client-focused approach and growth mindset, David has earned a reputation as a strategic thinker and a life-long learner with a deep knowledge of what it takes to build a culture in which employees will thrive. He is a recipient of the President's Award for Leadership from London Health Sciences Centre for his work in leading culture change initiatives.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University, a postgraduate certificate in Human Resources, and a Master’s degree in leadership from the University of Guelph. He holds a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation.

Dalana Brand

Chief People Officer at Peloton

Dalana Brand is an accomplished corporate executive with global leadership experience at some of the foremost Fortune 500 companies spanning various industries. She has established a strong reputation as an innovative human capital strategist and for transforming organizations by maximizing the talent and potential of their people.

Previously, Dalana Brand was the Chief People and Diversity Officer at Twitter, Inc., where she served as a strategic advisor to the CEO, and a key member of the executive leadership team. At Twitter she oversaw every aspect of human resources and corporate real estate in over 38 countries for 8,000 employees worldwide and led a global team to design and develop people programs that equitably engaged employees, created a fair and inclusive culture, and helped advance the business strategy of the company. Before joining Twitter, Dalana was Vice President of Total Rewards for Electronic Arts, and held several senior leadership positions at the Whirlpool Corporation in her nine-year tenure.

Ms. Brand’s human resources work has led to industry accolades like Adweek’s Trailblazers award, Diversity Woman Magazine’s Elite 100, ColorComm’s 28 Changemakers, and the National Diversity Council’s Top 100 Diversity Officers.

Currently, Ms. Brand serves as the Chief People Officer at Peloton. With experience in fostering employee engagement and leading with transparency and accountability, Brand manages the company’s overall strategy for people operations, total rewards, talent acquisition, talent management, team member development, team member relations, workplace experience, internal communications, DEI, and ESG to create elevated people experiences, an equitable and inclusive culture, and support Peloton’s growth and goals as a company.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance and a Master of Business Administration with a dual degree in Finance and Human Resources from Michigan State University. She also earned her Doctorate in Management from Case Western Reserve University, further deepening her expertise in leadership, organizational strategy, and human capital development.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and collecting art.

Sally Cornet

Executive Counselor, McLean & Company

Sally Cornet believes that at the core of a thriving, successful, inclusive workplace is a high-performing, data-driven, analytical HR team that is connected to the business, its leaders, and its employees.

Prior to joining McLean & Company Sally led Human Resources teams at iconic, high growth global retail, financial services, tech, and customer experience organizations known for world-class HR practices. Her empowered, strategic HR teams have been able to make significant contributions domestically and globally to business results by elevating leadership effectiveness, decreasing turnover, and increasing employee engagement. Sally led an HR structure, process, and technology transformation project at one company that provided support for a 75% headcount increase without adding HR headcount. A cultural transformation project at another company enabled a 39% reduction in employee turnover while boosting employee engagement and customer satisfaction results by 26%.

Sally holds an MBA from the University of Central Florida and a BSBA from the University of Wisconsin. She also holds a Senior Professional of HR certification and a Global Professional of HR certification.

She is a recipient of the “Excellence in HR Award” from South Florida Business and Wealth Magazine, and her culturally transformational contributions at a prior company are highlighted in “The Amazement Revolution” book by Shep Hyken.

Sally is also active in the HR community, acting as a mentor and advisor for new HR professionals. Additionally, Sally has acted as an Adjunct Professor of human resources at Capella University and Nova Southeastern University.

Sally is pleased to bring this expertise to her role as Executive Counselor at McLean & Company, where she supports and guides CHROs to be strategic business partners in achieving organizational and professional success.

Michelle Leedy

Senior Executive Advisor, McLean & Company

Michelle brings over 20 years of combined consulting and leadership experience to her role as Executive Advisor at McLean & Company, where she supports and guides HR leaders in mapping their HR strategy and prioritizing HR initiatives for measurable business impact.

Michelle offers a multi-faceted background to McLean & Company. Her experience in Human Resources spans multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Government, Energy and Utilities, Banking, Consulting, Retail, Higher Education, and Nonprofit.

She is passionate about creating value and positive impact via authentic leadership, client and customer-centric strategies and operations, and building organization culture and capabilities for sustainable change.

Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Duquesne University and a master’s degree in Educational Policy and Leadership from Ohio State University. Michelle is a continuous learner and holds multiple certifications including Certified Change Management Professional™ and Gestalt Professional Certified Coach. She actively seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge and challenge her perspective.

Cara Danielson

Executive Advisor, McLean & Company

Cara is an Executive Advisor at McLean & Company with over 25 years of HR leadership experience across strategy, talent, learning, team effectiveness, and HR technology. Her diverse background includes senior roles in both public and private sectors across industries such as telecom, consumer goods, oil and gas, retail, finance, and non-profits. Known for driving transformation and engagement, Cara excels at enabling cross-functional team success and aligning people strategies to business outcomes. She also brings expertise in business operations, process optimization, solution selling, and customer experience. Cara is passionate about innovation, design thinking, and co-creation, with a focus on performance and measurable results. She holds an Associate of Arts in Music and Early Childhood Care and Development and has pursued extensive professional development in Six Sigma, instructional design, executive coaching, and adult education.

Shazia Mazhar

Managing Partner, McLean & Company

Shazia is an accomplished leader with a powerful blend of business leadership and human capital expertise. As Managing Partner, Executive Services at McLean & Company, she partners with senior leaders to unlock organizational performance through strategic people practices that align with core business objectives.

With a career spanning more than 25 years in Telcom, Engineering and Financial sectors, Shazia has held leadership roles that bridge the gap between HR strategy and enterprise growth. Her experience advising global organizations has honed her ability to deliver high-value insights, enabling clients to address workforce challenges, improve operational agility, and drive sustainable results.

She specializes in areas such as strategy, leadership development, cultural transformation, and operational excellence — all framed through a lens of strategic business alignment. She brings clarity to complexity and is adept at navigating change with both decisiveness and empathy. Whether advising on enterprise strategy or guiding executive teams, she has a passion for helping organizations—and the people within them—thrive.

Shazia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph, a postgraduate certificate in Communications and Public Relations from the University of Western Ontario, and a Diploma in Adult Education from Durham College.

Adrian Shackelford

Director, HR Advisory Services, McLean & Company

Adrian is the Director of HR Advisory Services at McLean & Company, bringing 20 years of experience in driving business outcomes through transformative HR practices. With deep expertise in DEI, Talent Management, and HR Strategy, Adrian has led the development and optimization of centers of excellence, programs, and processes across global and national organizations in industries such as tech, finance, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail. Known for blending data-driven insights with compelling storytelling, Adrian is a strategic thinker and consensus builder who makes change management and process improvement practical and sustainable. Their work consistently enhances employee experience and builds cultures of growth, innovation, and performance. Adrian holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and multiple Six Sigma Green Belts, underscoring their commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Laura Hansen-Kohls

Vice President, HR Diagnostics, McLean & Company

Laura Hansen-Kohls is Vice President of HR Diagnostics, Advisory, & Data Insights at McLean & Company, where she leads the design, development, and delivery of diagnostic tools that help organizations translate data into action. Her teams support clients through every step of the survey process—from strategic planning and survey launch to results analysis and action planning—ensuring diagnostic insights drive organization-wide impact.

Laura oversees tools focused on HR strategy, the employee lifecycle, and development assessments, including HR Organizational Alignment, Employee Engagement, and 360 Feedback.

Prior to this role, Laura held leadership positions at Info-Tech Research Group, where she developed onboarding and training programs, led talent management for knowledge workers, and facilitated leadership development for mid-level managers.

She holds a BA Hons from the University of Prince Edward Island, an MA from Queen’s University, and a BEd from Western University. Laura is also an Erickson-Certified Coach.

Angela Scott

Manager, Learning Solutions, McLean & Company

Angela Scott is the Manager of Learning Solutions at McLean & Company, where she leads the Online Leadership Training and DEI Foundations for Leaders programs. A skilled coach and facilitator, Angela creates authentic learning experiences that challenge leaders to grow beyond their comfort zones and achieve organizational excellence.

With over 20 years of experience in leadership development, she has worked as a private coach, corporate trainer, and DEI consultant, delivering programs across North America and the UK. Angela previously owned a consultancy focused on diversity sensitivity training for police and paramilitary organizations. An experienced speaker and post-secondary lecturer, she has taught in Business, Psychology, and Human Resources departments.

Angela holds a BA in Psychology and a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University, as well as a Master of Education from OISE at the University of Toronto. She is also a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher with advanced training from the Centre for Mindfulness Studies.