Team

Director of Finance and Performance Aaron Law oversees all accounting and finance functions at Habanero, including monthly and quarterly reviews, bank account management, cash management, and forecasts. He is also responsible for establishing and maintaining accounting policies, processes, and procedures. Aaron conducts financial analysis and prepares plans and forecasts. As part of Habanero’s leadership team, he uses his financial acumen to identify opportunities for strategic growth and success. 

Aaron previously served as Habanero's Controller. Prior to joining Habanero, he held financial positions at Cardiome Pharma Corp. and Intrawest ULC. Early in his career, Aaron developed his auditing and accounting skills at PwC and Smythe Ratcliffe Chartered Accountants. As a Chartered Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor, Aaron sits on the board of directors and chairs the finance committee of the Kerrisdale Community Centre. He enjoys all kinds of sports, including golf, volleyball, and skiing.

Employee Experience Coordinator Ashleigh Schafer is a part of the Employee Experience team at Habanero, working to continually support and evolve Habanero as an exceptional workplace. This involves designing and delivering exceptional experiences for employees that support Habanero’s culture. Ashleigh is passionate about applying a human-centred design approach to creating impactful employee experiences in her focus areas of recruitment and hiring, onboarding, physical settings, EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion), technology and supporting internal and external communications.

Prior to joining the Habanero team, Ashleigh spent more than 7 years working within organizations in an administrative, accounting and communications capacity. Ashleigh holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree specializing in Entrepreneurship from the University of Victoria and a Communication Design certificate from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Most recently Ashleigh is enrolled in the UBC Award of Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion program at the University of British Columbia. Outside of work, Ashleigh enjoys playing sports, watching films, discovering music, volunteering, and petting dogs.

Senior Consultant Barbara Richards works closely with our clients throughout the journey of creating great workplace experiences. She uses her roots in the social sciences, deep appreciation for experience design principles and years of strategic IT consulting to co-create experiences that help employees and organizations live up to their potential.

Prior to joining Habanero, Barbara played user experience roles in international research and development organizations in the Philippines, Indonesia and Italy. She especially enjoyed the opportunity of having a front row seat of the inner workings of international development programs and projects, which influenced her perspective on the value of concepts we often think of as being part of design thinking. Barbara spent five years at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN in Rome, Italy where she co-led the initiation of many user experience practices to improve FAO's ability to provide information to people in support of its goal to reduce food insecurity around the world.

Barbara holds a Bachelor of Sociology from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Archival Studies from the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at UBC. When not working, she is often having conversations about the Avengers, Star Wars or Lego (she has 2 young boys), visiting the local yoga studio, or discovering trails in the North Shore mountains.

Vice President Ben Skelton provides guidance and oversight to Habanero’s leadership team, ensuring Habanero’s continued success and innovation within all areas of the business. He does this through a balanced scorecard approach to management — which provides a continuous and equal focus on our company, team, and clients. Ben is also a passionate advocate of Habanero’s brand. He works to ensure that clients are proud to be associated with Habanero and that each of the solutions we create exceeds expectations.

Ben opened Habanero’s Toronto office in 2013 and continues to manage a number of Toronto-based accounts while directing the growth of Habanero’s business in Ontario.

A recognized user experience leader, Ben is a founding member of the Vancouver User Experience Group (VanUE) and creator of Habanero's User Experience Done Right! seminar series. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Simon Fraser University. Ben is an ardent traveler and plane geek whose favourite place is 38,000 feet somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

Director of Products and Services Brian Edwards leads, creates, and maintains the business plans and roadmaps of Habanero’s technology solutions and services. This includes developing an investment strategy for new offerings and developing partnerships that augment or complement our offerings. He also guides our strategy for bringing our services to market.

Brian has been with Habanero since 2000 and previously led Habanero’s collaboration practice. Prior to working for Habanero, he ran the corporate intranet for a Fortune 500 bank in the United States. Passionate about the impact technology can make within organizations, Brian has been recognized as a thought leader in collaboration solutions and business strategy and is a highly credited public speaker.

Experience Consultant Bruno Alves has a background in designing intranets and websites for various industry sectors. With empathy and enthusiasm, Bruno combines multiple methods to solve complex business problems using engaging interfaces.

Before working at Habanero, Bruno worked as a design consultant for several large corporations since 2008. He holds a B.A. Hons. in Media Communications from São Paulo State University, and UX design certifications from Stanford and Human Factors International. In his spare time, Bruno enjoys doing all kinds of sports and discovering new restaurants with friends.

Interaction Designer Carmen Bronsch designs intuitive and engaging experiences founded in ethnographic research and human centred design principles. She enjoys delighting users with intentional, creative, and empathetic design solutions.

Prior to Habanero, Carmen was the UX Design Lead for Blackline Safety, where she was involved in the holistic UX for their products. Carmen is a graduate of Mount Royal University, where she received her Bachelor of Communications with a major in Information Design. It was at Mount Royal that Carmen discovered her passion for making the complex simple and designing engaging experiences of all sorts for end users. When Carmen isn’t designing, you can find her eating local food (specifically pizza), petting dogs, exploring the farmers market, or planning her next travel adventure.

Infrastructure Architect Carmen Craciun is one of North America's leading experts in SharePoint infrastructure. She works with Habanero clients to design enterprise IT architectures and infrastructure requirements. Carmen's deep knowledge and technical ability ensure the high quality of Habanero solutions.

Carmen has numerous Microsoft certifications and is a Microsoft Certified Engineer. She holds a Master of Science degree in pharmacy from the Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iasi, Romania. Carmen is often asked to share her SharePoint expertise at conferences and workshops across North America.

Caterina Sanders works on our culture and transformation, corporate strategy and digital workplace engagements. She is an expert facilitator, experience designer and communicator – and she is a 20-year veteran of Habanero.

Caterina is a founding member of the Vancouver User Experience Group (VanUE) and currently sits on the CSA Caregiver Friendly Workplaces Technical Committee. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia. Caterina is also an honest and inspiring presenter who is regularly asked to speak about improving employee engagement, creating high-performing cultures within organizations and design thinking. Travel is a longstanding passion for her and her family, and in 2015, they all took a year’s leave to travel the world.

Digital Workplace Advisor Chris Radcliffe brings years of senior-level consulting and client experience management to his role at Habanero. He has extensive experience in employee portals, enterprise social, information architecture design, and governance. Chris manages some of Habanero’s key client relationships, as well as providing mentorship and support to other Habanero account managers. He has been with Habanero since 2000.

A thought-leader for Habanero, Chris often speaks on how social computing trends are impacting strategies for organizational communication, innovation, and knowledge management. He has an active interest in helping organizations use technology to improve their workplaces and is always looking for opportunities to grow Habanero’s core competencies. Chris holds Yammer Power User and Administrator certifications to support the development of Habanero customers’ community manager and social consulting services. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen's University.

Chris Sweeney operates a spilt role between support and quality assurance. His main duty is to provide sustainment support for the Go Intranet Accelerator product and conduct regression testing when needed. He has a real knack for customer service and connecting with new customers, and manages the online forum and articles on connectwithgo.com.

Chris hails from Derry, a small city in the north of Ireland. Before moving to Canada and beginning work at Habanero, Chris lived in Manchester, England and worked for Hitachi Consulting as a service desk analyst. He worked with internationally-known clients such as the Financial Times and the National Health Service. Prior to that, he worked for Fujitsu UK as a first-line desktop support technician and supported sites in the UK, Poland, Nigeria, and Greece.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Manchester Metropolitan University. Outside of work, most of his free time is spent following or playing football. He also enjoys mountain biking and tennis.

Interaction Designer Chrissy Cowen helps create exceptional user experiences through a human-centred design approach. As part of the design team at Habanero, she plays an important role in designing and developing intuitive and engaging interfaces, facilitating empathetic research and conducting hands-on workshops through a design thinking lens. Chrissy is passionate about finding new opportunities to help people and organizations reach their full potential.

Prior to Habanero, Chrissy worked as a Senior UI/UX designer for Flight Network. She is a graduate of York University, where she received a Bachelor of Design (Honours). Outside of work, Chrissy enjoys baking, traveling, watching movies and playing the ukulele.

Product Manager Christina Ferancik drives the direction and implementation of Habanero’s Go Intranet. Through collaborating and understanding client needs, she builds out clear vision, strategy, and a product roadmap to tackle tough business problems. Christina brings 14 years of experience working in technology, communications, and change management.

Prior to joining Habanero, Christina worked in public and private sector organizations including Google Ireland, BC Hydro, and the BC Government Caucus. Throughout her career she leveraged technology to improve business processes, helping companies build better workplaces for their employees. Christina holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of British Columbia. Outside of work, she is an avid traveller and enjoys swimming, skiing, and the arts.

Front-End Architect Christopher Parsons is responsible for the architecture behind the visual design, interactivity, accessibility and authoring of Habanero solutions. His work also includes writing and reviewing project requirements, demoing and training clients, and advocating for best practices around front-end development.

Chris has a Bachelor of Science with a major in Computing Science from Simon Fraser University and completed an eight-month co-op term with Habanero in 2011. Additionally, he is a Microsoft Certified Software Developer, a Certified ScrumMaster and a certified Sitecore Professional Developer. Outside of work, Chris enjoys reading about baseball analytics, listening to podcasts about wrestling and politics, and catching up on the latest news in technology and gadgets.

Product Support Specialist Christopher Scollard supports exceptional client experiences with Habanero’s GO Intranet Accelerator. Christopher has a passion for working with people and bringing them together with technology. As a natural problem solver, he supports people with technology that simplifies their lives and allows for more time to do what they enjoy most.

Coming from Ireland, Christopher holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts from University College Dublin. Before joining Habanero, Christopher worked as a Support Technician and Project Support Lead for Valentia Technologies in the global health technology industry. His work with Valentia took him all over Ireland and on multiple trips to New Zealand to support product expansion. Outside of work, Christopher’s primary passion is following or playing rugby. He also enjoys watching or playing nearly all sports and reading history or science fiction.

Corey’s focus is on building user interfaces through his knowledge of front-end technologies and languages. He enjoys collaborating with his project team to bring designs and requirements to fruition, whether it be for a SharePoint intranet, website, or web application. Corey is motivated by the endless problem solving a career in development provides and is always looking to expand his expertise.

Corey completed his Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Calgary. He was initially hired by Habanero as a Business Analyst intern but, over the years, he gravitated to a more technical role. When not at work, he enjoys playing and watching basketball, playing video games, riding his motorcycle, and planning his next travel adventure.

UX Consultant Craig Smith uses a combination of user research, audits, analytics, and prototyping to deliver solid user experiences. His work sits at the intersection of design, development, and research, and he uses his practitioner experience to support project outcomes and ensure clients get the most out of their technology investments. With a background in software quality assurance, Craig has a solid understanding both of customer needs and of the importance of end-user advocacy.

Prior to coming to Habanero, Craig was a test lead at SMART Technologies for three years where he worked on education software for use with SMART Boards. He has both a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Calgary.

Interaction Designer Danielle Kovacic designs engaging user experiences through websites, intranets, and applications. Danielle is passionate about bringing creative and unique ideas to her designs.

Prior to Habanero, Danielle worked as a designer and project manager at Mediashaker and continues to work as a freelance designer creating websites and print material. She graduated from Grant MacEwan University with a major in design and digital media. Outside of work, Danielle enjoys lifting weights, photography, reading and travelling.

Technical Architect David Webb works on the analysis, design, and development of business intelligence, SharePoint, and custom development solutions. With more than 20 years of IT experience, David has a strong background in Microsoft solutions such as .NET, ASP.NET, and SQL Server.

Prior to working at Habanero, David was a senior developer at WorkSafeBC in Richmond and Great-West Life Assurance Company in Winnipeg. In both positions he worked on a wide variety of platforms from mainframes to PCs. David holds a Bachelor of Computer Science Honours degree from the University of Manitoba. When not working, he volunteers his time on the boards of Vancouver Front Runners and the English Bay Triathlon Club, and as the race director for the annual Lees Trail Triathlon.

Davis is focused on helping organizations accelerate and ensure the success of their digital transformation. By leveraging the AvePoint suite of products, Davis strives to make migrating, managing and backing up Office 365 and Microsoft Teams more seamless, secure and predictable. With a strong background in business technology sales, Davis prides himself on being a trusted advisor to clients while assisting them in making critical technology investments.

Before joining Habanero, Davis developed his expertise in collaboration technology as Area Manager, Central US and Western Canada, at Nureva Inc. Davis’ time at Nureva allowed him to work with some of the most well-known organizations in the world, including The Gap, Farmers Insurance, and Anheuser-Busch InBev. In 2014, Davis earned his Bachelor of Commerce, with a focus on Marketing, from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Outside of the office you can find Davis recording or performing with his band, chasing wild game, volunteering in his community, or out questing for his new favourite hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

Senior Solution Developer Elena Rosu uses her technical expertise on a variety of employee, customer, and member portal projects. Her role involves creating new solutions as a member of project teams as well as working directly with clients in sustainment engagements. Elena is also a technical lead on several projects. She is well-versed in the areas of Sitecore, SharePoint 2016, SharePoint 2013, SharePoint Online and ASP.NET.

Elena holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of British Columbia and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Iasi, Romania. Elena is also a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer and a Certified ScrumMaster. In her spare time, Elena enjoys doing yoga, walking, and reading biographies about painters.

Digital Workplace Consultant Elise Golanowski enjoys working collaboratively with Habanero team members and clients to uncover the current state and plan the future direction for digital workplace solutions. She works with clients to determine how organizations can use Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365 most effectively, designing user-friendly solutions leveraging information architecture, analytics, and governance.

Prior to joining Habanero, Elise worked as an independent consultant facilitating digital transformation and data migration projects, most recently completing a program with a Calgary-based utilities company. Born and raised in Calgary, Elise has a Communications degree from Mount Royal University and is keen on all things O365. Elise loves getting outdoors and enjoying the mountains — hiking and skiing, curling up with her latest book, listening to music, traveling, cooking, and spending time with her husband and their dog.

Finance Manager Elizabeth Torry leads all aspects of accounting, payroll, receivables, payables, government returns, staff group benefits, and other related responsibilities. A valued veteran of Habanero, Elizabeth has been with the company since 1999 and has skillfully supported the company through years of steady growth and expansion.

Prior to immigrating to Canada in 1996, Elizabeth worked at CIBC in Trinidad for 15 years. There, she held several positions including senior accountant, manager of foreign exchange, and teller supervisor. Outside of Habanero, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her two daughters and is actively involved in church community activities as one of the directors and group coordinator for the Richmond Catholic Alpha.

Digital Workplace Consultant Fraser Allan specializes in the Microsoft Office 365 platform and the contribution it can make to an exceptional employee experience. Fraser works with organizations to deliver meaningful digital transformation programmes, guiding stakeholders through the key decisions that will provide lasting value. His key expertise includes user adoption, user testing, and employee communications.

Before working at Habanero, Fraser was with Virgin Money in the UK, where he worked on a successful digital workplace transformation programme. Fraser is also a PRINCE2 certified Project Manager and has a degree in Finance and Human Resources from Strathclyde Business School in Scotland. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, skiing, and listening to podcasts.

Project Manager Heather Doyle brings strong project management and business analysis skills to her work at Habanero. Specializing in SharePoint and custom Web development projects, she combines a unique combination of big-picture strategic thinking skills and a keen attention to detail. Heather has a lengthy history of managing complex and large-scale projects while respecting budgets, timelines, and scopes.

Prior to working at Habanero, Heather worked as a consultant for ten years, including four years at KPMG Consulting and PwC. Heather has a Bachelor of Science in food science, technology and biology, from Oxford Brookes University and a Masters of Business Administration in information technology from the University of British Columbia. Outside of work, Heather can be found cycling, keeping up on the reading for her book club, and volunteering on the PAC at her children’s school.

Digital Workplace Advisor Imran Thobani brings a wealth of experience supporting client initiatives in the Alberta marketplace. Imran is constantly working to align innovative technology solutions with organizational objectives to create great workplace experiences. He strives to align employee experiences with an organizations values, vision, and purpose in order to establish a culture of sustainable change and growth.

Prior to joining Habanero, Imran worked as a workforce development advisor and project coordinator at SAIT, assisting organizations in their talent management strategies. He holds a Bachelor's degree in History and Communications and has a passion and interest in the psychology behind workplace cultures and experiences. Outside of work, Imran enjoys spending time outdoors, everything and anything sports-related, and planning his next travel adventure.

James Sloane is a designer, and he’s also Habanero’s Director of Employee Experience. He began work life as a product designer and since then has applied a design-thinking, user-centred approach to every complex situation and opportunity he finds. For James, designing exceptional workplace experiences is so meaningful because it’s about helping people thrive where they spend most of their time: at work. James believes meaningful workplace experiences happen when we design the conditions for each of us to feel safe being ourselves, continuously grow, and do purposeful work.

Prior to his role as Director of Employee Experience, James was a senior experience consultant helping our clients thrive at work. He has worked on several projects working with teams to design employee portals, collaboration solutions, and cultural transformations. He especially loves strategy work and making sense of the fuzzy front-end of complex problems. James holds a Masters of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Design from the University of Alberta. Outside of work, James values his time with family and friends, coaching youth soccer, and anything creative.

Office Manager Jarrod McKenna will greet you with a smile on his face and a smile in his voice. He is an enthusiastic representative of Habanero and provides exceptional customer service to clients and Habanero employees. Responsible for managing the day-to-day administration of the office, Jarrod also provides executive support regarding scheduling and coordination, arranges company travel, and passionately handles details crucial to making events successful and the office feel comfortable, efficient, and fun.

Prior to joining Habanero, Jarrod spent several years providing administrative assistance to clients with addictions and criminal justice issues. With an eclectic background, he has honed his skills working in various roles and sectors and from living in a foreign culture for several years.

Outside of work, Jarrod’s passion is fuelled by a love of photography and walking, often going hand-in-hand. He also loves to entertain and can be found cooking a brand new creation – often something hot and spicy – each time he hosts a dinner party.

Front-End Developer Jasjit Marwah is responsible for building pixel-perfect, functional front-ends for web applications. His role entails combining the best practices of layout templating with the power of modern JavaScript to bring designs to life.

Jasjit graduated from the National Institute of Technology Trichy as a Bachelor of Technology with a specialization in Computer Science and Engineering. Prior to joining Habanero, Jasjit built front-end applications for drug discovery and bioinformatics. Outside of work, Jasjit enjoys woodworking, playing acoustic guitar, and catching up on the latest news in technology and global politics.

Product Designer Jorge Echeverry plays a lead role in directing the experience of Habanero’s GO Intranet. This involves designing and evolving the GO design system while collaborating with the product manager to shape and evolve the product roadmap. Jorge is passionate about bringing empathy to all stages of the design journey.

Prior to joining Habanero, Jorge worked designing digital experiences for global brands such as Toyota, Paramount Pictures, Verizon, Adidas, and Walmart. With over sixteen years of experience in design and an academic background in marketing, advertising, and copywriting, Jorge is constantly developing his craft. Outside of work, Jorge enjoys playing music, reading literature, writing, and taking long walks with his wife.

Digital Workplace Consultant Julie Chrapavy brings a wide breadth of industry experience to helping organizations define and implement outstanding workplace experiences. She works with clients to determine how their business can utilize Microsoft SharePoint and/or Office 365 most effectively. Julie enjoys working with clients throughout their journey in adopting technology by understanding their needs, assisting with change management, and ensuring the technical design is best suited for their goals. Julie's focus is always on people, and how we can best use technology to enhance peoples lives - at work and in their everyday life.

Having spent the last few years working with AvePoint as a Project Manager in New York and Singapore, Julie has managed large, multifaceted programs of work for clients in the government, financial services, automotive, and tech sectors; becoming familiar with the complexities of digital transformation and SharePoint migrations at the enterprise level. Outside of work Julie loves travelling and anything mountains - from hiking and snowboarding, to mountain biking.

Solution Developer Kelsey Alexander loves to learn and incorporate cutting-edge technologies into user-friendly solutions. Kelsey contributes to all phases of the software development lifecycle by applying her front-end development experience in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and SharePoint frameworks.

Prior to Habanero, Kelsey was building applications in JavaScript and SharePoint to provide business solutions for TransAlta. Kelsey holds a Master of Science degree in Geophysics and Seismology from the University of Calgary, which is where she developed an interest in code. Kelsey completed a Software Developer Certificate program at the South Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 2016. Outside of work, Kelsey enjoys reading, gaming, movies, TV shows, going to the gym, and good food.

Director of Operations Kiran Aujla is focused on operational excellence in how the company operates and delivers value to both clients and Habanero. She is responsible for overseeing Habanero’s delivery and resource management functions to ensure team members are performing at the highest levels within a culture of continuous improvement. Kiran’s responsibilities include establishing and reporting on measures of success for all projects while seeing through the day-to-day activities, at both a strategic and operational level, to ensure Habanero will live up to its long term vision.

Kiran has a diverse background of business and technical experience delivering and consulting on projects within the IT and utilities industries with a focus on data warehousing, intranets, websites and project management. Prior to joining Habanero in 2006, Kiran acquired close to 10 years of industry experience working with BC Hydro, Westech, and Accenture Business Services for Utilities in roles that included business analyst, system developer, project manager, and information delivery lead. When not working, Kiran enjoys a variety of activities including running, hiking and yoga. She is an avid reader with a passion for learning and cherishes quality time spent with family and friends.

Creative Director Kurtis Beard crafts engaging solutions based on his user experience and information architecture expertise. He helps clients understand the unique needs of their end users and balances a variety of design approaches when creating portals and applications. Kurtis is comfortable conducting usability tests, creating wireframes and mockups, and leading heuristic analyses. He's passionate about ensuring our solutions foster collaboration, communication, and engagement through user-centred design methodologies. 

Before coming to Habanero, Kurtis was a freelance visual designer with experience in branding, logo design, and graphic design. He is a graduate of the School of Interaction Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University. Kurtis is also a member of the Vancouver User Experience Group and enjoys keeping up to date with the latest trends in user experience and interaction design. Outside of work, Kurtis likes to expand his interest in cinema, travel, and enjoy all kinds of new music.

Chief Architect Larry Lau is known for providing great application architectures and frameworks, and promoting architecture best practices and patterns within Habanero's development team. Experienced in rich-client, web-client, and mobile development using a wide variety of Microsoft technologies, Larry articulates the architecture vision, addresses architectural challenges, and keeps developers up-to-date on technologies and development trends. He also automates development tasks to save project teams time, provides reference architecture implementation for various types of applications, and tackles the most challenging technical tasks. Larry leads Habanero's Architecture and Windows Smart Client Centres of Excellence.

Prior to working at Habanero, Larry worked as a software engineer at Meridian Systems for five years. Before that he was a system analyst at Telus Mobility, a programmer/analyst at Concerta Consulting, and a senior software developer at Interlogic Engineering. Larry holds a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Simon Fraser University. When not at work, Larry enjoys snowboarding on the local mountains and flying radio-controlled helicopters.

Laura Nugent is an Experience Designer focused on creating exceptional employee experiences in workplaces. She applies a human-centered and design thinking approach to her work and is skilled in conducting ethnographic research and synthesis of insights to uncover immediate and latent user needs. Laura brings curiosity and empathy to her work which enables her to explore, understand, and translate human behaviors into actionable insights to co-create change, drive innovation, and encourage creative thinking.

Prior to joining Habanero, Laura worked as a Design Researcher for Ireland’s leading utility, The Electricity Supply Board. She was heavily involved in new product development, customer experience, technology adoption, service design, new market exploration, and innovation culture within the company. Laura holds a bachelors degree in Anthropology and Sociology and a Masters degree in Design Innovation from Maynooth University in her home country of Ireland. When not working, she enjoys taking road trips and exploring new places! She also values spending quality time with friends and catching up with family back in Ireland.

Project Manager Lori Sokoluk works with Habanero project teams and clients to deliver solutions that exceed each stakeholder’s expectations. She motivates team members by making sure they have the tools and information necessary to excel. Using her communication and delivery skills, Lori expertly manages risk to ensure the success of every engagement. Lori uses various approaches such Agile, waterfall, and hybrid iterative methods to craft a plan that best suits each project.

Before coming to Habanero, Lori worked as a project manager for Morgan Stanley and Central 1 Credit Union. She brings an extensive understanding of software development processes through her experience with requirements analysis, development, quality assurance and client engagement that enable her to contribute to project teams beyond a traditional project management role. Outside of work, Lori is a professional painter and fine art educator.

Quality Assurance Consultant Madhava Werake works closely with our project teams to continually support and evolve our organization's leading products and services. Madhava contributes to the continuous evolution of our test processes and methodologies while creating QA strategies, plans, and test cases. Together with the amazing team at Habanero, Madhava delivers quality output through efficient solutions and strategic excellence.

Madhava brings over ten years of quality assurance experience with website solutions and mobile apps to Habanero. His former employers have included Microsoft, EA, Activision, Plenty of Fish and Lululemon. The experience he has gained while working within small start-ups and large corporations has given him a keen insight into managing projects both big and small. Outside of work, Madhava is an avid fitness enthusiast, fitness coach, traveler, and artist. His personal mission is to always challenge himself to keep growing.

Practice Lead of Culture and Transformation Mallory O’Connor helps enterprise organizations create great workplace experiences. She works with our clients to shape and deliver compelling changes to organizational culture and the digital landscape. Building on a twenty-year career of human-centred research and design, she coaches clients and collaborates with teams to solve the right problems with an iterative mindset.

Mallory is an experienced leader both inside Habanero and in the community. She is a thought leader, senior advisor to clients, performance coach and mentor to colleagues and accountable for Habanero’s culture and transformation offering. Mallory hosts conferences, delivers presentations and workshops and shares insights in webinars on the intersection of employee experience, culture and technology. She extends her passion for community and public art as the co-chair of the Vancouver Mural Festival. She was the co-founder and judge of the Vancouver User Experience Awards and the Vancouver User Experience Group (VanUE).

Front-End Solution Architect Mark Bice is responsible for the front-end architecture and development of Habanero solutions, which includes creating interfaces, establishing look and feel, and ensuring usability. Mark has both a design and programming background and experience in all stages of application development, from planning to testing. As a result, Mark provides a valuable bridge between the design and development components of Habanero projects.

Before working at Habanero, Mark was a software engineer at ResponseTek for four years. There he was involved with both front and back-end development of customer experience management web applications that allowed clients to collect and analyze valuable data and spot consumer trends. Mark has a computing science degree with a business administration minor from Simon Fraser University.

Information Technology Manager Marty van den Bosch is responsible for managing, maintaining, and evolving our internal and public facing technologies. A multi-tasking madman known for his exceptional priority management skills, Marty handles Habanero’s internal IT process, planning, management, and direction among a myriad of other accountabilities. Dedicating his focus on internal systems and IT direction, Marty strives to keep our company on the leading edge of Microsoft Technologies.

Marty is also the Vancouver office's resident Level 3 Occupational First Aid attendant. Outside of work, he spends most of his time either gardening, working on his side business adventures, or enjoying time with his wife and 4 year old son. When Marty does manage to break away from his hectic pace, he enjoys hitting the local mountains for some serious multi-day hiking or when possible flying south to explore his future retirement options along the Caribbean coastline.

Infrastructure Architect Matt Chapple brings over 17 years experience designing, implementing, scaling, growing, maintaining, migrating and automating. Matt's expertise in systems, services, and networking are coupled with a deep-rooted Microsoft technology stack background including Azure, Office 365, SharePoint, Exchange, PowerShell, and SQL Server. With a passion for automation, Desired State Configuration, runbooks, templates and workflow, Matt is a well-rounded resource with a keen sense for solution design, application development, security, compliance, and records management.

Prior to joining Habanero, Matt worked in Calgary for ten years as a senior-level consultant for Ideaca, DevFacto, and Long View Systems, leading teams and projects in operations, managed services, and project delivery. He most recently worked as a SharePoint Architect and Azure Infrastructure Specialist at AltaLink and, outside of work, Matt has a passion for camping, fishing, and spending time outdoors with his children.

Megan Kurtenbach is an Experience Designer who loves to help her clients build understanding of their users through a variety of research methods and data-driven storytelling. She is motivated by building empathy, understanding user motivations and experiences, and identifying creative opportunities to improve both business and experience outcomes.

Originally from Saskatchewan, Megan has spent time moving around western Canada and, most recently, returns to Calgary from London, UK. Megan holds a BA in Communication from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, and worked in User Experience at Alberta Health Services before pursuing her MSc in Human-Computer Interaction Design from City University of London. After completing her program, Megan had the fortunate experience of falling in love with user research at a wonderful London-based research and design consultancy. Her experience varies from deep ethnographic research on patient and staff experience in a hospital environment, to lab-based research exploring concepts and user behaviour for digital tools. Outside of work, Megan can usually be found catching up with friends and family across time-zones.

Senior Solution Developer Michael Armstrong is responsible for developing elegant and user friendly solutions. He leverages his expertise in front end and back end development to craft intranets, websites, and business applications that drive toward outcomes and satisfy all stakeholders. Michael’s primary focuses are the SharePoint and Sitecore platforms and his skills include a variety of technologies and languages. He is adept at solving complex problems and enjoys applying his development experience in both technical and non-technical ways.

Before coming to Habanero, Michael worked as an application developer at Lucidia Ltd. He graduated as a computer programmer analyst from Sault College and upon graduation, won a SSMARt Innovation Award for Student/Graduate of the Year from the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. Outside of work, Michael enjoys hockey, snowboarding, travel, fishing, golfing, and experimenting with new technology.

Interaction Designer Michelle Yuan aims to create intuitive digital experiences that excite users about the beauty of good design and demonstrate how human-computer interaction can enable meaningful problem solving. She is driven by learning and strives to infuse mindfulness practices into her professional career, believing that intrinsic growth is borne from a deep appreciation of the present.

Michelle is a native Torontonian who has studied both Financial Engineering and Information Science at the University of Toronto. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree concentrating on User Experience Design. Straight out of school, Michelle was a data scientist and business analyst at a Financial Services Consultancy while casually freelancing on the side. Over time she gained enough experience to fully pivot her career and decided to make the jump. She currently finds herself pursuing a future in design. In her free time Michelle loves to read, watch documentaries and incessantly talk about her dog.

Digital Workplace Consultant Mike Dumka has been helping organizations transform their intranet and collaboration experiences since 2008. Mike is passionate about helping design frictionless solutions that are easy for end users to fall in love with. His thought leadership helps organizations stay on top of the evolving Office 365 landscape. His technical understanding of Office 365 compliments his experience in driving adoption and helping people change their information management practices.

Prior to joining Habanero, Mike worked for Blueshift Innovations and Great-West Life. He is a Human Factors International Certified Usability Analyst. Outside of work, Mike is an absolute hockey fanatic who loves coaching his kids and is thankful everyday for the Jets returning to Winnipeg!

Solution Architect Mike Jensen is responsible for architecting business solutions and leading development teams. Mike has extensive experience in a wide range of Microsoft and Java technologies and has particular expertise in application integration and business process management. Known for his problem solving and leadership abilities, Mike applies his technical skills across a wide range of business domains.

Prior to joining Habanero, Mike gained development and analysis experience as senior systems developer with Accenture Business Services and as an independent consultant working for clients including Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans. He holds a Bachelor of Science with a major in applied mathematics from Simon Fraser University. When he is not researching new technologies, you can find Mike on the golf course, baseball field, or basketball court.

Digital Workplace Consultant Mustansir Khowaja leverages his knowledge of Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft 365 to identify the needs of the clients and provide optimal digital workplace solutions. Mustansir is passionate about working with clients to implement technological solutions that address transformation needs in the intranet and collaborative workspaces. His continuous improvement mindset allows him to constantly push the boundaries in digital problem solving. He strives to use this mindset to encourage clients to think beyond the immediate necessities of their organizations.

Mustansir is currently pursuing an MBA at DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University. Prior to this, Mustansir obtained a bachelor’s degree in Nanotechnology Engineering from the University of Waterloo and worked at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada. In his spare time, Mustansir enjoys weightlifting, playing video games and talking/analyzing anything sports related.

Senior ECM Consultant Natalie Veldhoen helps to uncover the current state and plan the future direction of information, records, and knowledge management solutions for Habanero clients. She works to understand the value a well-designed and implemented ECM solution can bring to their business and guides design requirements. Natalie also ensures Habanero solutions bring value in terms of process improvement, adherence to corporate document control requirements, and user adoption of new systems. 

Natalie has experience designing and implementing information and knowledge management systems across a number of industries. She started her career as a math and science teacher where she honed her facilitation and coaching skills but found her place in library and information system design, leading projects with K-12 education, health care, and most recently with a Calgary-based energy company. Natalie has bachelor’s degrees in astrophysics and education and a Masters of Science in instructional media design. When not at work she can be found working in her vegetable garden, completing home improvement projects, or travelling.

Nataliya Ioffe is a Front-End Developer who builds beautiful, user-friendly digital experiences for clients. She brings a media and communications perspective to the world of web development, and she is passionate about bringing energy and purpose into every project she is involved in.

Nataliya has a degree in Media Arts & Design and Corporate Communication and, prior to Habanero, she worked in the Los Angeles TV and Film industry as a Production Coordinator and Associate Producer. She left the industry to explore her interests in the tech space, and decided to pursue a career in development after a year working among developers at a tech start-up. She joined the Habanero team after completing the immersive web development program at Toronto's HackerYou College of Technology. Outside of work, she loves to roam Toronto with her adventurous five-pound chihuahua, listen to podcasts, hike, camp, and explore the outdoors.

Director of Content Marketing Pilar Galiana brings her passion for content strategy to life every day through the creation of compelling content, campaigns, and events that deliver Habanero’s message of helping people and organizations thrive to the world. A strong team leader, Pilar also heads the content team that plans and creates clear, findable, and usable content for employee portals and websites.

Prior to joining Habanero, Pilar lead the development and content teams for the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts website. She also worked as a digital marketing consultant and project manager on projects for the Ontario Ministry of Health, Kaplan University, Exchange Solutions, and Seaport Hotel Boston. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from the University of Toronto and a post-graduate degree in corporate communications from Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology. In addition to working with Habanero, Pilar coaches entrepreneurs to use content marketing to grow their businesses online. When she isn’t working, she is likely enjoying food, thinking about food, reading about food, or exploring Toronto's food scene.

Senior Consultant Ricardo Ramirez works with organizations to help define and deliver better workplace experiences. Pairing his natural leadership skills and strong technical knowledge of Office 365, he is able to forge solid alliances to build impactful solutions that create lasting value for clients. Ricardo is experienced with human-centered design, intranet portals, consulting, strategic thinking, digital transformation and qualitative research.

Ricardo started at Habanero as a technical specialist, where he implemented a number of intranets and employee portals as well as extranets and records management solutions using SharePoint. Prior to joining Habanero, he worked as a senior SharePoint and web developer at Great Gulf, and Internet consultant for v51 Consulting. He has a software development and network engineering diploma from the Sheridan College, a professional development award in entrepreneurship and small business from Ryerson University, and is currently undertaking a course on leading organizations and change from MIT Sloan Executive Education. Ricardo is also a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate in Office 365. Outside of work, he enjoys culinary arts, strolling around in parks or the city with his family and reading books about history, leadership and entrepreneurship.

Technical Specialist Ruben Chan brings his exceptional .NET development skills to Habanero. His dedication, proven work ethic, and his ability to think outside the box ensure that clients receive both optimal service, and top level technical results. In addition to his technical abilities, Ruben is known for his people skills, allowing him to foster strong professional relationships with both clients and colleagues.

Ruben graduated with a Bachelor of Computing degree from the University of Tasmania in 2003 and holds certifications in Sitecore, Coveo, and K2 development. Ruben moved to Canada from Australia in 2010. He enjoys snowboarding and canoeing in his free time.

Digital Workplace Consultant Ryan Bender helps organizations define and deliver the digital workplace environments their employees need to be collaborative and productive at work. Specializing in the Microsoft 365 technology space, Ryan leads teams toward the successful application and adoption of technologies like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online, for their ECM, collaboration and intranet needs.

Joining Habanero in 2010, Ryan spent his first 8 years as a Senior Front-End Developer before transitioning into his current role. He has worked with a wide range of server and client-side technologies, giving him a deep understanding of how developer and IT processes and technologies work. , Ryan started his career as graphic designer after graduating from the Applied Multimedia Training Center in 1997. He then moved on to work for 12 years as a web application and multimedia developer on various platforms and technologies including SharePoint, Sitecore, .NET, J2EE, WebSphere and Coldfusion. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys photography, astronomy, camping, fishing and carpentry.

Sandra Braun is part of the content team at Habanero, collaborating with project teams and clients to plan and create clear, findable and usable content for employee portals and websites.

Before coming to Habanero, Sandra worked as a content strategist and writer on internet and intranet projects for Deloitte Canada, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and CBC/Radio-Canada. As a freelance writer and editor, she has produced branding, marketing and communications products for major retailers, custom publishers and non-profit organizations.

Sandra holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Carleton University, a certificate in Business Analysis from UBC Sauder and user experience (UX) certification from the Nielsen Norman Group. She is a member of several content strategy and UX groups in Toronto, where she enjoys learning about emerging issues and approaches to service design, UX and change management. Outside of work, she likes to make food, clothes and art. She is a scholar with Stephen Jenkinson’s Orphan Wisdom School, a teaching and learning house for the skills of deep living and making human culture.

Digital Marketing Coordinator Sarah Hagarty utilizes her passion for marketing to support the planning, execution and optimization of Habanero’s content marketing efforts. Sarah also assists with employee experience elements through researching, reviewing content, and providing feedback.

Sarah is entering her 4^th year of her Bachelor of Commerce degree at Ryerson University, majoring in Marketing and minoring in Human Resources. She is on her first co-operative work term while working from home in Windsor, Ontario. Sarah is eager to enhance her knowledge and skills with Habanero. When she isn’t in front of her computer, Sarah enjoys hanging out with her dog and cat, exercising, discovering music and eating.

Digital Workplace Consultant Scott deVeber brings a deep understanding of the Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint ECM space to his consulting work at Habanero. With over 15 years of experience in IT consulting, Scott guides clients through the development of technology roadmapping, governance, and change management programs that help organizations effectively manage the fast-changing world of the digital workspace. A seasoned communicator, problem solver, and group facilitator, Scott is skilled at effectively articulating the overall vision of a project to all levels of stakeholders from frontline workers to senior management.

Before working at Habanero, Scott was with Dapasoft and Navantis where he worked with clients including Sickkids and eHealth Ontario. Scott has his PMP designation and holds a degree from the University of Waterloo in Applied Studies Co-op. Active in the Office 365 and SharePoint user communities in his native Toronto, Scott also volunteers his time with Scouts Canada and participates in the leadership teams of charities and school councils. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family in the great outdoors as well as skiing and cycling.

Project Manager Simona McKee is passionate about working with clients and her team to support smooth project delivery. Her ability to see the bigger picture, solve complex problems, and manage teams ensures project success. Simona’s focus on relationship management is at the forefront of her approach to project delivery.

Simona has developed her project management abilities in a range of industries, including Aviation and Aerospace, Defence, and Information Technology. With a background in customer service, Simona understands how to approach challenging situations and deliver on commitments. In her spare time, Simona enjoys reading, cooking, going to shows, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.

Stephen Brown has over eight years of quality assurance experience dedicated toward testing both desktop and cloud hosted solutions. Combined with an additional four years in the IT industry performing  everything from network administration to project management, Stephen helps Habanero ensure the release of quality solutions.

In the spring of 2000 Stephen completed the software systems development course at British Columbia Institute of Technology and immediately began working for Top Producer Systems in the role of quality assurance tester and subsequently as a test lead. Outside of work Stephen enjoys time with his wife and daughter, renovating his home, travelling, gardening, and exploring BC’s hiking trails.

Project Manager Toni Albert uses her creative, analytical problem solving skills when working with clients and her team to support and ensure smooth project delivery. Her eye for detail, ability to ask necessary questions, and risk management skills secure project success. Toni’s optimistic energy is always evident, and she enjoys working in a multi-faceted role with Habanero.

Toni’s experience is a great collection of project management across a spectrum of industries. Originally from the arts industry, Toni spent six years developing and running a digital art department for a Vancouver fine art firm, including managing all projects within the department. She gained further experience as project assistant and first aid attendant during the construction of the 2010 Olympic Sliding Centre in Whistler. Prior to Habanero, Toni combined all of her experiences in project management working with national HR firm Knightsbridge in its leadership solutions practice. Outside of Habanero, she is an artist creating both commission and private paintings. You can also find Toni biking, rock climbing, and mountaineering.

Project Manager Ty Addison supports the continuous evolution of Habanero's delivery and product development functions. Ty aids in the delivery of successful projects by aligning team members with project objectives and applying his project and account management experience. He is passionate about assisting in the budgeting, scheduling, and coordination of small- to medium-sized projects.

Prior to joining Habanero, Ty spent six years specializing in the development of online training initiatives and the implementation of Learning Management Systems on various of platforms. Ty received his Business Administration diploma from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and is currently working towards his Project Management Professional certification. Outside of work, Ty enjoys spending time with his family, playing hockey and video games, and exploring Calgary's music scene.

Product Support Specialist Vanessa Ip provides comprehensive product support for Habanero’s Go Intranet Accelerator. Vanessa is passionate about connecting people and exploring how technology and service design can facilitate amazing workplace experiences. With a detail-oriented approach, Vanessa strives to solve complex problems with an abundance of empathy.

Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia in Nutritional Science and a Bachelor of Technology in Public Health from British Columbia Institution of Technology. Before joining Habanero, Vanessa worked in public health protection with numerous health authorities in Canada and Australia. Vanessa’s values in health and wellbeing create the foundation for her drive to support and create better employee experiences in the workplace. Vanessa believes that a happy workplace correlates with positive health outcomes in life.

Employee Portals Practice Lead Will Hardy is a SharePoint platform expert and senior consultant for many of Habanero's employee portal engagements. He works with stakeholders to connect organizational objectives to maximize the capabilities of each platform. Based on his experience working with a wide range of clients and technical solutions, Will is able to recommend ways to realize goals and achieve outcomes. Will has the ability to translate strategic requirements and ideas into a clearly articulated, tactical vision for the end-state solution. He is a regular presenter on the organizational benefits of on-premise and cloud-based SharePoint technology.

Since coming to Habanero, Will has contributed to some of Habanero's key projects and helped shape the company's SharePoint domain expertise. Previously, he worked for Burntsand as a business analyst and information architect concentrating on employee and customer portals. Will has a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in entrepreneurship and small business management from the University of Victoria. Outside of work he can be found racing his sailboat in coastal B.C. waters or mountain biking on the North Shore mountains.