Anne Graham, President

Anne founded Syncworks Consulting in 2005 after a 25-year career in Human Resources and Organization Development.  A former executive, she partners with boards, executives, and leadership teams, advising and guiding them on critical issues such as organizational growth and strategic direction, change and transformation, succession planning, and leadership assessment. She is also a sought-after facilitator for executive retreats and strategic planning events. 

Anne’s clients and employers have ranged from small start-ups to multi-national companies, in the high-tech, pharmaceutical, financial, utility and health care sectors. She holds an MBA in Information Technology, a Bachelor of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts.  Anne has received her Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) designations, is a certified Human Capital Strategist (HCS), and has completed the Executive Development Program at Queen’s University. 

The recipient of Ottawa’s prestigious HR Vision Award for Outstanding Contribution to Strategic Goals, Anne has similarly been recognized by Worldwide Who’s Who as a Professional of the Year in HR and Organization Development, and is a respected mentor of many HR professionals.   

After serving as a director, Anne became Chair of the Board at the Royal Ottawa Hospital in 2019. A champion of all things that lead to exceptional organizations, she is also the Ottawa and Kingston organizer of events held by DisruptHR, an enterprise dedicated to highlighting world-class HR and people leadership practices.

Anne Graham named Professional of the Year, January 2015 – Click here

Sue Kavanagh, Associate

Sue’s consulting practice, CleaHRStrat, focuses on building organizational effectiveness through strategic guidance to business leaders, especially during times of change, and on supporting people and teams on their journey of personal growth.

Sue has 20 years experience in human resources management in the hi-tech, financial, municipal and professional association sectors, with expertise in recruitment, compensation, learning and development, and all other aspects of talent management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Carleton University with further education in compensation, human capital strategy and strategic workforce planning.     

A highly skilled personal coach, Sue is certified by Integral Coaching Canada and is a qualified facilitator of various psychometric assessments.  The founder of the Healing Broken Hearts Conference in Ottawa in 2018, Sue is also one of the original organizers of DisruptHR Ottawa, which brings business leaders and HR professionals together to learn about world-class HR practices.

Cathy Huffman, Associate

With more than 30 years experience as a general manager and HR leader  in the hospitality, legal, utility and healthcare sectors, Cathy partners with clients to create systems and programs that drive organizations forward, such as change leadership tools, succession planning frameworks, employee survey protocols, and customer service standards. 

An accomplished coach, certified facilitator, interviewer, and business writer, Cathy is educated in organization development, instructional design, industrial engineering, human resources, business management, and cross-cultural strategies.  She has authored and delivered training on adult learning, customer service, pandemic planning, productivity studies, interviewing, and all aspects of leadership.     

Cathy was nominated for an HR Summit Award (national) for programs that sustained the leadership pipeline at a large utility and was also an HR Vision Award nominee (Ottawa) for a retention strategy that reduced turnover of engineers from 30% to zero,  She has served on a number of volunteer boards and committees, including the Almonte General Hospital board. 

Brenda Palmer, Associate

With more than 35 years experience, Brenda started her career in human resources management.  After senior roles in two Ottawa based search firms, she founded Palmer & Associates in Kingston, Ontario 20+ years ago, a firm which specializes in executive search, career transition and executive coaching.  She has a wide range of clients in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, from multinational corporations to small entrepreneurial organizations.    

Beyond her professional role of connecting people and organizations, Brenda has been instrumental in establishing several successful networking groups in Kingston for local business and military leaders.  She is a sought-after guest speaker and has co-chaired fundraising events for the Kingston General Hospital, and sat on the board of the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation.   Brenda also served on the executive of the Kingston chapter of the Human Resources Professional Association, and on the speaker series committee for the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce.

 Rick Malloch, Associate

A certified executive coach and accomplished speaker, with a diploma in adult education, Rick has 20 years experience as a leadership consultant.  Through his company, Avidity Coaching and Leadership Excellence, Rick is a coach for individuals and teams, inspiring them to focus on future possibilities amidst today’s competitive and technological challenges.

Rick’s well known ‘boot camp’ for executives and leaders of success-oriented organizations elevates the participants’ communication skills – especially around tough conversations, increases their understanding of leadership styles, and prepares them to create and coach successful teams.   His satisfied clients come from the hi-tech, hospitality and property management sectors among others. 

Mary Daly

Mary is a well known and highly respected facilitator, an expert in organization design, and a trusted business advisor with 30 years consulting experience.  Her company Throughline Solutions – a reference to finding the path of least resistance and concrete change, provides her clients with clear solutions and mobilizes them when they want to reinvent programs, the organization, or their vision.   She partners with leaders across all sectors.    

A graduate of Harvard’s Watson Wyatt Leadership Development Program, Mary holds an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Waterloo and is also educated in facilitation, business model generation, human capital strategy and workforce planning.  Mary often volunteers as a facilitator for non-profit organizations.