Dr. Henry Senko (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

Henry Senko, an author and applied research consultant, is a founder and a managing partner of MHA Institute Inc.  For the past seven years, he has been focusing on learning in the workplace, consulting with individuals, teams, and organizations in both the public and private sectors. His specialty lies in working with managers and teams to design work processes that incorporate learning as a part of daily work routines.  Henry has a trades background in automotives, has taught at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and has managed operations in a number of organizations.  Since 1992, Henry has been focusing on learning in the workplace, consulting with individuals, teams, and organizations in both the public and private sectors.  Henry has a Master of Business Administration degree, with a focus on Emergent Strategy in Organizations.  He has a Doctorate in Professional Studies degree, with a focus on Sustainability and Organizational Design.  Henry is qualified to administer the Strategic Alignment Instrument, and the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument®.

Henry Senko e-mail: henrys@mhainstitute.ca

Emily Tipton (Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada)

Emily Tipton is an associate of MHA institute and has been working with MHA for over 6 years, first as a client and now as one of their first Master’s Degree students. She is particularly interested in the application of MHA techniques in the workplace and the surprising results they can have.  Emily has regularly used what she has learned working with MHA in her roles as an engineer, project manager and business development manager over the years to improve relationships and enhance learning in the workplace. Emily is interested in the application of complexity theory to relationships and management and has always been motivated by the application of theory to achieve measurable results. That is why Emily is so attracted to MHA Institute:  their research is always translated into tools that work. Emily was first caught up by the power of these techniques in 2001 when she traveled to England with Marilyn Herasymowych and Henry Senko to present her team as a case study to the Learning Company Conference in Warwick.

Emily has a BSc in Chemical Engineering and is currently working on her MSc with MHA Institute. Over the next two years, Emily will transition in her career from engineering and technical management to become a full MHA Certified Partner and MHA Consultant.  She has skills in facilitation, project management, complex problem solving and team dynamics from her experience in industry which will be invaluable in her future role as an MHA consultant.

Emily Tipton email: emilyt@mhainstitute.ca

Dr. Tom Boydell (Sheffield, United Kingdom)

Tom is a director of Inter~Logics, a UK-based consultancy specializing in creating conditions for effective co~operation across boundaries, between different agencies, partners, units, departments, teams, genders, and ethnic groups.  He is a leading international author and teacher in the field of individual and organizational learning and development.  Tom has a BScTech in Engineering, a postgraduate Diploma in Training, and a PhD in Management Learning.

Tom Boydell e-mail: tboydell@inter-logics.net

Ralph Hagen (Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada)

I can remember the actual moment I started cartooning as if it were yesterday. I was about four, and I saw a cartoon pencil sketch hanging on my grandpa's porch. It was done by a second cousin of mine, who grew up to be a commercial artist. He had done a drawing of Alfred E. Neuman (MAD) saying "What, me worry? " It seemed like I spent hours staring at that cartoon, trying to figure out how someone could use just an ordinary pencil and a piece of paper and come up with that. From that day on, all I did was cartoon. I'd cut open paper grocery bags for paper, and draw until there wasn't an inch of room left. In Grade One, I'd turn over the handouts, and draw before I'd done the work on the other side. Now, why wouldn't my teacher and her wooden yardstick approve of that?

I sold my first cartoon when I was 17, and thought, "Cool! People will pay money for these? Bonus!" I couldn't stop cartooning if I tried. If I lost my hands, I'd draw with my feet — those cartoons would just have to come out. Early on, ideas and punchlines were harder; I really had to work at it. After 23 years of professional cartooning, though, I seem to have taught myself a different way of thinking, one that comes naturally now, without effort. In fact, now it's hard to shut it off.

Ralph Hagen's Web Site: www.hagenstoons.com

Dr. Sonia Herasymowych (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Sonia Herasymowych, an associate of MHA Institute, is principal of Self-Energetics, a consulting firm that assists organizations and teams in developing high performance by incorporating diverse ways of thinking. Through her dynamic keynote speeches, presentations, and courses, she assists individuals and organizations to understand and value the roles that mental and gender diversity can play in both professional and personal success. Students affectionately call her Dr. Sonia, and say that her courses and presentations have the profound ability to change their minds. Sonia uses her scientific background to validate and enlighten one's everyday life experience. Her presentations focus on the relevance of new scientific discoveries in the area of brain research that have practical and economic benefits for everyone.

Sonia's academic qualifications include a BA Honours in Chemistry, an MSc in Physical Chemistry, a PhD in Biochemistry, and a Certificate of Adult and Continuing Education (CACE). She is a qualified practitioner in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument®. In addition to her consulting practice, Sonia instructs courses in the areas of cross-gender communication, whole brain technology, and thinking skills in the Management Certificate Program at the University of Calgary. She has written several articles on mental and gender diversity for professional associations, and is often called on by the media to interpret diversity issues in business.

Sonia Herasymowych e-mail: herasym@telusplanet.net

Dr. Marilyn Herasymowych (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

Marilyn Herasymowych, a senior consultant with over 20 years’ experience, is the founder and a managing partner of MHA Institute Inc. For the past ten years, she has been focusing on learning in the workplace, consulting with individuals, teams, and organizations in both the public and private sectors. Marilyn uses the action inquiry technologies of action science, action learning, and appreciative inquiry, as well as systems thinking and reflexive practice.  She designs strategies that help people to see their thinking patterns and behaviours from a systems perspective, setting up safe practice fields in the classroom and the workplace so that participants can experience transformational learning. Marilyn also presents at a variety of national and international conferences focusing on learning in the workplace

Marilyn has a BSc in Biochemistry, a PDAD in Education, and a Master of Continuing Education degree, specializing in Learning in the Workplace. She has a Doctorate in Professional Studies degree, with a focus on Leadership Through Learning.  Marilyn is a certified teacher, and she is qualified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, the Strategic Alignment Instrument, and the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument®. Marilyn is known for her ability to create learning environments that meet the needs of clients and participants. She is a dynamic facilitator who guides learners through experiences that transfer to the workplace.

Marilyn Herasymowych e-mail: marilynh@mhainstitute.ca

Christine Oliver (Barnes, United Kingdom)

Christine is an organizational consultant and psychotherapist in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors in the United Kingdom.  She is a leading international author and teacher in the field of systemic organizational learning.  Her most recent work has included developing critical appreciative inquiry approaches with religious communities and organizations.  She has a special interest in developing conscious purposeful communication in organizational life.  Christine has an MSc in Social Policy and Social Work, and a diploma in Systemic Psychotherapy.

Christine Oliver e-mail: oliver@madeleybarnes.u-net.com

Christine Oliver Website: www.christineoliver.net

Mike Pedler is a leading academic and consultant on management and leadership issues.  He works with people in organizations on learning and development processes and practices and is particularly known for his work with action learning, the learning organization and leadership development. 

His current research is centred on understanding how we can organize in order to be more innovative and with what systems and processes facilitate the transfer of knowledge to improve organisational performance and effectiveness.  His work is informed by the ideas and practices of Action Learning as a primary discipline. His latest book is A Managers Guide to Leadership (with John Burgoyne & Tom Boydell) McGraw-Hill 2004.

Dr Pedler is Visiting Professor in the Centre for Leadership Development at the University of York and a partner in the consultancy, Whole Systems Development.  He works with commercial, voluntary and public sector client organisations in the UK, Europe and the USA including NHS, BBC, Norwich Union, Cadbury Schweppes, Metso Paper, AstraZeneca, The Children’s Society,
C I Rathbone, Home Start and Local Authorities

Mike Pedler has written and co-authored a number of books and articles including:-

• A Managers Guide to Leadership McGraw-Hill 2004
• Leading Change : A Guide to Whole Systems Working Policy Press 2003
• A Manager’s Guide to Self-development  4th Ed. McGraw-Hill 2001
• Managing Yourself  Lemos & Crane 1999
• The Learning Company: A Strategy for Sustainable Development  2nd Ed. McGraw-Hill 1997
• Action Learning in Practice 3rd Ed Gower Press 1997
• Action Learning for Managers  Lemos & Crane 1996

He is Editor of Action Learning : Research & Practice – the first international journal for action learning from Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

Mike Pedler e-mail : mikepedler@tiscali.co.uk.