Virtual Team Builders-Meet Our Team

The Challenge of Building Virtual Teams - Trust And Isolation
This workshop has been developed to assist leaders/members of virtual teams, in understanding the key challenges of a remote work environment.
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Claire Sookman - President

As the driving force behind the training/consulting firm of Virtual Team Builders, Claire Sookman brings to the table over a decade's worth of corporate training experience, working with well over 2,000 Project Managers in the past three years alone. Specializing in virtual team building and communication strategies, Claire's company provides training, consulting, facilitation, and design using a unique, targeted approach that helps her clients increase the productivity and efficiency of project teams. Her personalized, focused seminars continue to garner numerous accolades, putting her services in high demand throughout North America.

In addition to acting as a consultant and trainer, Claire has participated in a range of public speaking conferences including: Project World, Human Resource Professional Association and McMaster's World Congress. In addition, Claire's articles have been published in CIO magazine, Computer World, Network World and in the Training Report.

Distinguished as Canada's pioneer in virtual team building, Claire's courses cover a range of topics for both in-class and Global Teams. These include Managing an Effective Virtual Team, Virtual Team Communication Training Virtual Team Operating Agreement, Delegation and Coaching. These courses teach global teams to work more effectively no matter what technology they choose to employ. Her polished communication and training skills were honed though both practical and educational channels including a Master Trainer Certification through Langevin learning Services. Claire's technical expertise in training is complimented by the Canadian Association for Professional Speakers and a long-standing association with Toastmasters International.

Actively involved in community and charitable organizations and events, Claire has donated her time to support activities on behalf of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Children's Wish Foundation. She also derives great personal satisfaction mentoring those seeking to enhance their communication abilities.

Lee Godfrey - Senior Technical Facilitator

Lee has over 20 years experience in traditional and new media management and has spent more than 10 years integrating online and offline business and marketing initiatives for a variety of clients, including CIGNA Life Insurance, Toshiba of Canada, London Life, Mazda Canada, The Canadian Professional Sales Association, Bell Canada, the Aruba Tourism Authority, MapleLeaf Sports, Ontario's Business Enterprise Centres and many small- to medium- size entrepreneurial companies. Lee was involved in the internet from its inception , creating eCommerce, customer service and promotional websites dating back to 1993. Her extensive background in web-based products and services includes work on a number of groundbreaking internet "firsts:"

Lee worked as one of a handful of 'human search engines' for a pilot project run by the University of Rhode Island, which became the basis for modern search engine technology
She was a key player in the development and delivery of iJobfair - the internet's first online, real-time interactive career fair
She managed a handpicked team throughout the creation and launch of the website for Canada's Equity card - a groundbreaking concept in the loyalty marketing niche
Lee acted as project manager and business analyst - from planning through to implementation - of an online university in Performance Management for Mazda Canada

Lee has broad experience showing companies how to integrate online efforts into the overall business mix - and is often called upon to provide keynote speeches or conference presentations to business, cultural and government-sector groups.

In addition to acting as a consultant and public speaker, Lee is a veteran eBusiness educator. She teaches - in the classroom, and via the web - for York University (Toronto), Carleton University (Ottawa), St. Mary's University (Halifax), the University of Toronto, and the University of Winnipeg.

Lee's courses cover a range of subjects, including internet business planning, online customer service, IT project management and web sales strategy. Students consistently rank her as "very enthusiastic," "completely engaging" and "an expert in her field."

Patricia Watson – Facilitator

Patricia Watson has over 22 years of experience working with government agencies, gas and oil, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, health care and the hospitality industries – locally, nationally and internationally. Her work entails designing and facilitating workshops with special emphasis on Change Management, Coaching and Mentoring, Cultural Diversity, Interpersonal Communication Skills, Customer Service, Leadership and Supervisory Training, Personal Mastery: Living your Life with Passion, Team Building and Group Dynamics, Visioning and Strategic Planning.

Her purpose is to enhance and nourish personal and group performance within organizations. She invests her knowledge, expertise and energy to meet the specific needs of her clients. Her success with customers hinges on her responsiveness to both the realities of their daily work environment and the challenges and opportunities presented by the industry. It is Pat’s belief that organizations need to be worked with as “full partners,” utilizing the entire breadth of experience and knowledge that exists among their employees.

Kassy LaBorie – Senior Facilitator and Producer

Kassy has over 10 years experience training, producing and designing for the online synchronous environment. She is often referred to as a "WebEx Goddess" and is technically versed in all of the online training and meeting platforms being used today.

Kassy presently works as a lead consultant at InSync Training, the recognized experts in live online learning. As an eLearning professional at InSync Training she actively facilitates and produces all of the Train-the-Trainer and Train-the-Designer programs currently being offered.

Kassy’s prior experience comes from working as a Senior Trainer at WebEx Communications where during the 5 years she was there she helped to build the WebEx University designing and delivering the classes and programs geared towards teaching clients how to succeed at communicating online with and through the use of WebEx technology.

Kassy consults from her office in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, home to more shades of the color green than one could imagine. There she is actively involved as an executive member of the Vancouver branch of CSTD, the Canadian Society for Training and Development. With a passion for effective and amazing online facilitation and a love of helping people discover new ways to succeed, she brings a wealth of knowledge and ambition to the world of online training.

And when asked what message she most wants to send to all synchronous trainers: "Please stop muting phone lines and reading slides. Let's create a Safe and Fun learning environment by allowing the group to do what a group does best…Collaborate."