Our Team

Who We Are

The team at Griffith Group Executive Search brings decades of experience. We offer full-service recruitment for organizations across Canada and beyond.

Our Team

(opens in a new tab)

Advisory Council

(opens in a new tab)

Our Team

Jane Griffith, ICD.D

Managing Partner and Founder

Jane Griffith is a nationally recognized leader in executive search, known for her deep expertise in senior-level recruitment across the academic, not-for-profit, and broader public sectors. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Griffith Group Executive Search, a retained executive search firm proudly 100% Canadian and women-owned, Jane brings over two decades of experience advising boards and executive teams on leadership recruitment, succession planning, and governance.

Throughout her career, Jane has led searches for C-suite and senior executive roles across the academic and public sector and with social impact organizations. She is widely regarded for her ability to identify and attract transformative leaders who reflect the communities they serve, and her approach is grounded in data informed decisions with a demonstrable commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and reconciliation.

Prior to founding Griffith Group, Jane held senior leadership roles at national and global executive search firms, where she built and scaled specialized practices focused on mission-driven organizations. She is a frequent speaker and thought leader on inclusive leadership, board renewal, and the evolving demands of executive talent in Canada.

Jane holds a Master of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from The University of Calgary, and she holds an ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors. She has served on multiple boards and advisory committees focused on advancing inclusive governance and leadership excellence.

Email:jane@griffithgroup.ca

Phone:416-508-5353

(opens in a new tab)

CAROLINE MCLEAN

Partner

As a Partner with Griffith Group, Caroline brings deep expertise in the executive search process, with experience supporting a breadth of clients across the non-profit, post-secondary education, and healthcare sectors.

Caroline brings nearly a decade of experience in executive search for academic, non-profit, and public institutions, advising on appointments for administrative leaders, senior-level executives, and subject matter experts across Canada, the UK and continental Europe. Caroline is a values-driven professional, with a demonstrated track record in championing principles of equity, diversity and inclusivity in the search process. She is passionate about mentorship, training, and continuous learning for herself and the teams she works with.

Caroline holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Sciences from the University of Oxford and a Masters in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto. She also completed the THRIVE 2024 Leadership Program through Pride at Work. Caroline is a Board Member for the Ralph Thornton Community Centre, and the Secretary of the Board for the Pride and Remembrance Run in Toronto.

Email:caroline@griffithgroup.ca

Phone:437-349-5408

(opens in a new tab)

Laura Machan

Partner

As a Partner with Griffith Group, Laura brings deep expertise in executive search, with extensive experience supporting clients across a variety of agencies, boards, commissions and not-for-profits. With more than 25 years in recruitment and human resource management, Laura advises on appointments for executive leaders and senior professionals, ensuring organizations find the right talent to drive growth, engagement, transformation and success.

Before joining Griffith Group, Laura was a long-tenured Partner with a national executive search firm. She is known for her ability to ask the right questions to uncover the heart of the successful candidate profile. She is passionate about advocacy, mentorship, and fostering inclusive hiring practices. Her commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is reflected in her leadership roles with Women in Nuclear and the Canadian Federation of University Women.

Laura began her career in human resources, earning a BA from the University of Toronto and certificates in Human Resources Management from the Rotman School of Business and Adult Education from the Centre for Skills Development. She is also an active community advocate, serving as Chair of the Board for Heartache2Hope, a local mental health service provider.

Email:laura@griffithgroup.ca

Phone:416-568-2170

(opens in a new tab)

CLAUDIA LANG-DION

Consultant

As a Consultant at Griffith Group, Claudia supports the executive search process with a focus on research, candidate development, and candidate engagement. She works closely with the firm’s Partners to identify and connect with prospective candidates while supporting the execution of searches from beginning to end.

Claudia brings a diverse professional background spanning social services, events, sales, and client-focused roles. Her experience has shaped a people-centered and relationship-focused approach to her work, along with strong skills in research, communication, organization, and project coordination. She enjoys building meaningful connections with people and contributing to thoughtful and inclusive executive search processes.

Claudia holds a Social Service Worker Diploma from George Brown College, where she was recognized for academic achievement as a three-time Dean’s List recipient.

Email:claudia@griffithgroup.ca

(opens in a new tab)

Daniel Atlin

Associate, Leadership Assessment & Coaching

As Griffith Group’s Associate of Leadership Assessment and Coaching, Daniel Atlin is certified as a Coach and Facilitator in the SPARK Resilience Program to assist individuals and teams navigate their complex and ever-changing environment. He is also certified in providing Hogan Personality Assessments and the XLead 360 Leadership Assessment.

Daniel is an authentic and values-based leader who develops, mentors, and unlocks the talent of individuals, teams and organizations. With over 25 years of experience as a strategic consultant and executive coach, Daniel is passionate about advancing the mission and vision of purpose-based organizations. By fostering an inclusive environment, he has successfully enhanced organizations’ reputations and impact and enabled their future success through the adoption of public affairs, fundraising, alumni, community & corporate partnerships, and major capital projects. Daniel has significant governance experience, having served as corporate and board secretary in addition to his executive role and led the development of good governance frameworks, board training, and strategic plans.

With his professional career in post-secondary, Daniel was Vice-President, External at the University of Guelph; Vice-President, Strategy & College Affairs at Seneca College; and Assistant Vice-President, Government, Community & Institutional Relations at the University of Toronto. He has a proven track record of finding solutions to complex problems and designing innovative plans and strategies. Prior to his post-secondary career Daniel served as Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Corporate Services at Credit Union Central of Ontario where he contributed to many provincial and national initiatives for credit unions and cooperatives.

Recently, Daniel was awarded an Executive Masters in Change Leadership (EMC), a joint program between Oxford Said School of Business and HEC Paris. The focus of his dissertation was exploring how senior leaders in universities navigate change and use sensemaking to keep going. The research was based on interviews with senior university leaders in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Daniel is the host of the podcastMessy with Daniel Atlin, Making Sense of Leadership. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Guelph’s, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics.

Email:daniel@griffithgroup.ca

(opens in a new tab)

Griffith Group Executive Search Advisory Council

KIM CARLIN

With over two decades of international consulting expertise, Kim has a proven track record for analyzing business problems, defining a vision for change and implementing sustainable solutions. She has worked in over 200 world-leading companies on five continents in industries including manufacturing, technology, retail, healthcare, hospitality, and financial services. Kim was the Managing Partner of a global consulting firm and then started her own business as the Co-Founder and President of an implementation-based healthcare consulting practice based in New York City. Kim has applied her extensive industry experience to supporting management students and corporate executive leaders to enhance their capabilities through teaching leadership development programs, results-based training and executive coaching. Today she is leading an enterprise transformation program for a leading Canadian bank. Kim’s success in coaching and consulting stems from her passion for building relationships and genuine desire to help developing leaders and executives gain the skills and tools to be more effective. She is a regular speaker at industry events in both Canada and the United States, and is an ongoing guest lecturer at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University (NYU) and the Rotman School of Management. Kim holds an undergraduate Degree in Sociology, a MBA in Strategy and a Ph.D. in Organization and Management. Her doctoral research focused on gender related leadership optimization with application towards improved organizational performance.

THOMPSON EGBO-EGBO

Thompson Egbo-Egbo, his name is as unique as his journey. Moving to Canada from Nigeria when he was 4 he started playing the piano at the age of 6. His aptitude and affection for the piano would come almost immediately and has stayed with him forever. Growing up in subsidized government development area of Toronto, Egbo-Egbo is awed by the fact a group of people thought enough of the residences to build a musical school so that the children of the neighborhood could enjoy the luxury of music lessons, and at a fee that was affordable to them. This inspiration has made him compassionate to the arts and its importance in the lives of children and society. It also led him to found the Thompson T. Egbo-Egbo Arts Foundation in hopes that children of all social and economic circumstances can experience the benefits of music. He has been called upon to play in the presence of many dignitaries, who include H.R.H Prince Charles, H.R.H. Prince Edward, and H.R.H. Prince Phillip. He has also performed for Quincy Jones. In 2007 the Canadian Songwriters hall of fame asked him to produce a medley tribute to their inductees, who included Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Oscar Peterson, Joni Mitchell and many others whom attended the event. Egbo-Egbo’s musical Journey has taken him from playing the tuba with the Hannaford Street Youth band across Canada to Performing on Stage at the Hackney Empire theatre in east end London with the Canadian production “Da Kink In My Hair”. To touring with Canadian R&B sensation Ayah and recording and performing with afro-punk artist Siadah Baba Talibah. After Egbo-Egbo’s secondary schooling he found himself studying Jazz Performance at Humber College in Toronto, all the while working as a musician throughout school. Upon graduating he continued to work as musician in Toronto and has recently enrolled to continue his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, which is where you will find him now. Thompson Egbo-Egbo created The Egbo Arts Foundation to show kids that they can achieve whatever their goals are.

SUNIL HIRJEE

In his current role at Beneva, Sunil is serving as the Vice-President, Group Sales and Partner Experience for the Ontario, Western, & Atlantic Canada and actively responsible for increasing the visibility and growth of the organization through the acquisition and retention of new and existing business partners.

Sunil has been in the financial services industry for 20 years, and as a group insurance expert, he brings a very strong understanding of the diverse needs of organizations’ in a wide variety of sectors.

Coming from a first generation immigrant family, Sunil grew up in Paris, Ontario. Growing up as a visible minority in southwestern Ontario and being a proud member of the 2SLGTBQIA+ community, Sunil has a passion for issues surrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity.

GEOFF ROBERTS

Geoff Roberts is an Executive Coach and Consultant for administrative leaders in the Canadian and international independent school domains with a specific focus on helping newly appointed Heads of School transition into their schools. Previously, Geoff Roberts was Headmaster of Crescent School in Toronto, Canada from 2000 to 2014. He has over 36 years of experience as a teacher and administrator in a leading independent school. Most recently, he was the Managing Director of Branksome Hall Asia in South Korea where he coordinated and supported the working relationship of the partners in the Global Education City project: the local South Korean government, Branksome Hall Asia, and Branksome Hall Canada. He served on the Board of the Conference of Independent Schools (CIS) as Chair, and served as one of two Canadian members on the International Boys’ School Coalition Board for three years. Currently, he is Board Chair of the Canadian Advisory Committee of Neuchatel Junior College in Switzerland. As an educational speaker, he has authored and delivered numerous speeches on such topics as "Total Admissions," "On Leadership", "Using Drama in the English Classroom", "The Good School", "The Importance of the Deputy Head", and "Effective Parent/Teacher Conversations." He has also spoken at a TEDx event on the importance of building and sustaining strong, healthy cultures in schools.

ALLISON SANDMEYER-GRAVES

Allison Sandmeyer-Graves is an accomplished non-profit leader with a career rooted in social impact. She is currently the CEO of Canadian Women & Sport—the leading voice and authority on women and sport in Canada. The organization works to create systemic change to expand equity and inclusion at all levels of sport. In her role, Allison works closely with researchers, government decision-makers, sport administrators, media and other leaders across the country to drive learning and action on intersectional gender equity in sport. Mobilizing large scale, lasting change has been the hallmark of Allison’s career to date. She is a frequent speaker and commentator on the work of creating systems change, has led numerous successful national and global partnership programs, and has played a key role in building innovative, high-performing teams and organizations. Allison has a degree in international relations from the University of Alberta and a graduate degree in international development studies from Dalhousie University. She currently resides in Calgary, close to her farm roots and at the ready for mountain adventures.

NEWSHA ZARGARAN

Newsha is a lawyer and practices in the areas of labour law, employment law and litigation, and professional regulation and discipline. This includes advocacy on behalf of unionized and non-unionized workers in all matters arising from their employment.

Newsha received her JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, where completed a placement within the Workers' Rights division at Parkdale Community Legal Services and held research assistant positions in the areas of labour and employment law, human rights, and Indigenous legal orders and governance. Newsha was also selected to conduct research and writing for the 1st Supplement to the Guide for Lawyers Working with Indigenous Peoples for the Law Society of Ontario in 2022.

Prior to pursuing her legal education, Newsha earned a Bachelor of Commerce in 2015 from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and worked in the executive search industry for five years. These experiences afford Newsha a strong understanding of employment relationships and the labour market, and she regularly draws on this knowledge in her advocacy for working people.

Newsha is committed to social advocacy through a decolonial and feminist praxis. Newsha currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Parkdale Community Legal Clinic. Newsha has been a Planning Committee Co-Chair for Homeless Connect Toronto since 2020, a volunteer-run charity which supports people across the GTA in ending homelessness in their lives. She is also a member of the Governance Committee of the Sherbourne Health Board of Directors, a Toronto-based provider of integrated health services, particularly for those who are newcomers, unhoused, and 2SLGBTQ.

JACQUELINE FOLEY

Jacqueline Foley is an Executive Brand Coach on a mission to empower female executives and high achievers to take charge of their careers. She offers private and group coaching programs to help women breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition, as well as customized corporate programs to support the retention and advancement of valued female talent. Drawing on 25+ years as a senior marketing leader and brand specialist for top Canadian companies, including Home Depot, Netsuite and Manulife Financial, Jacqueline has advised dozens of executives and business leaders on how to increase their credibility, visibility and influence. This includes a decade as a C-level leader at global executive search firm, Odgers Berndtson, where she played an integral role in repositioning the business and increasing brand awareness and market share – with revenues tripling in six years. During that time, she developed a deep understanding of executive recruitment and selection, career transition, and leadership assessment and development. Jacqueline is an experienced facilitator and presenter, as well as a trained Coactive coach. Throughout her career, she led many successful corporate events for business leaders across North America and Europe, including a number of leadership programs in partnership with McKinsey, HBR Analytics, The Institute for Corporate Directors, Rotman School of Management, Women Get On Board and The Globe & Mail. As a corporate leader, entrepreneur, mentor and coach, Jacqueline has helped hundreds of women redefine and achieve success on their own terms.