The St. Clements Group was founded in a basement bedroom in 1992. One day there were four of us stuffed in that little room and we realized the days of cheap rent were over. Since then, we have partnered with some truly amazing people to help organizations across Canada and overseas to develop innovative and cost-effective economic development strategies using local resources and local decision making. Together, the associates have worked with organizations ranging in size from garage start-ups to organizations with tens of thousands of employees.

Lisette Gelinas
Managing  Principal — Toronto
President of Impact & Main Inc. (The St. Clements Group’s successor company)

Lisette has worked with numerous public and private organizations to develop and implement marketing strategies and economic development projects.  Her goal is help reignite small and mid-size communities by creating solutions that maximize the economic prospects of communities and improve their chances to attract and create new businesses and jobs. Lisette has 25+ years experience leading the development of strategic plans and creating branding, marketing and communications programs for public and private organizations. Lisette is a recognized expert in B2B marketing, customer relationship marketing (CRM) and the creation of action-driven, measurable consumer experiences across digital, direct and mass channels.

Her experience includes planning and executing strategic plans and marketing programs across digital, social and traditional channels.  She is a seasoned expert in customer relationship marketing (CRM) and in creating action-driven, measurable customer experiences across digital, direct and mass channels. As an instructor for the Canadian Marketing Association, she also has extensive experience with developing and giving marketing training both remotely and in a classroom environment. Lisette is a former group account director with Wunderman Worldwide where she helped many large organizations with their marketing and communications including the Royal Canadian Mint, Kraft, IBM, Co-operators Insurance, Rogers, Smuckers, Microsoft, Colgate and Ford.

Glen Loo
Founder and retired Managing Principal — Toronto
Senior Adviser — Special Projects

Glen Loo is the firm’s founder and former Managing Principal. He has over 35 years experience in community building with extensive hands-on expertise in economic development, marketing and branding management, entrepreneurship, and cultural planning as an organizational executive and as an adviser. He has developed business and operating strategies for several hundred local and national organizations and growth programs for many products, services, and ideas. Glen is formerly the national vice president of marketing and networking at National Trust for Canada, the designer of the economic development components of the Main Street Canada revitalization program, a former CEO of the ELMS Learning Centers Ltd. (China/Canada), a partner in Adrenaline Productions Ltd., and a senior consultant with Ernst & Young’s culture and economic development practice. He managed profit centers at Heritage Canada and the University of British Columbia and the communications groups of Ombudsman Ontario and the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto.

Glen is past chair of the board of advisers of Steel Monkeys International (Canada/UK/Belarus), a past director of Open Arms to International Adoption, past trustee of the Toronto Historical Board, past chair of the Red Cross’ blood collection committee, and past member of the Circle of Advisers to the President of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. He has BComm and MBA degrees from the University of British Columbia.

Hannah Calinescu
Associate — Toronto

Hannah works closely with not-for-profit, quasi-government, and government agencies in strategic planning, marketing, branding, and tourism development. She is particularly skilful in working with organizations to identify their strengths and weaknesses and to create community dialogues. Hannah has a varied portfolio and has strong experience in product development for cultural, post-secondary institutions, and economic development agencies.

Valarie Fox
Senior Associate — Toronto

Val is a recognized national leader in the entrepreneurship and incubation. She co-founder of the DMZ at Ryerson University and has worked with organizations across Canada and internationally to develop their entrepreneurial ecosystem. She brings hands-on experience designing and operating incubators from small communities to very large international facilities and programs. Val’s insights on innovation, creativity and synergy allows to organizations to develop programs that match their particular environments.  Val is founder of The Pivital Point.

Jon Linton
Senior Associate — Toronto

A management consultant with over 30 years of experience in strategic marketing and planning, Jon has worked in over 600 communities in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean on a range of community and economic strategic planning. He has extensive experience in tourism; economic development; arts, culture, and heritage; downtown revitalization; and marketing policy and planning. Jon is formerly a partner and national director in Ernst & Young’s consulting practice. Jon is a director of TCI Management Consultants.

Greg Young
Senior Associate — Toronto

Greg’s expertise covers a range of fields including needs assessment, market research, audience development, feasibility, strategic planning, organizational development, fundraising, business planning, and social and economic impact assessment. He has worked with numerous municipalities, galleries, museums, and heritage organizations across Canada and the U.S. His clients have ranged from major cultural institutions such as the Art Gallery of Ontario, ROM, Fort York, and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery to many smaller non-profit museums and galleries. Greg is a director of TCI Management Consultants.

Advisory team

The St. Clements Group team includes industry experts who advise your project in specific specialty areas. These experts make sure that we have the most current knowledge and ensure that the programs we recommend to our clients are practical and can be implemented.

Neil Beaudry
Cultural attractions — Toronto

Neil has overseen diverse corporate, community and cultural programmes over his 25-year career. Neil understandings both the strategic and tactical aspects of marketing campaigns for a variety of different products, services, and ideas. He has experience as an executive in government, arts and cultural agencies, and as an advertising account director for several national accounts with international target audiences. Past projects involve media relations, group travel programs, special events, sponsorship, ethnocultural access, and corporate identity awareness.

Paula Fairweather
Museums and cultural attractions — Vancouver

Paula has a wealth of experience in national and international marketing and corporate sponsorship. Past projects include: conceiving and implementing programs for the Canada Pavilion at the 1992 Universal Exposition in Seville, Spain; The Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa; and the 1986 World Exposition in Vancouver. Paula has also created an international Spanish business magazine directed at the Mexican business community. She worked in international relations for the Cape Town, South Africa 2004 Olympic Bid team and developed the launch and marketing of the BMW IMAX Pavilion.

Doug Fisher
Senior Associate — Toronto

Doug Fisher is president of FHG International Inc., The St. Clements Group’s foodservice industry joint venture partner. Doug has extensive experience in strategic planning and business organizations with particular expertise in foodservice development. He has assisted organizations in conceptual planning, implementing internal control systems, putting in place operating strategies, marketing, and labour management. Doug is a professional member of Foodservice Consultants Society International, a former board member of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario (1993-1996), a member of the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Ontario, a member of the Canadian Franchise Association, and sits on the Hospitality Recreation & Tourism Post Graduation Program advisory committee at Humber College.

Ed Newhook
Land planning, culture and recreation — Toronto

Ed works in recreation, culture, tourism, and community/economic development for public, private sector, and not-for-profit organizations. His experience includes management and organizational reviews, service reviews, strategic and operational planning, change management, master planning, needs assessments and feasibility studies, policy development, program evaluations, and strategy studies. Ed is a former director of research and planning with the City of North York (Toronto) and a former senior consultant with Ernst & Young Management Consultants. Ed is president of Milestone Strategy.

Wes Wenhardt
Cultural attractions — Vancouver

Wes is an accomplished senior marketing and business operations executive with experience in both for profit and non-profit organizations, in both start-up and established environments. For over 30 years, Wes has managed the operations of international attractions and museums to increase visitations and revenues. This includes executive positions in Canada, the USA, and South Africa including most recently as the executive director of the Vancouver Marine Museum and before that, vice president of the Tech in San Jose. He is well grounded in planning and opening science centers, museums and cultural attractions around the world. Wes is highly regarded as a team leader and innovator with a proven ability to develop new business, motivate people and surpass revenue targets.