Meet Our Team // Who We Are

Watch John talk about why he started JMReid Group

John is unique in the training development space, having spent the majority of his career within industry. John worked for both global (Dow Chemical, Elf Atochem) and smaller (LCP Chemicals) firms. John’s experience within the industry includes:

• Profit and loss accountability
• Product rationalization and customer segmentation
• Supply chain management
• Negotiation of key power contracts
• Creation of business strategy
• Large account management
• Strategy Creation and Implementation

Within the learning and development industry he has built a reputation for providing client focused solutions, achieving recognition and awards for his sales performance. He has engaged in providing an outsource solution for an existing training department; creating and implementing a learning strategy for a major pharmaceutical company, as well as designing and delivering a value selling program for a global industrial sales organization.

John was most recently the Vice President of Sales of a global training and development organization. He has effectively worked across industries. Key client engagements that John has led include EY, DSM, SCA North America, Ryerson and HealthStream.

 Alex is a creative analytic with experience ranging from writing for architectural magazines to conducting ethnographic research for business solutions. At JMReid Group, she project manages and provides writing and editing help. She finds satisfaction in simplifying the complex and communicating new ideas. Her experience includes, 

• Organizing and managing data
• Solving problems to manage work flow
• Writing client facing copy and deliverables

Alex graduated Summa Cum Laude from DePaul University in 2016. At DePaul, she won an award for excellence in English as well as collaborated with her professors on multiple book writing projects.  Since her graduation, she has worn many hats including but not limited to Assistant Editor for a architectural industry magazine, social media manager for a subdivision of Cox Media Group, event coordinator for a non-profit, and a research associate for a ethnographic research firm. Her mixed bag of talents allows her to move through multiple types of industries and has given her the confidence to handle whatever is thrown at her. Alex is most excited to learn all she can from JMReid Group while contributing meaningful insights, problem solving, organizing, and having fun.

Kate Reid brings over seven years of experience in the talent acquisition and client management space to the JMReid Group team. While leveraging industry experience in business development, client relations and strategic planning, she brings the ability to cultivate relationships resulting in client-focused solutions. With a strong belief in ‘listening to understand’, Kate works closely with clients to investigate key challenges and develop and deliver custom solutions resulting in positive business impact. 

Kate resides in Washington, D.C. and received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park. 

As a facilitator Corena focuses on creating awareness, challenge and support through experiential learning among peers. As an executive coach, she tailors tools to individual strengths and needs. Corena works in an array of industries including financial services, professional services and entertainment. Her clients include some of Fortune Magazine’s 100 most admired companies, who are committed to creating innovative opportunities to help their employees thrive.

In her previous career as an actor, Corena’s job was to use the study of human behavior, communication and emotional intelligence to walk in other people’s shoes and make sure their views were convincingly conveyed to audiences. As a facilitator and coach her job is to make sure your views are convincingly conveyed to the audience of stakeholders, clients and colleagues that you need to influence and motivate on a daily basis.

This work includes:

• Executive presence and influencing others
• Public speaking
• Managing difficult conversations
• Developing effective ways to deliver feedback
• Recognizing and becoming deliberate about the behaviors that define you as a leader
• Relationship building
• Alignment with your company culture and managing your brand
• Time and energy management

Corena earned her coaching certification through The Columbia Executive Coaching Program and is certified by the International Coaching Federation. She has an MFA from Yale University, a BA in theater from Connecticut College and has done extensive coursework in psychology.

Steve creates an engaging and relevant learning environment for clients through his unique blend of energy, insight, conviction and levity.

Sales Performance and Coaching

Clients include: Comcast, Gates Corporation, IBM, Verizon Wireless, Schlumberger, Shell, Corning Cable Services, Ryerson, Apple.

At Apple Retail Stores, Steve facilitated sessions across the country, working with senior management, store management and staff at over 30 stores to reach record-setting revenue and profitability numbers.

Cross-functional Communication and Change Management

Clients include: Union Pacific Railroad, SPX/Marley, Levi Strauss, Emerson, Rogers Communication, Texas Instruments.

At Texas Instruments Steve facilitated sessions fostering the skill growth necessary to manage cross functional and cross-cultural communication. TI experienced a double-digit increase in Customer Satisfaction over prior years’ results.

Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. As a National Account Manager with Union Pacific Railroad, he had direct sales management and growth responsibility for an account that exceeded $100 million dollars in annual revenue. Certifications include Huthwaite-SPIN Selling, Achieve Global-Professional Selling Skills, VantagePointPerformance – Cracking the Sales Management Code and the entire Acclivus R3 curriculum.

In her 20 plus years working with Fortune 500 clients, Sharie       has experienced first-hand that powerful learning yields     powerful business results. This fundamental truth has been the driving force of her work to date.

Throughout her career, Sharie has helped her clients achieve enhanced organizational performance by developing the leadership and behavioral talents of their most valuable assets – their people.

Sharie’s personal aim is to create relevance and resonance for her clients. She believes that there is nothing more powerful than when working professionals have those “ah-ha” moments of discovery that lead them to better work experiences and improved personal performance.

Her facilitation style can be described as a fine blend of vitality and business savvy, and here’s what some of her clients have said about her: “Her energy was contagious. I really enjoyed working with her”; “Extremely concise and well-spoken. She is one of the best communicators/instructors I have ever had through all 24 years of my educational experiences.”; “She is passionate about the learning event, and it is encouraging to see her just standing there. We all feel the energy”; “Sharie is extremely knowledgeable. [Our organization] can really benefit more from bringing her to the company. She is bright, personable, relatable and great!!”

Sharie has a master’s degree in Speech Communication, and as a facilitator and business consultant, she has worked with a variety of clients, from supervisor to C-suite, in a wide range of industries. Her areas of expertise include Behavioral Neuroscience & Neuroplasticity; Social & Emotional Intelligence/EQ; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion; Transformational Leadership; Building Business Relationships; Communicating & Presenting Effectively; High Performance Teaming; Better Business Writing; Managing Change Effectively; Strategic Planning; and Performance Improvement. She is certified in SOCIAL STYLES, Lean Six Sigma, Managing Personal Growth, and Myers-Briggs (MBTI).

Outside of work, Sharie’s “joie de vivre” is her joy of “all things active”. She is a former competitive ice-skater and a former NCAA Division I school record holder for the triple jump. Since her days of intense competition are behind her, she enjoys recreational activities such as salsa dancing, hiking, and biking. In addition to being physically active, Sharie is active in her community seeking to maintain and protect its ecological and natural resources.

Expertise list:

• Behavioral Neuroscience & Neuroplasticity;
• Social & Emotional Intelligence/EQ;
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion;
• Transformational Leadership;
• Building Business Relationships;
• Communicating & Presenting Effectively;
• High Performance Teaming;
• Better Business Writing;
• Managing Change Effectively;
• Strategic Planning;
• Performance Improvement

Mike has 25 years of executive experience in retail and packaged goods industries in North America and Europe, including as President of Operations for Sobeys in Atlantic Canada – leading the turnaround of a $2.6 billion retail and wholesale division of Empire Incorporated – and prior to that as President and CEO of Alfresh Beverages, merging two privately held family firms into a fully integrated organization. Mike also spent 13 years with The Coca-Cola Company in Europe and Canada; as Group Brand Manager in Great Britain responsible for the national introduction of Sprite, Senior Vice-President of Sales in the Canadian bottling system leading a transformation in customer relationship management and ultimately as a member of the Operating Board for The Coca-Cola Greater Europe Group, responsible for channel business development.

Having successfully led high-performance teams in diverse business environments and geographies, Mike has facilitated and consulted extensively across North America and Europe with senior managers and leaders in various industries. Mike focuses on leadership in times of rapid organizational change, and his strengths as a facilitator lie in a highly energizing and engaging approach directly relatable to the participants’ environment.

Mike is an honors graduate in Business Organization and Marketing from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and is based in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Olivia’s unique background in human resources management, communications and acting give her the expertise needed to design high energy, interactive workshops on such topics as Coaching and Team Building, Communicating with Confidence and Conflict Resolution.

Olivia has helped clients navigate career bumps and experience turnaround moments at work. She has a huge heart, a winning smile and an enormous desire to help each person reach their potential.

Her schooling, which continues, includes:

• BA, Saint Mary’s College
• British American Drama Academy at Oxford University – Summer Fellowship
• BA, Governors State University
• MHS, Governors State University – expected graduation date, 2016

In the 14 years working as a business educator, facilitator and presenter, Oliver’s diverse business experience has enabled him to work effectively within a wide range of industries and sectors. His clients have included start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

Oliver’s extensive sales and marketing experience included a 14 year career in the brewing industry where he helped lead the creation and development of the premium craft beer category in Canada’s most competitive beer market. Effective negotiation and solution selling skills were honed in the food service, hospitality and retail sectors and were factors critical to his success.

In addition to his business experience, Oliver continues to enjoy a parallel career in the performing arts. A professional opera singer and actor, Oliver brings to the classroom an energy and dynamism that effectively engages participants to think, discover and learn. Also, leveraging his university education in political theory, history and languages, Oliver applies classical methods to provoke thought, challenge assumptions and deepen context and understanding.

Oliver’s expertise includes leadership development, communication, sales training, presentation skills development, coaching and emotional intelligence training. Oliver is also a multi-lingual facilitator. His first language is German and he can also function in French and Italian. This has expanded his training ground to include much of Europe and other parts of the world.

Curious and passionate about human behavior and performance, Jorge has designed and facilitated numerous training projects involving participants at all levels, from senior global leaders to frontline supervisors.

His philosophy is that “one cannot think his way into change,” but rather, one has to “act his way into it.” His workshops are known for their engaging energy, kinesthetic discovery and being learner-centered within the context of the clients’ organizational vision and objectives.

His recent clients include, Bridgestone, ExxonMobil, QBE, Sherwin Williams, Geodis, Interamerican Development Bank (IADB), Imerys and Roche.

Early in his career, Jorge conducted research on animal behavior for the University of Buenos Aires and was the co-founder of the Elpis Foundation, a group of professionals focused on educational transformation and social and ecological projects in Argentina.

Later, Jorge served as Executive Director of the Búzios Atlantic Forest Ecological Institute in the state of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, as a Manager of School Programs for the Conflict Center in Denver, CO, USA and as a faculty member in the University of Colorado’s Chancellor’s Leadership Studies Program (CLSP) teaching Foundations of Leadership for the 21st Century.

One significant example of Jorge’s effectiveness is the work he did as the architect and facilitator of a series of leadership and communication trainings for frontline managers at Lojas Renner-Brazil. Yearly, these workshops impacted more than 3,000 employees nationwide and not only reduced turnover, but also increased internal and external client satisfaction.

Jorge is a certified virtual instructor, mediator and MBTI practitioner, he also holds a Master’s degree in Biology from the University of Buenos Aires

His education, training and extensive experience equip him with unique insights into a wide range of industries and educational settings in the US as well as the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world. After living in Brazil for seven years and the US for nine, Jorge returned to Buenos Aires in 2011, where he was born and raised.

Ashleigh Miller brings over 22 years of experience working in professional services organizations serving large multinational companies. She has spent time coaching teams around account management, growth strategies and sales and negotiation methodologies.

As a business leader she empowers others by motivating individuals to realize their unique strengths as a catalyst to personal success, enhanced team dynamics and organizational excellence.  With a passion for the human element within the business environment, Ashleigh facilitates workshops on the art of emotional intelligence in the market and workplace. She is a certified TRACOM SOCIAL STYLES facilitator and develops and delivers customized programs for small and enterprise companies. 

Additionally, Ashleigh is experienced at creating and convening networks of C-suite and executives from Fortune 100 companies for purposes of learning, sharing ideas and cultivating strong business connections. She specializes in building innovative programs to network peers facing similar challenges.

• Strategic relationship building and training
• Team development and leadership coaching
• Emotional intelligence (EQ) training    
• Business development
• Network creation
• Executive presence
• Program development
• Account planning and strategy

Jeffry T. Burr is a Senior Facilitator at JMReid Group, a leading performance improvement and development organization. With over 30 years experience in the learning and development arena, Jeffry’s core expertise is in sales, sales management and sales enablement working with leading global organizations.

Jeffry has worked with Fortune 1000 companies, world-wide, across a variety of industries, from the C-Suite to the sales professional. Areas of expertise include sales process and strategy, sales skill development, management and coaching, leadership, and customer service development. He has successfully conducted workshops with cultural sensitivity and effectiveness on all seven continents.

“My role as learning facilitator is not to entertain but to skillfully guide the group and each individual participant through a rich learning methodology that enables awareness, discovery, and practice of relevant skills and content that will enhance the organizations and the individuals performance success.”

In addition to expert workshop facilitation, Jeffry’s background spans instructional design, workshop customization, process mapping and strategy development, international facilitator development and training implementation effectiveness.

Jeffry has earned a BA in Education/Human Development and an MA in Counseling Psychology/Organizational Development, both from Boston College, in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Before becoming a trainer and coach 22 years ago, Maureen worked as a salesperson and account manager in two multinational companies: A.C. Nielsen and American Express respectively. She therefore brings a tangible sales experience to her trainings, as well as the know-how that comes from having worked within large organizations with a focus on brand image and service excellence. In combining her sales and training expertise, Maureen focuses on linking learning objectives with business goals.

Clients she has worked with include: Accenture, Achieve Breakthrough, American Express, Amgen Biotech Co, Apple, Avaya, Arcadis, Balloon, Banca Mediolanum, Bausch & Lomb, Belmond Hotels, Boehringer Inghelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Carlson Wagon-Lit Travel, Cisco, Coca-Cola, Covidien, Deutsche Bank, DuPont-Lycra Div., Elanco (Lilly), Eurasia, ExxonMobil, Farnell, Ferragamo, Flextronics, Hp & HpE, Hilti, IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) Intel, Loro Piana, McAfee, Masterfoods, Merck, Microsoft, Nielsen, Nike, Pentair, Quest, Quintiles,  RCCL (Royal Caribbean Cruises), Roche, Rubicon, Skype, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Skype, St. Jude Medical, Swarovski, Symantec, Talend, Tiscali Digital Advertising, ViiV (Pfizer), Western Union.

Maureen’s main competency areas are:

Leadership – developing high performing individuals, facilitating leadership within conflict, fostering motivation and change management, creating awareness for women in business.

Sales training and communication – helping salespeople share subject matter expertise with higher level players (clients and/or internal management) to influence high level decisions so that the best outcome is generated.

Coaching – supporting learning and change for executives and managers.

Maureen’s professional qualifications also include Psychological and Counseling Studies. She is a certified trainer by the Italian Association of Trainers (A.I.F.). She is a native English and Italian speaker and is fluent in conversational French.

In her spare time Maureen enjoys being immersed in the countryside where she lives north of Rome, close to the regions of Umbria and Tuscany. She is involved in community work in her town both with the Musical Association and helping young people to be ready for work interviews and opportunities.

Ryan is passionate about growing companies and their most important asset – their people.

Ryan has led multi-year performance development engagements with Shell Energy, American Airlines, Emerson Process Management, SPX, Corning and National Instruments. He is frequently described by executive leadership as a change agent both through enhancing strategic direction and a commanding presence as a facilitator with demanding audiences in complex environments.

Ryan received his MBA from SMU’s Cox School of Business where he graduated as Salutatorian with Beta Gamma Sigma Honors. He received his bachelor of science from Indiana’s Kelley School of Business where he played men’s tennis and was recognized as an Academic All-American.

Ryan serves on the Board for the Dallas Light House for the Blind – a non-profit that employs 250 individuals affected by blindness and has been serving the Dallas community for 80 years.

As a leader Walter experienced and managed within three different business models of the health care industry:

• Diagnostics with Bayer and Abbott Laboratories (Austria and USA)
• Pharmaceuticals with Abbott Laboratories (Czech and Slovak Republic)
• Medical Devices with Guidant (Central & Eastern Europe and Germany)

Within the training and development industry his main topics are leadership (specifically the development and support of new leaders), sales and sales Management, use of tablet-computers in sales calls and sales management, customer service, product launches, creating and developing key opinion leader networks, team development and coaching. The immediate feedback is “… someone who walked in our shoes, understands our situation and actually experienced himself what he is talking about …”

Walter holds a master’s degree from the University of Vienna in management and IT and started in the financial sector before moving into the health care industry. Today he lives partly in Germany and in Austria and when time allows is passionate about teaching and coaching soft skills for medical doctors in hospitals.