Lesley J. Boucher · Managing Partner
Lesley Boucher has over 25 years of business experience helping governments, non-profits, international organizations, and private sector companies meet their goals. She learned early in her career that regardless of how senior you become in an organization, one element of your job will remain the same – effectively mobilizing people to get the work done, and get it done well. Lesley loves working with leaders in organizations to do just that. During one particularly interesting incarnation, Lesley led a group of policy advisors in the Government of Canada’s Privy Council Office who were responsible for briefing the Prime Minister on a weekly basis for his Cabinet meetings, and developing the strategic advice necessary to ensure the government was executing on its commitments. It was there that she learned the critical importance of ensuring that the organizational vision is clear, strong and well understood and that everyone in the organization understands and is delivering what they need to do to ensure success.
Lesley is an economist by training, a certified facilitator and quality process advisor, but it is what she has learned from previous senior management positions and her consulting clients that serve as the foundation for her work today. Lesley enjoys working with community and volunteer organizations, where she currently serves as Chairperson of the Cultural Arts Committee for Wood Acres PTA, Diva Development Chair and Board member for Success in the City, and Strategic Alliance Chairperson for NAWBO – Greater DC Board of Directors. Lesley is active on the public speaking circuit, where she and Renee have great fun delivering interactive seminars and workshops on topics such as “The Value of Vision”, “How to Outperform the Competition”, and “Ask Don’t Sell – the Power of Relationship Selling.” But certainly not least, Lesley is most happy when hanging out with her husband, children and any friends who happen to drop by their home in Bethesda, Maryland. Travel, visiting the family cottage in Quebec and continuing the summer tradition of waterskiing and entertaining friends is her definition of fun.
Lesley has held a variety of positions in the government, non-profit and private sector both in Canada and the United States.
Here is a list of key roles she has held during the last 25 years of her career:
- Pensare Group, Founder, Managing Director. Business advisory services.
- Galt Associates, COO. Technology, data and services for drug safety research. Sold to Cerner.
- Institute on Governance, Ottawa. Lead instructor and course designer, training teams of government employees in effective communication, strategic planning and policy development
- Privy Council Office, Government of Canada. Director of Operations and senior advisor to Prime Minister on Cabinet, policy agenda, and key strategic initiatives
- World Bank Board of Directors, D.C. Senior advisor to Canadian Executive Director overseeing overall financial and business strategy and allocation of $20B in annual lending to developing countries worldwide
- Department of Finance, Government of Canada. Departmental Secretary. Responsible for high quality policy advice to Minister of Finance on issues ranging from tax policy to international finance.
Lesley’s current professional and community affiliations reflect her ongoing interest in helping organizations achieve terrific results through team effort, and to have fun doing it.
- Success in the City – Co-Chair of the Diva Development Committee and Chair Elect for the Board of Directors. A unique women’s leadership networking organization committed to the success and support of women leaders throughout our community
- National Women Business Owners (NAWBO) – DC Chapter. Strategic Alliances Co-Chair, Board of Directors. Helping women business owners find the resources they need to grow and expand.
- Wood Acres Elementary School PTA. Chair, Cultural Arts Committee.
Her educational background and certifications include:
- BA from Queens University, Ontario
- MA (Economics) from University of British Columbia
- Certified Facilitator - Achievement Seminars International (ASI)
- Certified Quality Process Advisor - Total Quality Institute (TQI)
Some other interesting aspects about Lesley include:
- She is a frequent speaker on topics such as Mastering Relationship Selling, How to Outperform the Competition, Developing Action Strategies that Work, Leveraging Your “Other” Sales Force – The Customer.
- She organizes terrific retreats for the teams she works with, which have been known to include waterskiing lessons in between bursts of productive activity while at the lake!
- At one point in her life, Lesley earned a living developing highly complex economic statistical models that forecast Canada/US exchange rate movements, as well as models that simulated air traffic demand. This was an interesting, but short lived career.
- She has two wonderful children and a husband who keep her balanced and remind her to turn off her computer on occasion!