Director
Ellen Waxman is an expert strategic management consultant specializing in the public and not-for-profit sectors. Possessing a unique combination of over two decades of public sector senior management with strategic consulting experience, Ellen works with organizations to meet and surpass their objectives. Ellen knows that strategy is all about making the best possible choices for the future and partners with organizations to discover those choices and to improve outcomes for their teams. A creative problem solver, Ellen takes a collaborative approach with her clients in tackling challenging issues.
Ellen has first hand knowledge in building organizations from the ground up, and in developing and assessing organizational structures. She develops strategic and operational plans in keeping with an organization’s mandate, core values and corporate business practices. She is a recognized expert in developing strategy, moving it to implementation and delivering on results.
Ellen has extensive experience working with stakeholders and facilitating inclusive meetings where everyone has the ability to access and digest information, to be heard and to participate. With almost three decades of experience leading public consultations and group facilitations, Ellen is an expert in bringing people together to find common ground.
Ellen is a collaborative and experienced strategic planner, coach, and mentor who partners with clients to achieve, and most often surpass, goals. Ellen provides customized consulting designed to support these leaders to operate strategically, authentically, and in a manner that achieves results. Ellen has consulted with leaders in government, the broader public sector and community agencies to meet organizational and personal goals.
Ellen’s public sector career largely focused on disability-related policy and programs. Ellen led the establishment of Special Needs Offices for students with disabilities across the Ontario post-secondary sector. She has been the Director of the Ontario Disability Support Program and the Director of the Ontario Government’s Developmental Services Branch, developing programs and services for people with intellectual disabilities. As well, Ellen is Ontario’s leading expert on accessibility and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). From 2007 – 2013, Ellen was the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario. She led the development of the 5 AODA standards, the establishment of the compliance system, and oversaw a multi-million dollar grants program aimed at promoting inclusion for people with disabilities.
In her addition to her consulting practice, Ellen is an experienced leadership and executive coach. Her clients include management staff and executives from the Ontario Public Service, the Yukon Public Service, the City of Toronto and community-based agencies.
Ellen is an Associated Certified Coach (ACC) of the International Coaching Federation. She holds a Master’s of Education from the University of Toronto, and completed in the Queen’s University School of Business Executive Development Program.
Ellen has been a member of the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board of Directors since 2013 and is a founding Director of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada.
