Dr. Wendy Carroll is an award-winning educator and practice-oriented researcher, serving as Director of the Executive Doctorate of Business Administration (EDBA) Program and Associate Professor of Management at the Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University. Her research explores workforce strategies, employee silence, and emerging HR practices, supported by SSHRC and other national funding. Recognized with multiple student- and peer-driven teaching awards, she was also honored with the Dr. Geraldine Thomas Educational Leadership Award and named one of the Top 25 HR Professionals in Canada by Canadian HR Reporter.

Dr. Gilin's training is in Industrial/Organizational Psychology focused on what fosters productive/healthy versus unproductive/unhealthy conflict in the workplace. Her research focuses on organizational conflict, negotiation, and mediation, the implications of conflict for work stress and well-being, how personality and thinking styles influence conflict handling, inter- and intra- group conflict dynamics, and organizational change interventions.

Recent projects have examined the distinct operation of cognitive perspective-taking versus empathy in conflictual interactions, how to decrease incivility among workers in high-stress work environments (i.e., nursing) over the long-term, and how disrespectful work group norms can hasten the effects of work stressors on physical and mental employee strain. Debra has a strong interest in applying basic social psychological research to real organizational problems, and enjoy teaching, learning about, and using advanced statistical methodologies such as structural equations modeling and hierarchical linear modeling.

Basia Solarz MAdED, PCC brings over 25 years’ experience facilitating difficult conversations in educational, workplace, and community settings. She served as the Consultant for Communication & Conflict Competence for the award-winning conflict resolution program at Nova Scotia Health, offering conflict coaching, mediation, and educational services. A Certified Transformative Mediator and Fellow of the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation, Basia is particularly interested in the moral-ethical dimensions of conflict as well as the intersection of adult learning and the transformative approach to working with conflict. She founded the ISCT Virtual Institute and is the convener of the TCC Lab, an exploratory project where she and her ISCT colleagues have been developing a deeper understanding of what it means to apply transformative principles and premises to the practice of conflict coaching. Her publications have appeared in journals such as Conflict Resolution Quarterly and in books such as Transforming Conflict From the Inside Out. Basia is the founder and president of Braver Path Coaching, Consulting and Facilitation. 

Diane's professional journey started in the telecommunications sector, where she ascended from entry-level positions to manage transformative initiatives across Canada and the United States. A pivotal moment in her career occurred when she pursued her lifelong passion for education, achieving a BSc at Mount Saint Vincent University, followed by an MSc and PhD at Saint Mary’s University. After graduating in 2019, Diane resumed her consulting work by collaborating with both private and public organizations to advance workplace health.

Diane consults on a diverse range of activities, including training, personnel selection, leadership development, conflict management, and organizational design. Her specialization lies in guiding groups to effectively navigate and manage seemingly intractable conflicts. Diane brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her work, contributing to positive transformations within organizations and promoting a healthier and more productive workplace environment.

Brennan is a researcher, writer, and editor with a perspective on work conflict gleaned from a combination of academic training and invaluable experience at low levels of large institutions. Brennan obtained both a B.A. and a M.A. in history from Dalhousie University, studies that enhanced his skills in critical thinking, communication, cultural awareness, and empathy, and helped him develop a nuanced understanding of causality.

Brennan has edited everything from technical documents to works of fiction, and his academic writing has won several awards. He has read extensively on the subjects of conflict and leadership, and provides Healthier Organizations clients written summaries of many key books in this body of literature. He also has experience teaching at secondary and post-secondary institutions, and is skilled in sharing information and ideas with a broad audience. He is currently undergoing training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques, a method that can help people manage negative emotions and work experiences.