Hi, I’m Marnie
My passion is helping people create what’s next — ideally in community, and always with a lot of heart. Sometimes that means a company breaking into a new market. Sometimes it’s a person moving through a season of change to step into a new chapter. What ties it together is the work of creating space for ideas and energy to emerge, and providing the insights, practices, and tools that help bring them to life.
My Professional Story
For more than two decades, I’ve been drawn to challenges that others might avoid — the moments when things are moving fast, stakes are high, and the path forward isn’t obvious. Early in my career, I led one of Canada’s first public–private transformation projects, modernizing border operations between Canada and the US.
After 15 years with the federal government, I made the leap to the private sector. I wanted to build faster, take bigger risks, and work at the front edge of change. That decision took me into the cannabis industry at the moment of legalization, where speed, innovation, and complexity collided. At Canopy Growth, I planned and led the launch of a $300M+ product portfolio, guiding cross-functional teams to deliver at a pace few thought possible. Along the way I built project management offices, streamlined operations across global teams, and learned how to balance urgency with structure, and ambition with execution.
I know what it feels like to step out of one world and into another. Many of the people I work with are navigating transitions of their own — whether that’s a new role, a new market, or a new chapter of life.
My Personal Story
Beyond professional transitions, I’ve also faced deeply personal ones. The past 10 years have presented many major life changes - divorce, selling and moving houses, navigating co-parenting, dating, and the experience of rebuilding a life. A life-changing experience of burnout and identity crisis, as well as trauma and years of chronic stress during a child’s mental health crisis, have led me to a different perspective of life and leadership. I recognize the personal cost of constant drive and the importance of having tools to restore and rebuild.
Breathwork became that tool for me. It began as a way to literally catch my breath again, and grew into a practice of reconnecting with my body and spirit, creating more space to live and lead differently.
Bringing It Together
My experiences have led to me a more integrated, authentic version of myself. Today my work bridges these two worlds. With organizations, I provide fractional executive leadership and program strategy. With individuals, I guide breathwork sessions that open new ways of working with stress, energy, and possibility. In both, my focus is the same: holding space and providing resources for growth, change, and fulfillment of dreams.
I live, work and play in Ottawa, Ontario, and enjoy music, food, exercise, being outdoors, and spending time with my growing teenagers.