Team Connects Us
It takes a village to do what we do. Writers, instructional designers, attorneys, HR consultants, web developers, and customer support staff.
Meet the ConnectsUs core team. And find out how we support families, kids, and environmental sustainability.
Ariane Laird
CEO & Founder
Job titles: Founder, Leader, CEO, CFO, Driver, Mascot. But what I really am is CIO—Chief Improvement Officer. I’m always asking “How can we do this, that—anything and everything—even better?” Then we execute. The Japanese call it Kaizen. The team calls it 'Shiny-Object-Syndrome', or 'What-now?'. I call it the key to better products. More
Professional Side | Informal Side
Ruth McGillvray
VP Products
I listen, watch and learn. I take it all in and then design systems, products and solutions. I connect interlocking pieces. I share the vision, lead the build, test the outcome. I write & edit/edit/edit/edit/edit/edit.
Professional Side | Informal Side
Gregg Coppen
Web Producer
Product Strategist and Architect. That's me. I develop and build core product functionality and features. I'm the idea guy. I'm always asking "Have you heard about this new gizmo?" I define and implement design and visual direction. Oh, and I'm a kick-ass technical project manager.
Professional Side | Informal Side
Bradley Higham
Marketing
I do marketing planning, strategy and execution. I'm also a man of very few words.
Professional Side | Informal Side
Crysta Liew
Director, HR Programs
I love anything HR. The legislation, the best practices, reading and learning about best practices. Which makes me the perfect person for what I do which is essentially creating, improving and updating our products and liaising with legal partners and customers.
Professional Side | Informal Side
Jo Payne
Product Manager
I'm all about product: creating and improving documents and the resource center content and flow. Which is a fancy way of saying that I do A LOT of writing! I work on graphics, video tutorials, web copy, website administration. I'm also the language/styles and formatting police.
Professional Side | Informal Side
Andrea Levin
Product Manager
Short and sweet: I manage the technical website development crew. I debate with Ariane about font size. I'm the system architect and most days, the Head of the Complaints Department
Professional Side | Informal Side
Sarah Visca
Operations Manager
My favourite phrase is “Show, don’t tell”. Talk is cheap, so let’s get it done! I'm all about efficiency, structure, and clarity and I use these traits (some may call them quirks) to provide stellar customer, product, and marketing support.
Professional Side | Informal Side
Sue Robinson
Customer Relations Manager
I'm known as the Hub of ConnectsUs. If you want to know what's going on, I'm your go-to. I provide customer support, website maintenance support, admin and operations support. Everyone knows that I'm the brains behind this joint and that ConnectsUs wouldn't survive without me. :)
Professional Side | Informal Side
Peter Fisera (Fish)
Developer
I'm the main crew guy that Andrea manages. And I've been with ConnectsUs since 2006. Lots of fun - and lots of changes. I'm the guy who tracks down bugs and glitches (not that they happen often!) Oh, and since we all work virtually, no one knows what I look like!
Professional Side | Informal Side