Meet the Team.

Michelle started Elevated HR back in 2010 with a complete disgust, for well, HR. And business. But that’s what propelled her in a relentless career to make work suck less. The truth is she knows work will suck at times – there is missed communication, dropped deadlines, projects that seem easy at times, but then take a wild turn. But that doesn’t mean that for the most part, systems and processes can make it easier.

As our Chief Visionary Officer and HR Partner, inside the business Michelle is responsible for leading us in product management, client experience, employee experience, marketing, finance and, well, pretty much everything. Externally, you’ll find Michelle networking, meeting with new clients, overall sales, designing project plans and then handing them over to our team for execution.

Michelle has taken the approach that she can’t advise companies on how to build strong cultures unless she’s doing it herself. As such, many of her stories and ideas have been generated from failed attempts and ultimate successes right here at Elevated, which she regularly uses as an incubator for new and novel ideas.

Michelle is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology and is a DISC Certified Facilitator. In addition, she is a Certified Professional in Human Resources (CPHR).

Jelena is the backbone of our brand – she helps us to stand out from the competition and design aesthetically pleasing presentations, policies and documents. In addition, she helps to build our message across all social platforms, manages our marketing initiatives (from the website to proposals to networking and events) and creates aesthetically pleasing assets.

As an experienced graphic designer, Jelena keeps brand principles top of mind and seeks to create wow moments in everything we do. As employee experience is very closely tied to what an employee sees and feels, Jelena builds creative that is unique to each and every organization we work with.

Joining us back in 2017, Jelena has continuously invested in her own career development, including certificates in Google Analytics, Adobe XD, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator and WordPress. In addition, she achieved her Certificate in Facebook and Instagram from the Digital Marketing Academy of Canada.

Renee is one of our talented HR Partners who joined us originally as a Document and Technology Specialist, located in Calgary. Fun Fact: We met Renee in 2014 when she was working with one of our clients at the time. When she moved on from that role, we stayed in touch. Fast forward four years later, we brought Renee on knowing how great she was at project management, systems and technology. However, bonus for us, is her passion for health and wellness.  Renee now leads are our internal wellness program and externally leads online meditation and stretching practices.

As an HR Partner, Renee is known for her friendly demeanour, her belief in that everyone has a voice, and a great task master. Her gift is in coaching and facilitation and is a Certified Life and Wellness Coach, helping leaders at all levels develop a strong ownership mindset.

In addition to coaching and partnership, Renee is also one of our Leadership Essentials facilitators. She is committed to helping build stronger leaders in organization’s to support our vision of work and life integrating seamlessly.

When we brought Michael on to the team at Elevated in 2020, we knew we were taking a chance. He didn’t have any recruitment or HR experience, but we believe we could capitalize on his transferable skills.  You see, Michael has the gift of the gab, has a natural ability to make those around him comfortable, and is excellent at reading people.

The idea of matchmaking candidates with our clients just seemed to make sense.

His passion lies in the candidate experience, and when he partners with you as a Talent Acquisition Partner, you will hear how much it impacts today’s hiring as well as tomorrow’s. If you are a candidate working with him, you know it’s his mission to ensure that you stay up to date on the process and he tries to endeavour to close the loop as quickly as possible. His goal – take just enough time to ensure you haven’t settled. He is patient and will persevere with you, as long as you go along the ride with him.

During his tenure at Elevated, Michael has completed the Twenty-First Century Leadership program as well as obtained his Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR) Accreditation, in which he learned to reduce recruitment costs and lower the risk of erroneous hiring decisions.

Korena LaFayette has over 15 years of experience in developing people and effective leadership. And Korena is a force to be reckoned with. She’s passionate about creating positive, thriving work environments where people can reach their full potential by identifying obstacles and strategizing ways to remove them.

Driven by her unwavering obsession for learning, Korena stays ahead of industry trends and has helped countless teams achieve peak performance through effective people engagement strategies. But her goal is much more than reaching peak performance – Korena believes in promoting employee well-being and driving continuous improvement in everything she does.

She holds multiple certifications in time management, change management, and health and wellness, all of which she applies to her work. Excellence is her standard and she never gives less than 100%.

Justine’s all about the details and driven to succeed. She loves crunching numbers, mastering data-entry, optimizing processes, and streamlining operations to keep everything running smoothly.

Beyond the spreadsheets, Justine loves indulging in fine dining experiences, spending quality time with her husband, and relaxing at home with a bowl of popcorn and a movie.

Justine values integrity and kindness and is grateful to be a part of the incredible team at Elevated.

Anette is a Calgary-based HR Professional with 15+ years of experience across various sectors, including tech and energy.

Anette brings a creative mindset to problem solving and people experiences, and enjoys nothing better than partnering with teams that are focused on creating the best possible work environment and experience for their teams.

Outside work, Anette’s personal passions include travel and getting out the amazing Rocky Mountains just outside our door.

Meet Leanne!

Leanne joined the team at Elevated in 2023, bringing with her a comprehensive background in HR. Her experience comes from various dynamic and fast-paced industries where she supported both employees and leadership. Her skills encompass a wide range of HR disciplines that span the full spectrum of the employee lifecycle.

Leanne offers a thoughtful and compassionate approach to HR. She truly believes people are the cornerstone of any business and is passionate about aligning business objectives with employee-wellbeing along with creating positive employee experiences.

As a Calgary local, Leanne enjoys the vibrant city, the fresh mountain air, and immersing herself in new experiences throughout the community. Her approach is characterized by her commitment to excellence and collaboration. She ensures that every client interaction is met with dedication and support, developing a lasting partnership, and achieving success.

Joining Team Elevated in 2024, Kyra brings her experience as an HR Professional as well as a passion for all things tech and data. She has a deep commitment to service and thrives in the small details, ensuring both organizational and individual needs are met with precision and care.

With a foundation built in the non-profit sector, Kyra knows the importance of stretching limited funds and resources in creative ways to support employees at all levels. Whether it’s through optimizing systems, refining processes, or enhancing data-driven decision making, Kyra’s goal is to foster environments that are equally as efficient as they are empowering.

Kyra holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology and a Certificate in People Analytics.

With over 20 years of experience in human resources, Zabin Jadavji is a seasoned People and Culture leader known for partnering with senior leadership teams to drive organizational growth and enhance performance, while creating an rewarding and impactful employee experience. 

Throughout her career, Zabin has worked across diverse industries including technology, telecommunications, and consulting, managing HR functions at both regional and international levels. Her extensive experience spans various scopes, from start-ups to large enterprises, showcasing her adaptability and expertise in different business environments.

Zabin’s achievements include spearheading HR strategies that significantly increased organizational revenue, recruiting large volumes of employees in competitive markets, and enhancing total rewards programs to elevate employee satisfaction while reducing costs.

Zabin is dedicated to fostering inclusive cultures and high-performing teams through innovative HR practices, making her a valuable asset to any organization seeking strategic growth and excellence in talent management.

She is a CHRP candidate and holds a Master of Science in Public Policy from the University of London, SOAS, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary. Additionally, she has earned certificates in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from ESSEC Business School and Inclusive Leadership from the University of Colorado.