The Vertical Bridge Team
Our award winning HR consultants, recruiters and facilitators are leaders in their respective fields and offer a diverse range of professional experience and expertise in a variety of industries and disciplines. We specialize in HR solutions, leadership training, recruiting and workshops. The VB Team is dedicated to working closely with our clients to reach their goals by designing and implementing innovative HR solutions that will have maximum impact on their business results.
Our core values – empowering people, respectful communication, igniting creativity and integrity – influence all that we do.
Sandra Reder, CPC
President and Founder
For over 20 years, Sandra has been a driving force within the human resource community. Her understanding of current HR best practices and trends is extensive, and her desire to ensure that Vertical Bridge HR is providing innovative programs and services to their clients is what drives her and the business forward. She has worked within a wide range of industries including health care, private sector, not-for-profit and public sector.
Over the years she has been privy to information that few employers ever hear directly from their employees. She became aware that many employers do not realize how they are perceived by their employees. That awareness produced Sandra’s strong interest in assisting employers to ensure that they are creating engaging and respectful workplaces. In 2005 Sandra founded Vertical Bridge HR, a full service human resources and recruitment consulting practice.
Sandra is a well-regarded facilitator and speaker on a variety of subjects, including HR Best Practices and Inter-Generational Communication within the workplace. She is a sought after keynote speaker on the topic of human resources and has presented at numerous association and industry conferences.
Sandra is currently active on a number of Boards, including the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association (LRCA) and the Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association (CTRA). In the past she has served on the Board of EMBERS, a downtown Eastside social enterprise and the Developmental Disabilities Association. Sandra is the past chapter president of the Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing Services and past Chair of the Board of Governors for the Developmental Disabilities Association. She has also had the privilege of sitting on the local Chapter Board of Room to Read and she actively volunteered her time with Covenant House in Vancouver.
Dawn Longshaw, BSc, CCPE, CPC
Senior HR Consultant and Recruitment Specialist
A recognized leader in helping to shape the careers of many of Western Canada’s top human resources practitioners, Dawn leverages her business acumen and HR knowledge to provide tactical and strategic HR consulting services to organizations in a wide variety of industry sectors; from not-for-profits, start-ups and small businesses to multi-national corporations.
She takes pride in building synergistic long-term relationships; getting to know the nature of her clients’ businesses and the issues they will face; behaving as a trusted partner in providing solutions necessary to their success. Her clients consider her to be an essential strategic resource in sourcing, securing, managing and retaining talent.
Committed to giving back to community; Dawn has been a workshop leader for the YWCA’s Focus@Work Employment Program, a Mentor and guest speaker for The Minerva Foundation for BC Women’s Women Helping Women Work Program and has served on a number of not-for-profit Boards. As President of the University Women’s Club of Vancouver she led the strategic and operational processes which resulted in increased member recruitment and retention as well as a substantial turnaround in bottom line financials. A Past President of the Vancouver chapter of the McGill Alumni Association, she currently serves on the Executive of the MAA Board of Directors.
Fluently bilingual, Dawn is an accomplished public speaker and a regular contributor of employment industry related articles to a variety of publications.
Marnie Strijckers
Senior Recruitment Specialist
Marnie is an exceptional recruitment professional with over 20 years of diverse recruiting experience. While having worked extensively in the IT sector, she is able to crossover into other sectors including government, non-profit, public and private. Providing recruitment expertise in a variety of areas ranging from administration, finance and executive management seamlessly.
Marnie has worked with companies ranging from small start-ups to large multi-nationals both in Canada and the U.S. With her ability to work at all levels she has an incredible network within the tech and business community which enables her to source those hard to find candidates. Her understanding of current and emerging technologies is comprehensive and she prides herself in staying ahead of trends.
Marnie is exceptionally intuitive at finding the best fit for any search by mixing technology and personality together to match the unique corporate cultural dynamics of her clients. Her solid perspective, creativity, technical understanding and professionalism combined with a candid and approachable demeanour set her apart from the rest. To many of our clients she is known as “the unicorn hunter”, she has an uncanny ability to find talent that no one else can find.
Debbie Aarons, MA, CIPD
Senior HR and Leadership Development Consultant
Debbie Aarons is a creative and energetic human resources and organizational development professional with a MA in HR Management, Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching, ACC accreditation from International Coaching Federation, and over twenty years’ experience gained in the UK and Canada.
Committed to enabling leaders and organizations to maximize their talent and potential, Debbie has worked with organizations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Taking a collaborative approach to consulting, she has partnered with leaders to design and implement innovative programs and practices that bring out the best in their employees. Debbie is an engaging and effective facilitator and communicator who believes that coaching is a key tool to unlock potential.
Whether designing performance management systems or facilitating employee development programs, developing leadership development workshops or implementing succession planning practices, Debbie demonstrates a unique ability to respond to the specific needs of each organization and situation to enhance the employee experience and help create great places to work.
As an Executive Coach, Debbie works as a thinking partner helping her clients to draw out and think through their perceived barriers, challenges, options, and actions. Debbie will create the safety and space for clients to speak openly and will listen with a commitment to bring out the best in others. She can act as sounding board and an impartial person to share ideas and can speak with ruthless compassion, necessary to open eyes and challenge assumptions. Debbie works with leaders to open their minds to new possibilities that enable them to achieve results and maximize their potential.
Prior to moving to Vancouver in 2000, Debbie worked in London, UK. She now lives in Steveston, BC with her husband and two children. Debbie is passionate about contributing to the local community through volunteer work and community building activities. She has served as director and president of not-for-profit societies and seeks opportunities to bridge her deep human resource expertise with her desire to make a difference in the communities in which we live and work.
Janice Simpson
Senior HR Consultant and Board Governance Specialist
Janice is a well-established Human Resources and Governance Professional with over 17 years of experience within the finance, medical, technology, and non-profit sectors. Her diverse work experience ranges from HR operations, workplace investigations, to non-profit board governance. Some of her major career accomplishments include full management of the governance portfolio for a not-for-profit organization with 300K membership base, along with conducting workplace investigations and mediations.
Janice believes the key to success is having strong values to genuinely connect and inspire others. Her strong people skills enable her to assist clients with everything from employee relations/conflict resolution to developing HR programs and best practices for their organizations.
Born and raised in Vancouver she currently lives in the Lower Mainland where in her spare time she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her golden retriever, spending time with her family, reading, writing and cooking.
Laurie Caldi, CHRL
Senior HR Consultant
Laurie is a versatile, accomplished Human Resources Professional with over 25 years of experience across the High Tech, Health Care, Retail, Commercial and Not-for-Profit sectors.
She has worked for Fortune 500 organizations and has been able to leverage systems to enhance productivity, create aligned, motivational incentive plans, drive performance management, implement individual development plans and orchestrate training. She also streamlined processes to eliminate non-value add activity. She utilized constructive employee feedback to resolve issues and has launched programs to foster employee wellness for sustainable organization health.
An enthusiastic business partner with a caring, collaborative management style, Laurie has a proven track record of helping companies and people realize their full potential. Her work experience, both inside and outside of HR gives her a broad perspective, sharp business acumen and a contagious, positive energy that can help shape an engaging workforce.
She gained her CHRP in 1995 with the Human Resource Professionals of Ontario and now holds a Certified HR Leader designation with HRPA. Laurie holds a Bachelor of Business Management from Ryerson University, completed her MBA Management certificate with Schulich School of Business in 2014 and is trained in Strategic Coaching, Six Sigma and Lean Methodologies as well as McQuaig for psychological assessments.
Originally from Toronto, Laurie transferred to British Columbia in early 2013 to manage all aspects of HR for Samsung’s Research and Development start-up aimed at software solutions for the Enterprise mobility market. She joined Vertical Bridge in 2015 and has been helping clients with their HR needs ever since. After seven years living in BC, she moved back to Toronto in 2020 to be near family and continues to work as a Human Resources Professional, Senior Consultant for clients in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
Tammie Wessels
Senior HR Consultant and Workshop Facilitator
Tammie is a strategically minded people, culture and business executive with over 20 years of experience. She brings a demonstrated ability to lead, train, coach and support clients with organizational, team and individual growth and change through a hands-on, full service and best practices approach. Tammie offers a broad scope of knowledge gained through working with organizations of various sizes and stages, across multiple industries, and with operations in Canada, the US, and the UK.
As a Senior HR Consultant, Tammie works with unionized and non-unionized clients in both the private and public sector who are in need of developing, managing, streamlining or expanding their HR programs and processes. Her style focusses on building trust and strong relationships, collaborative teamwork, open communication and adapting to the specific needs of her clients.
Clients range from a variety of industries including: biopharmaceutical, retail, manufacturing, education, construction, real estate development, logistics, insurance, distribution, arts and travel.
Tammie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, as well as a Business Administration Certificate in HR from Langara College. As an active member with the Richmond Chamber of Commerce for over five years, Tammie has been a Volunteer Ambassador, Business Mentor, Lunch and Learn Facilitator and Task Force Member and Judge for the Annual Business Excellence Awards.
When not pursuing her passion for working with businesses and their people, Tammie enjoys life with her family in Steveston, BC.
Brittany Ray-Wilks
Senior HR Consultant
Brittany is a dynamic Business and Human Resource Leader with a decade of experience spanning public and private sectors, including engineering, construction, manufacturing, health and recreation. As a member of CPHR BC & Yukon since 2014, she earned her CPHR designation in 2020. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a focus on HR and Leadership from Camosun College, Brittany is committed to empowering teams and driving organizational success.
With expertise in full-cycle workforce planning, performance management, and organizational development, she excels in coaching and developing talent while strategically aligning HR initiatives with overarching business goals. She is passionate about unlocking individuals’ capabilities through meaningful engagement, visionary leadership, and goal-oriented strategies, all aimed at cultivating high-performing teams united by common values. Known for her innovative approach, Brittany is adept at implementing HR solutions that drive growth and enhance organizational effectiveness, while also nurturing inclusion, diversity, and human connections.
Originally from Victoria, Brittany has lived in Greater Vancouver since 2018. She embodies the West Coast spirit, finding joy in exploring local beaches and parks with her family and friends. During her spare time, you will find her baking, cooking, reading, and crafting with her two children.
Anna Dueck, BFA
Marketing and Office Manager
Anna is an enthusiastic individual with passion for all aspects of administration, event production and workplace organization. With experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors, Anna has a network of experience in a variety of workplaces.
With a BFA in Dance from Simon Fraser University, Anna’s pursuit for the Fine Arts has lead her into finding her passion in administration, event producing, marketing and managing roles. She follows the mentality that an efficient and organized work place alongside a team of talented and motivated individuals can help produce great results.
Whether it’s copy editing, assisting in marketing and social media coordination, organizing documents and increasing office efficiency, Anna brings a range of skills and expertise the team and clients working with Vertical Bridge.
Alongside working for Vertical Bridge, Anna is digital nomad and travel content creator, the Assistant Producer for Van Vogue Jam, bookkeeper and sits on the Board of Directors for Dancing on the Edge Festival. Her hobbies include baking, cycling, travel, funding ways to reduce her eco footprint, meeting new dogs and spreadsheets.