Born from the C-Suite.
Forged in Iron.
CraftXecs™ is a collective of executives shaped by the heat and pressure of high-stakes leadership. After decades of guiding organizations through growth and change, we created CraftXecs™ to offer leaders the guidance and clarity required during transformation.
What to Expect When You Work With Us
Partnering with CraftXecs™ means engaging experienced executives who understand both the pressures and the possibilities of leadership. We bring perspective, discipline, and courage to every engagement in the pursuit of quantifiable results.
You can expect:
- Direct, executive-level counsel: No fluff, no junior consultants, just seasoned C-Suite leaders who have walked in your shoes.
- True partnership: Your goals become ours, and we work with determination to achieve any target set before us.
- A guided, steady process: We cut through uncertainty with clear frameworks and actionable strategies.
- To be challenged: We ask the hard questions and confront the tough issues others avoid.
- Measurable outcomes: Every engagement is designed to create both measurable and visible impact.
Our Team
The CraftXecs™ team brings decades of combined experience across dozens of industries, including tech, human resources, finance, telecommunications, banking, the public sector, and more. Read the biographies of our team members below to learn more about the breadth and depth of our team.
President & CEO, Executive Coach, Business & Workforce Transformation Consultant
Karen Craft (Brownrigg)
Karen Craft (formerly Brownrigg), CHRL, CEC is a bilingual HR executive and certified executive coach with over three decades of experience who knows what it means to have her clients’ backs. Her experience spans a range of industries, including time spent with Rogers Communications, the Bank of Canada, and the Ottawa Police Service.
Karen Craft (Brownrigg), CHRL, CEC is a bilingual HR executive and certified executive coach with over three decades of experience who knows what it means to have her clients’ backs. Her experience spans a range of industries, including time spent with Rogers Communications, the Bank of Canada, and the Ottawa Police Service.
Karen founded CraftXecs™ in 2025 after spending the previous 10 years as Founder & CEO of iHR Advisory Services™. Karen is widely known as the “phone a friend” senior executives use whenever they have a question or challenge and need outside perspective they can trust.
During her time spent as an emergency services phone operator, Karen was told that her calming voice and demeanour were critical during times of chaos. Business Executives still tell Karen today that while her credentials and the quality of her work are outstanding, what sets her apart is the sense of calm and steadiness she brings amid complexity.
Karen is widely considered one of the top HR practitioners in Ottawa, thanks to her deep expertise in executive coaching and helping executives navigate complex people dynamics that can escalate if handled improperly. She is regularly featured in the Ottawa Business Journal, where she shares her deep expertise in change management, medical accommodations, employee and labour relations, conflict resolution, talent management, and more.
In her personal life, Karen’s passions include running and paddleboarding. Her greatest joys include travelling with her husband, Scott, and enjoying quality time with her dog, Arthur. She remains optimistic that Arthur will one day learn to sit still on the paddleboard.
Executive Coach, and Business & Workforce Transformation Consultant
Sharon McLaughlin
Sharon McLaughlin, ACC, CCMP, CHRP is an HR executive, ICF certified coach, and a Change
Management Professional with over 30 years of experience leading HR advisory services and transformational change initiatives in complex and dynamic environments.
Sharon McLaughlin, ACC, CCMP, CHRP is an HR executive, ICF certified coach, and a Change Management professional with over 30 years of experience leading HR advisory services and transformational change initiatives in complex and dynamic environments.
With a diverse skillset that encompasses HR strategy, talent development, leading operational teams and guiding transformational change, Sharon’s career in municipal government has been marked by her innovative approach to human resources and employee experience.
In her personal life, Sharon enjoys walking in the beautiful Gatineau Hills, where she calls home, and has recently discovered a love for pickleball. She also attempts gardening, though some years prove more challenging than others – often resulting in little more than feeding the local deer population.
Workplace Investigations and Leadership Development Consultant
Renee Fullerton
Renée is an experienced, bilingual, and solution-focused HR executive who specializes in workplace investigations. She brings decades of extensive experience working in both strategic HR and people leadership roles in unionized and non-unionized environments.
Renée Fullerton is an experienced, bilingual, and solution-focused HR executive who specializes in workplace investigations. She joined iHR Advisory Services® in 2022, after decades of extensive experience working in both strategic HR and people leadership roles in unionized and non-unionized environments.
Prior to joining iHR, Renée led the HR function for two provincial gaming sites, as well as a not-for-profit organization. She was also a critical HR leader within a Federal Crown Corporation within the financial services industry. Renée’s extensive experience in employee and labour relations has seen her appear before key regulatory bodies and arbitration hearings in both provincial and federal contexts.
She has been a member of the Human Resource Professional Association for over 20 years, and has led workplace investigations in areas such as harassment and/or violence in the workplace, information security breaches, human rights complaints, policy breaches, and more.
Renée lives in Ottawa with her husband Richard, with whom she has two adult children who are out making their own marks on the world. When she’s not at the office, you’re likely to find Renée reading a good suspense novel, playing the piano, or exploring the countryside with Richard on his Harley.
Executive Coach, and Business & Workforce Transformation Consultant
Natasha Lemire-Blair
Natasha Lemire-Blair, MBA, CEC, CAE is an executive leader and coach with more than 25 years of senior experience guiding organizations, leaders, and teams through complexity and change. Known for her strategic insight and steady presence, Natasha brings calm assurance and confidence to those around her during challenging times.
Natasha Lemire-Blair, MBA, CEC, CAE, is an executive leader and coach with more than 25 years of senior experience guiding organizations, leaders, and teams through complexity and change. Known for her strategic insight and steady presence, Natasha brings calm assurance and confidence to those around her during challenging times.
Spending her career at the intersection of strategy, operations, and people, Natasha’s clients benefit from her ability to sit comfortably at the C-suite and Board table while also rolling up her sleeves to address real-time challenges. Her career has consistently intersected with HR strategy, from policy and compliance to people development and organizational culture. She also brings expertise in stakeholder engagement, advocacy, intellectual property and licensing, communications and marketing, professional development, digital transformation, real estate and large-scale event management.
As a Certified Executive Coach (CEC), Natasha partners with leaders to expand perspective, unlock potential, and sharpen the skills required to thrive in dynamic environments. She creates a confidential and supportive space where clients can deepen self-awareness, clarify goals, and move forward with confidence and purpose.
Natasha holds an MBA from Queen’s University and is a Certified Association Executive (CAE). She is a member of the International Coaching Federation and actively mentors emerging leaders. She also contributes extensively on boards and committees, providing governance leadership and strategic advice to strengthen organizations and people alike.
Life isn’t all strategy sessions and transformations. Natasha calls Toronto home, where she enjoys life with her family and cats. She is a cold-water swimmer, outdoor enthusiast, and budding watercolour artist, convinced that splashes, whether in the lake or on the canvas, always count as creativity.
Conflict & Dispute Resolution Coach, and Business & Workforce Transformation Consultant
Chantal Vallerand
Chantal is an Ottawa-based mediator and a negotiation and mediation coach. In addition to her mediation work, she has held senior management roles in the private, public, and NGO sectors, including both unionized and non-unionized environments. In these roles, she developed and implemented organizational strategic plans, which sparked a strong interest in alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Chantal is an Ottawa-based mediator and a negotiation and mediation coach. In addition to her mediation work, she has held senior management roles in the private, public, and NGO sectors, including both unionized and non-unionized environments. In these roles, she developed and implemented organizational strategic plans, which sparked a strong interest in alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Chantal earned an Executive Certificate in Conflict Resolution from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law. She has also completed ADR, Advanced ADR, and Applied ADR Workshops conducted by the Stitt Feld Handy Group, along with Community Mediation Training through Community Conflict Resolution Ottawa (CCRO), where she is currently a volunteer mediator on their roster.
Earlier in her career, Chantal spent 15 years working for advertising agencies, leading strategic communications for various national and local organizations, and developing award-winning campaigns.
Fluently bilingual in French and English, Chantal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Ottawa and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Laurentian University.
HR Consultant
Sophie Dupuis
Sophie is a bilingual HR leader that has spent her career supporting teams and businesses of all sizes. Her experience working across industries such as banking, oil and gas, and professional services gives her a unique perspective on what people and workplaces need to succeed.
Sophie is a bilingual HR leader that has spent her career supporting teams and businesses of all sizes. Her experience working across industries such as banking, oil and gas, and professional services gives her a unique perspective on what people and workplaces need to succeed.
Her background covers all areas of HR, including talent acquisition and engagement, policy development, compensation, performance management, employee relations, coaching, organizational design, and culture.
Sophie’s approach is to focus on practical solutions while keeping the bigger strategy in mind. Clients have often said that she is very approachable, remains calm under all circumstances, is deeply caring and quickly builds trusting relationships.
Outside of work, Sophie enjoys spending time with her husband and adult children. She keeps active with hiking, camping, cooking, and working out.
The Outside Executive Perspective You’re Looking For
As a C-Suite executive, it’s common to get too close to the challenges facing your business. Contact us today for a fresh perspective from experienced C-Suite consultants who want to see your business thrive.
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