Vanesa Cotlar, MBA

Vanesa Cotlar, MBA, has a diverse work experience spanning various roles and industries.

Starting in 2012, Vanesa began their career as a Distribution Services Intern at Cargill, where they gained experience in coordinating time-sensitive shipments and improving customer relationship management.

In 2014, Vanesa joined Monitor Deloitte as a Senior Consultant, advising C-level and senior executives on corporate and business unit strategy development. Vanesa successfully led projects in corporate strategy and project management.

In 2018, Vanesa took a Sabbatical from Monitor Deloitte to participate in Remote Year, a global program that allowed their to travel to 12 cities across four continents while working remotely. During this time, they secured consulting projects and acted as an in-house Strategy Advisor for a Bermuda-based insurance company.

Following their sabbatical, Vanesa co-founded Octagon Careers in 2018 and served as the CEO. Vanesa developed the strategic vision and mission of the organization and managed a team to create a technology-based product for job-preview-style assessments. Vanesa also led sales, marketing, and user research efforts.

In 2019, Vanesa worked as the Manager of Talent & Workforce Development at Economic Development Winnipeg. Vanesa'sresponsibilities included building and maintaining relationships with partners and talent channels and providing talent support to organizations across industries.

Vanesa then joined iQmetrix in 2020 as the Director of People Operations, where they focused on workforce development, recruitment strategies, and learning and development initiatives. Vanesa worked as a strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Group and implemented new tools and frameworks for mapping 400+ skills across teams.

Most recently, in 2021, Vanesa joined PolicyMe as the Head of People, and later promoted to the role of VP People & Culture. In this role, they are responsible for overseeing all aspects of People & Culture and contributing to the strategic direction of the company.

Vanesa Cotlar's work experience demonstrates their expertise in people and culture, talent management, strategic planning, and business development. Vanesa'sMBA education further enhances their skills and knowledge in these areas.

Vanesa Cotlar, MBA has a diverse educational background. Vanesa obtained their Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Smith School of Business at Queen's University from 2020 to 2022. Prior to their MBA, Vanesa completed the Executive Entrepreneurship Program at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, although specific dates are not provided.

Vanesa's undergraduate studies include a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) Hons degree with a focus on Consulting from the Smith School of Business at Queen's University. Additionally, they hold a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management, with specializations in Finance and Marketing, from the University of Navarra.

In terms of additional certifications, Vanesa has completed several professional development programs. Vanesa obtained a certificate in Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust from LinkedIn in June 2021. In 2019, Vanesa completed the Innovation Engineering Blue Belt program offered by inVision Edge. Vanesa also graduated from the Spinlab Class 8, an accelerator program at SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator, in August 2019. Furthermore, Vanesa is a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) through the Project Management Institute, which they obtained in July 2015. Finally, they hold a Corporate Responsible Leadership Certificate from Queen's University, received in June 2015.