Career Transition:
If your employer has provided you with Career Transition Support through Optimum Talent, click here to get started.
Get Support With:
- Career planning and assessment
- Resume development and optimization
- Creating your professional online profile
- Networking training and events
- Interview preparation
Ronald Dahms joined Optimum Talent in 2005 as Managing Partner, to contribute his solid experience in business development, marketing and strategy.
During his career, Ronald successfully held several executive positions within major corporations such as Bombardier, Desjardins and Export Development Canada. Prior to this, he worked nearly a decade for The Great-West Life Assurance Company.
Ronald holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Toronto and has completed the Executive Program in Strategy and Organization from Stanford University-Graduate School of Business.
Ronald is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Montreal Rehab Institute. He is also a very active member of the “Young Presidents’ Organization” where he held the role as Chairman of the Quebec Chapter and also served on the Canadian Executive and on a committee of the International Board of Directors.
He serves or has served on many boards of directors in the business and educational community.
Jocelyn Bérard is National Practice Leader, Leadership Assessment and Development at Optimum Talent. In this role, he is responsible for the Organizational Psychology growth plan while developing the level of quality that sets the firm apart in its field, by maintaining a team of proficient professionals that can meet the needs of its clients.
Jocelyn has extensive Canadian and international experience in the areas of human resources and business management in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia, in a variety of industries such as telecommunications, auto manufacturing, health care, retail, aerospace and banking. His interventions focus on Talent Management, especially in the area of leadership assessment and development, performance management, succession management and selection best practices.
Fluently bilingual in French and English, Jocelyn holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Human Resources, a Master Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and an Executive MBA. Jocelyn’s book, titled “Accelerating Leadership Development”, was published by Wiley and focuses on leadership assessment, leadership development and succession management.
Sandra Boyd is National Practice Leader, Career Transition at Optimum Talent. She brings over 20 years’ experience in Career Management and Career Transition.
René is a Partner with Optimum Talent and is responsible for leading the private sector Executive Search practice in Edmonton. René is passionate about the recruitment industry and is actively involved in every aspect of the search process, including business development, research, interviewing, candidate assessments, and client management.
Prior to joining Optimum Talent, René spent several years gathering experience in the areas of client relations, project and account management, and business development within the Oil & Gas and Pharmaceutical industries. He discovered his true passion for the executive search industry in his former role at a local recruitment firm.
Since joining Optimum Talent, René has placed top executives for leading organizations in a variety of industries with a focus on the industrial services market in Northern Alberta. René believes in the value of his client partnerships and strives to ensure that every client experience is a positive and memorable one.
René holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Psychology major from the University of Alberta. He currently sits on the Alberta Forward and Edmonton Ski Club Board of Directors, and is the past Vice Chair of Kids Up Front Edmonton. He donates his time to youth leadership initiatives in his community. When weather permits, you can find René relaxing at the lake and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Samantha Wood leads our Executive Search team in Central Ontario. With 12 years of search experience throughout North America, her expertise spans multiple functions in both the public and private sector including sales, marketing, human resources, operations and engineering at the Director level through to C-suite.
Samantha has been in a leadership capacity for over 15 years and has grown successful teams both in the recruitment industry as well as in her former role of Regional Sales Manager for a wireless communication company. Hiring, mentoring, engaging and motivating top talent has always been a priority for Samantha, which has provided her with first-hand experience and appreciation for her clients’ needs.
Samantha graduated with a Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Western Ontario. She continuously leverages her education by approaching each search with a proven methodology. She believes that the right research, broad thinking and overall client and candidate commitment is what drives a comprehensive and fulfilling recruitment experience.