Hello from Canada
Canada Leadership
We’re proud to have furnished millions of square feet of office space since our start in the 1950s. True to our entrepreneurial roots, we’ve utilized Canadian manufacturers and sustainable products since day one.
Chris Rayner
President & COO
Tim Thomas
CFO
Shawn Reid
VP, Sales
Natalie Socha
VP, Operations & Client Experience
Frank Tan
Director, Education Market
Raj Kaur
Director, Program Management
Anna-Lisa Elefano
Director, National Accounts
Robert Bell
Director of Logistics and Installation Services
Ben Findlay
Director, Corporate Development
Kyle Brown
Director, Market Development
Chris Rayner
President & COO
Bio:
Chris heads the Canadian leadership team, providing vision, innovation, strategic input and oversight on all business segments. His role also includes being the senior executive and point of escalation in Canada, and he remains actively involved in most major pursuits and our key business partnerships. Chris has been an active member on both Teknion and Global dealer councils, and is currently the President of Teknion’s Canadian Dealer Council.
Chris has more than 14 years of contract furniture industry experience and has spent over 25 years in a senior executive role. His background in structured finance and leasing, contract negotiations and National Account sales provides the perspective necessary to support the Canadian business. Chris tries to strike a balance between being hands-on and encouraging the team to learn by doing, stretching beyond their comfort zone to grow, personally and professionally. He is constantly challenging the dealership to be thinking about “the next thing” that will keep the business moving forward and continuing as a leader in its market. Chris has a degree in Economics from Western University and has LEED AP® designation.
What do you do outside of work:
Returning to playing piano after a long hiatus!
Tim Thomas
CFO
Bio:
As the Global CFO for The Collective, Tim is responsible for financial operations including treasury, planning, legal, audit, tax, productivity and the corporate administration functions in an overall effort to advance the company’s mission and objectives and encourage growth in our global company. He has been in the industry since 1998 and leads The Collective by providing and encouraging thought leadership, industry expertise, innovation and defining the company’s strategic goals.
Something people don’t know about you:
I was a head chef in an Italian restaurant.
Shawn Reid
VP, Sales
Bio:
As the Director of Sales, Shawn supervises and manages various projects. He assists in developing product solutions and service programs specific to client’s needs and requirements. This includes understanding and applying any applicable contract terms and standards. He also oversees and cultivates the relationship with all Client’s, Manufacturer’s and Office Source | SCI personnel. In short, it is Shawn’s responsibility to ensure complete satisfaction with all products and services provided.
With over 17+ years of industry experience, Shawn joined the Office Source | SCI family in September 2013. Shawn is exceedingly responsive to client needs and proactively takes ownership of his work. He brings a detail-focused approach to his work and draws upon his skills and experience in project coordination and management for large National accounts. Shawn has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Seneca College.
Natalie Socha
VP, Operations & Client Experience
Bio:
As Director of Operations & Client Services, Natalie is responsible for managing all of Office Source | SCI projects Dealer operations – from resource forecasting, specifications, order entry, scheduling, to delivery and project close out. Natalie serves as the point of escalation for projects and any Day 2 service-related requirements following project completion.
With more than 16 years in the contract furniture industry, Natalie proactively evaluates and responds to specific client needs. With 9 Years in Finance, Business Analysis and Automated Process Development, Natalie brings a detail-oriented approach to monitor workload, workflow, SLA compliance and client escalation. Natalie mentors and manages the Client Service and CAD resources to service all clients at a superior level. Natalie leverages her understanding of Manufacturer and Dealer perspectives to ensure a seamless approach with every project that is executed. Natalie has a Bachelor of Business, Management & Administration from Humber College and Bachelor of Commerce, Business Management from Ryerson.
What do you do outside of work:
I dream about all our beautifully installed office environments and happy clients!
Frank Tan
Director, Education Market
Bio:
As the Director of Business Development, Frank is responsible for the overall management of all strategic and operational Marketing and Customer Relationship activities. His role includes providing relevant market feedback to the company leadership regarding competitive offerings and prospect needs, and generating product development ideas.
With 19+ years of industry experience, Frank has been a star player of team SCI | Office Source for the past 13 years. He is well known within the A&D community and has won several Industry Sales awards. Much like his hero Nelson Mandela he is not only known for his lofty visions but also for his tenacity and rigor of precipitating them. He is highly valued for his expertise in educational projects and has led many large prestigious Higher Ed projects at the University of Toronto, York University, Ryerson University, Seneca College, Centennial College etc. If Frank is in the team, one should expect nothing less than exemplary results. Frank has a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Marketing from York University.
Raj Kaur
Director, Program Management
Bio:
Raj is responsible for the overall management and performance of our established team of project managers operating from our two GTA offices. She works closely with assigned project managers in resource planning, identifying project objectives and participates in high-level project planning. She also monitors her team’s performance, ensures that deliverables are prepared to satisfy the project requirements, determines cost and scheduling, and ensures successful and timely delivery.
Raj has been with Office Source | SCI for the past 13 years and has over 15 years of industry experience. With a background in design and project management, she has been a significant contributor in shaping and mentoring the project management team at Office Source |SCI. She is a highly motivated and energetic design professional with strong organization and communication skills. With 8 years of Project Management experience, she is skilled in project planning, implementation and successful execution of multiple simultaneous projects in an extremely fast paced environment. Raj received her Advanced Diploma from Humber College.
Anna-Lisa Elefano
Director, National Accounts
Bio:
As Director of National Accounts, Anna-Lisa leads the company’s efforts to maintain and expand relationships with large, multi-location customers. She is responsible for solutions-related activities for clients including risk analysis, deal structuring, pricing, negotiation and presentation on complex deals across the National Accounts segment, while ensuring business strategies, plans and initiatives are supported in compliance with governing regulations as well as internal policies and procedures.
Anna-Lisa has been a key player of the Office Source | SCI team since April 2018 and has over 10 years of industry experience. With a background in Interior Design, her strength lies in attention to detail and that helps her in overseeing all major accounts for Office Source | SCI. Anna-Lisa‘s unique harmony between her right and left brain makes her an irreplaceable member of our team. Anna-Lisa has a Bachelors in Environmental Health Science & Interior Design from Ryerson University and Sheridan College.
Outside of work:
She loves to spend time with her family, travel, golf and eat!
Robert Bell
Director of Logistics and Installation Services
As Director of Logistics and Installation Services, Robert oversees our field services team and strategic installation partnerships, ensuring that all projects are installed as intended, on time and on budget. He works closely with our Sales, Client Services and Project Teams to ensure projects are well supported with the right installation partner, at a competitive price. Robert is our senior point of escalation for our dealership’s installation and field service performance in Canada and is actively involved on all major project installations.
With over 35 years of furniture industry experience, an extensive installation background, project management accreditation and competitive manufacturer experience, Robert brings perspective and depth to our field services capabilities since joining the Office Source | SCI family in early 2019. His understanding of the entire furniture process ensures he can coordinate the specific roles and accountabilities of all stakeholders on the entire field project team to deliver a superior client experience!
Outside of Work:
I spend time with family, fishing, and go on summer rides on my Harley!
Ben Findlay
Director, Corporate Development
Ben joined The Collective early in 2020. His main focus is on continuous growth and comes with 20 years of industry experience including roles in installations, project management, and sales. This gives him a strong appreciation for each person that’s contributing to our success. As a part of our leadership team, Ben works closely with our owners and sales team to develop and secure future business.
Kyle Brown
Director, Market Development
With over 10 years of experience in sales and customer relationship development in the furniture industry. Prior to joining The Collective, for 4 years Kyle worked in A/V Business development as team lead, which contributes to his comprehensive perspective and expertise in the interiors industry. Educated in Design and marketing, Kyle leverages his creative skills and ability to understand customers’ needs to ensure a successful outcome.