Founder
Eileen Bistrisky
MBA, CSEP, CMC
President & CEO
Eileen’s passion for helping organizations achieve their objectives was solidified in university. She was V.P. Internal of AIESEC McGill, an international business association for students, and President of McGill Players’ Theatre. McGill named her Chief Officer of the Year, and awarded her the coveted McGill Scarlet Key for outstanding leadership.
In March of 1992, Eileen launched her current business with former partner Ellen Green who she bought out in 1998. Effective Event Management became an award-winning company.
Board leadership and association management continued to play a role in Eileen’s life after university. She served on the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Executives Association, sat on the board of the B.C. chapter of the American Marketing Association (BCAMA), and was Chair of the prestigious Vision Marketing Conference in 2004. Eileen became a frequent emcee, facilitator and guest speaker at many events, public functions, and conferences.
Through collaboration with another firm, Inventa Sales and Marketing, Eileen served two years as an in-house Client Director, while still running Effective Events. Among many clients, she was responsible for two Olympic sponsorship activations: The BCLC 2010 Winter Games Dome and the Canadian Pacific Spirit Train.
The development of the event industry as a whole always inspired Eileen. She was the first Certified Special Event Professional in Western Canada, taught Event Management at The Art Institute of Vancouver, and plays an active role with the International Live Events Association (ILEA). In 2006, she won the Spirit of the Industry Award for outstanding contributions to the event industry in Canada. As Chair of ILEA Canada, she led the country to win International Region/Affiliate of the year at the 2011 ILEA International Spirit of Excellence Awards.
After returning to school to complete an Executive MBA in Management Consulting at Royal Roads University, Eileen now combines all of her experiences to strategically help lead impactful, socially-responsible organizations.
Outside of business, Eileen has a passion for mountains and remote, adventurous expeditions. She enjoys hiking, biking, camping, climbing, snowshoeing, paddling, and backpacking around the globe.
Team
Angel Chan
Finance & Accounting
Virtual Squirrel Business Support Services
Angel manages the bookkeeping, accounting, and tax functions for Effective Leadership Consulting. She is a CPA, CA with many years of accounting experience with personal and corporate taxes.
Jani Andersen
Project Manager
Virtual Squirrel Business Support Services
Jani is Effective Leadership Consulting’s project manager. With a background in project management, customer experience, marketing, and administration, she brings a unique skill set to the team. She keeps everyone both on our internal team and on our supplier teams organized, on track, and customer-focused.
Renee Drochmann
Social Media Specialist
Virtual Squirrel Business Support Services
Renee is a communications & social media specialist with years of experience working with a range of organizations and brands. Skilled in managing projects and creating content for various digital platforms, she is also experienced in marketing research, strategy and implementation. Renee is a creative story-teller and multimedia guru who is especially passionate about connection, interaction and using social platforms to leverage new adventures. Away from the desk, you can find Renee teaching pilates, recipe testing for her food blog or exploring some place new!
Carrie Norman
Client Services
Virtual Squirrel Business Support Services
Carrie handles client services once new clients are on-boarded. She has over 13 years of executive administrative skills with a business and government background. Her attention to detail, organizational aptitude, and communication abilities make her part of what makes Virtual Squirrel such a valuable asset to Effective Leadership Consulting. Carrie is looking forward to creating a superior experience for you and your Business.
Amanda Toynbee
Client Services
Virtual Squirrel Business Support Services
Amanda handles client services once new clients are on-boarded. She has strong administrative skills with a customer care background.
Laura Kassama
Head Squirrel
Virtual Squirrel Business Support Services
Laura and her team at Virtual Squirrel Business Support Services handle administration for Effective Leadership Consulting.
Her tight-knit team of skilled Squirrels are proudly based in East Vancouver. They provide a resourceful and eager team ready to scamper into action to help clients with their business needs. Clients always get the best Squirrel for the job. Virtual Squirrel quickly adapts to changing needs by tapping into the team’s wide variety of skillsets. With high quality workmanship and memorably good customer service, Virtual Squirrel gets the job done!
Additional Support
Over the years, Eileen has had the pleasure of working with a variety of talented highly-skilled full-time, part-time, and contract staff, as well as many volunteers. She has taken on intern students and is an excellent mentor to future professionals. Her relationships continue to thrive as team members advance in their careers. Team collaboration regularly evolves, often with former employees becoming future clients. Eileen builds teams to suit her current situation based on clients’ specific needs.
Team Testimonials
“From the moment that I met Eileen, I knew that she was going to be a game changer in my career and life. For over 10 years, Eileen has not only been a client, but a supportive mentor with a wealth of knowledge and a kind heart. She has always been approachable, listening to me, offering advice, making introductions, providing guidance and overall, helping guide my career. Eileen is one of my go-to resources and I know that I can count on her for support and mentorship at all times.”
Rachel Johns | Sr. Global Marketing Manager, BookingSuite
Booking.com
“Eileen has been a great role model to me in my career. I have learned a lot from her regarding client relations, organizational structure of a team, the importance of process and planning, presentation skills, leading meetings and how to run a successful business. Eileen can resolve a crisis situation instantly and refocuses all involved. She leads by example and empowers her employees by giving them autonomy in their work. I truly enjoyed working with Eileen and continue to look to her for advice and leadership.”
Tara Connolly | Alumni Affairs Officer
Memorial University of Newfoundland
“Early in my career, Eileen mentored me as her employee. She impressed upon me the importance of a solid plan, and organized execution. It made a strong impact that I was able to bring to future roles. Years later, I hired her and her company when I was Sr. Development Manager at a not-for profit organization. She is equally strong working at a high level with senior executives as she is at helping young professionals launch their careers.”
Shawn Leclair | Communications Officer / Web Writer
BC Nurses’ Union