Marnie Smith
Partner | Lighthouse NINE Group
Toronto, ON, CANADA
Marnie is a value-driven business professional with expertise in custom consulting solutions.
Biography
Marnie Smith heads the High Performing Teams and the Change Management practices at Lighthouse NINE Group. Her expertise encompasses Organization Design and Effectiveness, Team Development, Facilitation and Training, as well as Leadership Coaching.
Designing consulting and coaching solutions that set teams up for success is Marnie’s talent – and passion. It begins with listening intently to clients and understanding their concerns, their needs, their aspirations. With over 18 years’ experience as an internal and external consultant, Marnie works from initial problem scoping/visioning through to customized solution design and careful implementation.
As an internal consultant at Mars Canada and RSA Canada, Marnie developed signature processes that enabled these firms to create resilient team cultures and strengthen employee engagement. Marnie has been a trusted advisor at multi-national organizations such as IBM, Corning, State Farm, Cemex and Wrigley, and has consulted in industries including Financial Services, Insurance, Manufacturing, IT, and Consumer Packaged Goods.
As a Partner at Lighthouse NINE, Marnie collaborates closely with her colleagues, bringing into play their varied expertise ranging from sales leadership to strategic planning to executive development. The L9 team has an extraordinary dedication to making sure clients are simply thrilled with winning service and solutions that deliver lasting impact.
Industry Expertise (9)
Financial Services
Consumer Goods
Insurance
Consumer Services
Corporate Leadership
Corporate Training
Human Resources
Professional Training and Coaching
Talent Management
Areas of Expertise (10)
Coaching and Facilitation
Change Management Leadership
Project / Relationship Management
Communication Strategy
Program Design and Development
Training and Development
Talent Management
Team Building and Leadership
Organizational Design and Effectiveness
Culture Change
Accomplishments (1)
Associate Certified Coach (ACC) - International Coach Federation
2012
Education (3)
Royal Roads University: Graduate Certificate, Executive Coaching 2011
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE): M.Sc., Industrial Relations and Personnel Management 1995
Queen's University: BAH, Economics 1994
Affiliations (3)
- International Coach Federation (ICF)
- Council of Executive Women
- Strategic Capability Network
Links (2)
Languages (1)
- English
Articles (4)
Learning to Wear the Facilitation Crown
Marnie Smith, Lighthouse NINE Group2016-06-13
I have had the privilege of doing a lot of facilitation over what seems like many years now. I have facilitated small team meetings, large scale events, training programs, university courses, and even bicycle building (team building in disguise). Each facilitation requires something different, in terms of content, tone, pace, or energy but they all have something in common – the need for an effective approach that ensures the desired outcomes are achieved...
Wanted: Next-Level Leaders
Canadian Insurance Top Broker Magazine2016-04-01
Brokers may have many succession options, but need only one strong leadership strategy.
What Marathons Have to do With Change
Marnie Smith, Lighthouse NINE Group2016-01-08
Imagine yourself sitting around the leadership table, discussing why such a small change (insert any change here) feels like such a huge change to your team. Why are they not seeing the benefits that are so apparent to you? Why are they not just accepting and moving forward the way you are? Leaders are often flabbergasted at the reaction they get to change and I have personally witnessed many leadership teams having these exact dialogues.
Why Are We so Scared to Build Change Skills?
Marnie Smith, Lighthouse NINE Group2014-07-14
Imagine yourself as a leader inviting your team to a training session on effectively managing change. You have the best intentions. You want your team to understand change; how to effectively lead, manage and excel during change. You announce the training to your team and BOOM! The rumour mill is awash with stories of pending changes, each one more outlandish than the next. You work to respond to the questions and concerns but the stories take a life of their own. In my experience, talking about managing change scares everyone. It is no wonder so many organizations are reluctant to build much needed change skills. So the question is what can you do to ensure your team has the skills to manage inevitable change without wreaking havoc on your organization?
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