Who We Are
Meet the ADR Education Team
We are a dynamic partnership of conflict resolution experts, spanning Canada and beyond, working in both official languages. Our diverse backgrounds in law, psychology, planning, human resources and dispute resolution grant us exceptional adaptability.
As a team, we share expertise across all areas, allowing for seamless personnel substitutions when needed. We often provide multiple partners for complex tasks. Discover more about each of us below.
Sylvain Lefebvre - Partner
Sylvain spent 26 years in federal departments, 20 years with the Correctional Service of Canada and 6 years with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, where he held the position of National Program Manager, Informal Conflict Management System.
Jessica McNamara - Partner
Jessica has been working in the field of dispute resolution since the late 1990s. She mediates, facilitates, negotiates, coaches, and delivers training across Canada.
Robert Pidgeon - Partner
Robert is a Chartered Mediator and a respected educator within the conflict management field. His practice is based in Ontario.
Mallorie Nicholson - Partner
Mallorie brings a grounding and empathetic presence when it comes to difficult conversations, backed by over a decade of experience in conflict intervention and facilitation.
Brin Hamilton - Partner
Brin Hamilton is a conflict consultant, mediator, arbitrator, facilitator, and human resources professional.
Jenny Hopper - Firm Administrator
Jenny’s role as Firm Administrator is to support the Partners in the organizational and logistical tasks that ensure successful service delivery for ADR Education’s clients.
Gordon Sloan - Founder
Gordon started mediating in 1985. He founded ADR Education in 1997 providing dispute resolution services across Canada.
Andrew Fulton - Associate & Former Partner
Andrew has enjoyed providing dispute resolution services since 1994, working extensively throughout Canada. Passionate about the work, Andrew continues to be intrigued and motivated by the people and clients he works with.
Jamie Chicanot - Associate & Former Partner
Jamie has been working as a conflict engagement specialist for the past 20 years in myriad contexts across Canada. He regards himself first and foremost as a helper and is drawn to the work because of that identity.
Sylvie Matteau - Associate & Former Partner
Sylvie is passionate about her field of expertise and enjoys working with executives and team leaders faced with the challenges of conflict in their workplace.
Cherolyn Knapp - Associate
Cherolyn Knapp’s practice includes mediation, facilitation, negotiation, workplace assessments, training and investigations.
Barbara McNeil - Associate
Barbara has a thirty-year plus career as a mediator, facilitator, adjudicator, and trainer in dispute resolution for workplace, municipal, energy, stakeholder engagement, governance, and other issues.
Salima Samnani - Associate
Salima Samnani is a Kenyan Indo-Canadian immigrant. Her experience as a litigator and as a lecturer, which focuses on public law and employment law, makes her an ideal workplace investigator, mediator, and facilitator.
Robbie Sheffman - Associate
Robbie has spent his lengthy and varied career as a mediator, investigator, lawyer, adjudicator, teacher and broadcaster trying to “get to the bottom of things.” He applies his curiosity, perseverance and communication skills to untangle and resolve.