HART HILLMAN

Founder & CEO

With over 25 years of experience in technology, consumer electronics, publishing media, and executive search, Hart has carried out C-Suite, senior sales and marketing roles in Canada’s leading Fortune 500 companies. In 2014, Hart and co-founder Laura Lavigueur embarked on a new challenge, which was to launch the Bigwin Group. Built on the promise to change how companies identify and manage talent, Hart has assembled a team of purpose driven, seasoned individuals, who together are turning talent strategy “on its head”.

With tenured experience at the “big three” executive search firms - as Partner and Global Practice Leader for Technology at the Bedford Group, Managing Partner at Kinley Connelly and Manager of the Canadian Technology practice at Heidrick & Struggles - Hart came to executive search with fifteen years of experience in Technology and Publishing & Media. He worked in senior sales and marketing roles at both Compaq and Apple where he served as General Manager for a national retail chain of consumer electronics outlets. Hart served on the Board of Directors for the University of Toronto Press and sits on the advisory council for the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance. He holds an Honours B.A. from York University in Psychology and English and graduated from the Rotman School EMBA program.

RON HULSE

Managing Partner, Canada

A builder of organizations and an entrepreneur with over 30 years’ experience in the technology sector, Ron was the first sales rep hired by Compaq in Canada in 1984. As an executive and leader at Compaq, Ron helped to grow the company from $25M to more than $2B by 2001. Ron also orchestrated the integration of Compaq’s two largest acquisitions, Tandem and Digital Equipment, and led the amalgamated sales and services organization until his departure in 2000.

Ron spent three years in Silicon Valley as part of the dot-com boom before leading two other start-ups, based in Tel Aviv and Edmonton. In 2007, Ron joined Samsung Canada as the VP of the IT Division before taking on Mobility. In 2009, Ron was announced as the Chief Convergence Officer and was designated to become the first local President of the subsidiary. His career has thrived on his ability to attract, coach, motivate and develop future leaders who can deliver. There is no better explanation for the “Why” behind joining Bigwin Group than to understand Ron’s passion for helping talented, driven individuals make important career and life decisions. Ron’s own career is a reflection of that.

DEB VOORHEIS

Partner

A senior executive with leadership experience across a broad range of industries, Deb Voorheis joined the Bigwin Group with a passion for empowering people and identifying and working with high impact teams. As Partner, Deb plays a key role in the Bigwin Group’s innovative and creative work to help organizations grow and develop. A successful builder of high impact teams, Deb’s background includes professional services, luxury goods retail management and not-for-profit fundraising. In addition, she has consulted in the area of business development in the arts sector. Deb is a talented, results driven strategist who will work to build revenues through strong relationships.

Deb’s retail background includes time spent with Sporting Life, Harry Rosen, Bowring and Hudson’s Bay Company. As Interim CEO of Curtis Engineering Associates Ltd., Deb led a team of senior engineers, developed strategic plans and increased overall company profitability. Deb has always believed in giving back and has helped raise over one million dollars for Porridge for Parkinson’s, which funds scientists working to find the cause and a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.

SEAN CASEY

Partner

Sean brings over 15 years of strong professional, client focused, results driven, and relationship-based leadership recruitment experience to the Bigwin Group team. He began his career in Executive Search in 2007 in Tokyo Japan and has worked with leaders throughout the world, embracing the opportunity to build inspiring teams and impactful leadership cultures. In his down time, Sean enjoys backcountry camping, skiing, hiking, and spending time with his wife and daughter based in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia Canada.

NANDA NANDANAKUMAR

Principal

When Nanda first joined the Bigwin Group, she was tasked with heading up the Business Development & Marketing Department where she was responsible for organizing the company’s Sharpen Your Axe events. Inspired by the stories and careers of the executives she met, Nanda decided to move into the Consultant role, where she now finds passion in helping talented individuals make important career decisions in their life.

Nanda graduated from the University of Toronto with an HBSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health Studies and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in International Business Management from Centennial College. She has been involved in research, community development and engagement, program planning, group facilitation and social work. She participated in a Global Citizenship and Equity Learning Experience program to Gujarat, India, where she worked alongside locals to build a safe house for women and children in Rapar, a rural village in the Kutch desert. Nanda’s volunteer pursuits stem from her greater interest in the community and its people, including her former role as President, Board of Directors at the Tamil Cooperative Homes.

KAJANI NANDANAKUMAR

Research Associate

As a Research Associate at Bigwin Group, Kajani plays a crucial role in building and administering candidate prospect pools for the company’s active projects. In addition, she prepares project plans and customizes launch materials that enable the partners and consultants to frame the psychometric parameters, industry insights and role specific identifiers to enable a successful search. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Kajani established a successful career in increasingly more senior customer relations management roles serving retail, banking, and consumer services clients. She has extensive experience working with stakeholders at all levels in a collaborative manner and along with her natural rapport building skills has become adept at resolving conflict and improving customer satisfaction. She brings a hyper-focused, customer-centric mindfulness to her role at Bigwin Group where she is responsible for ensuring the first connection with the prospect candidates leaves a positive first impression. Her sincere interest in people is fueled by a natural curiosity and the experience to ask the right qualifying questions appropriate to the situation, the individual and the opportunity.

As a city centre resident, she loves exploring Toronto’s new restaurants with family and friends or exploring the many dog parks with her own furry friends. In her free time, she loves to travel outside the country and explore new destinations and cultures and considers herself a competent digital nomad when circumstance allows.

MARGARITA RAMOS

Project Coordinator & Executive Assistant

Margarita graduated from Centennial College’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program in 2004. Her passion for providing excellent customer service has led her to work in hotels across Canada; from Banff, Alberta to Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2012, Margarita joined the pre-opening team of the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto, where she often bumped shoulders with local and international celebrities. She was a member of the prestigious international concierge association, Les Clefs d’Or Canada.

After more than a decade in the hospitality industry, she was ready for a new challenge. She joined the Bigwin Group in 2016, a global Talent Strategy firm. Her focus with Bigwin is to initiate, energize, maintain, and optimize relationships, while ensuring that innovation and creativity underpin every single project. As a Certified Yoga Teacher, Margarita is inspired daily by the connection of breath to the physical body to balance the mind and to calm the soul.