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PDG Group was founded by Jennifer Lynch, Q.C. . In March, 2007 Ms. Lynch was appointed Chief Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission. Congratulations to our founder!!
PDG Group continues to provide our services under the leadership of Carole Eldridge, who has been managing PDG Group's Canadian contracts for a number of years.
Jennifer Lynch, Q.C.: Biography
Ms. Lynch has experienced a distinguished career, from 1977-1995 as a Canadian lawyer (latterly as partner and department head of one of Canada's leading national law firms, Lang Michener) and 1985-1998 in three quasi-judicial positions determining labour relations and human rights issues for the law enforcement community.
In 1990 she was honoured by the Federal Attorney General of Canada, by appointment as Queen's Counsel.
Ms. Lynch led PDG Group until March 31, 2007 when she assumed her responsibilities as Chief Commissioner, Canadian Human Rights Commission.
Within change management and organization development, there is a new sub-specialty known as "organizational conflict management". This specialty area recognizes that to successfully manage organizational change, the organization must first be "conflict competent" and provide its managers with the tools to recognize, acknowledge, and address the conflicts that arise during major restructuring, day-to-day labour relations and workplace interactions. Ms. Lynch is recognized as the international leader in this field.
Ms. Lynch is the Canadian co-author of the internationally approved "Designing Integrated Conflict Management Systems- Guidelines for Practitioners and Decision Makers in Organizations" published by Cornell University Press, 2001.
She was an elected Board member of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) 2002-2005- the body that has provided leadership throughout North America in developing the principles and guidelines for this discipline - and served from 1997-2002 as the co-chair of its Organizational Conflict Management section. Ms. Lynch's internationally recognized system design methodology has been included in university curricula and has been adapted by such organizations as (in Canada) the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces, Canada Revenue Agency, Parks Canada; and (internationally)the Transportation Security Administration of the United States Department of Homeland Security, and the World Bank.
Competencies which Ms. Lynch brings to organizations include:
- Leadership and program management at senior executive levels with vision, clarity and integrity
- Decision making based on consultation, collaboration and consensus
- Labour relations negotiation and collaborative problem-solving using modern and creative tools and processes to resolve contentious issues
- Development and interpretation of legislation, regulations and policy in particular those related to labour relations, human rights and working condition
- Teambuilding and partnering with multiple stakeholders at senior levels
- The design and implementation of customized processes to manage highly conflictual organizational change initiatives, and to assist in day-to-day problem solving,
- Development of core competencies and performance measurements related to establishing organizational cultures of cooperation and employee engagement
- Knowledge of pay and compensation related issues for complex organizations and experience in setting and settling pay and compensation
- Change and transition management
- Design and implementation of corporate-wide conflict management systems
- Development and delivery of learning programs and communications strategies
- Facilitation, mediation, arbitration
Significant public projects led by Ms. Lynch are described in "About us".
Royal Canadian Mounted Police External Review Committee: Appointed by the federal Solicitor General of Canada to carry out the duties and responsibilities of Chairperson 1992-1998; also served by Order-in-Council appointment of the Federal Cabinet of Canada as Vice-Chairperson from 1988 to 1998; duties included:
- acting as an appeal level for the review of grievance and discipline cases within the R.C.M.P both by paper review and through viva voce hearings (cases involved interpreting and applying policy, legislation and jurisprudence with regard to such issues as human rights, discrimination, pay, benefits, financial claims, travel expenses, discipline for inappropriate behavior or fraud, demotions, dismissals);
- Reporting to Parliament through the Solicitor General of Canada:
- Leading the Agency, its staff and other appointed members, establishing a corporate vision, developing strategic objectives, and administering the Committee's resources. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have approximately 20,000 employees of which 17,000 are non-unionized members who are represented by elected Divisional Staff Relations Representatives, in a grievance system established by statute specifically for the RCMP.
Member of the Ontario Police Commission, 1985-1988: Appointed by Order-in-Council of the Ontario Provincial Cabinet. Decided labour, human rights issues and discipline cases as member of this quasi-judicial tribunal. Decisions were appealable to the Ontario Divisional Court on matters of law only. Oversaw provision of services by Ontario's 126 police forces; member and chair of tribunal hearings with responsibility for disciplinary procedures; held public inquiries, and resolved contract disputes.
Adjunct Faculty Member Canadian Centre for Management Development, 1995-1997, for negotiation and conflict management training.
Partner and Department Head of the national law firm Lang Michener (1990-1995), and of Honeywell Wotherspoon, 1987-1990. (These law firms merged in 1990). Conducted litigation practice. Consultant to the firm in Alternative Dispute Resolution 1996-8.
Author of several reports recognized as state-of-the art in the discipline of conflict management system design, including: "Integrated Conflict Management Systems - Guidelines for Practitioners and Leaders within Organizations" (Cornell University Press 2001) as co-author; "Beyond ADR: A Systems Approach to Conflict Management" (Negotiation Journal July 2001); "RCMP: Revitalizing Conflict, Motivating People" (1997); and "CCRA: Contemporary Conflict Resolution Approaches" (1998) (see "publications").
Founder & Principal F. Jennifer Lynch & Associates, 1977-1987 Founder and manager of this law firm, comprised of staff of fifteen, including five associate lawyers. Merged with Honeywell Wotherspoon in 1987.
Member Task Force on Role of the Federal Government in Law Enforcement, 1977-1978: Prepared recommendations to the Federal Cabinet, with a particular emphasis on the future role of the R.C.M.P. as a provincial and municipal service provider.
Practitioner, Lecturer and Instructor in Alternative Dispute Resolution, 1983-present:
Qualified experienced arbitrator, mediator, coach, trainer, facilitator and extensive experience in all aspects of conflict management system design in Canada and the United States. Frequently invited to present workshops and academic lectures nationally and internationally.
EDUCATION & LANGUAGES
Degree of Barrister-at-Law, Law Society of Upper Canada, 1977 Certificate as Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ontario, 1977 LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School,Toronto, Ontario 1975 B.A., Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario 1971 Extensive training at Harvard University and other institutions in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Negotiation and Mediation, Facilitation. Languages: English, and French (federal public service levels ECC).
AWARDS, DISTINCTIONS
Recipient of the 1984 Ottawa Business Women's Achievement Award and the 1991 Ottawa Business and Professional Women's Week Award. Appointed federal Queen's Counsel, 1990.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS; SELECTED COMMUNITY WORK:
Extensive involvement, primarily at the executive level, in Canadian and international organizations (see separate page).
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