About Cedar
Experienced advisors with a practical view of leadership and execution.
Cedar Strategies is a veteran-owned firm built on authenticity, trust, mutual respect, and grit.
Who we are
Strategy, training, and coaching — under one roof.
Cedar combines consulting, training, and coaching to help organizations move from strategic intent to measurable results. We were built for leaders who need partners that stay engaged beyond the plan — through execution, performance, and the quiet work of building a stronger team.
Our foundation
Four values that shape the work.
Authenticity
We speak plainly and we mean what we say.
Trust
We earn it through consistency, discretion, and follow-through.
Mutual respect
We meet leaders and teams where they are.
Grit
We stay engaged until the work is delivered.
Leadership
The team.
Nayla Feghali
Founder & Principal
Nayla's distinguished 29-year professional career is marked by three key attributes: technical expertise, strategic management, and team coaching skills. Initially trained as an engineer and excelling in technical roles, she always had a keen interest in strategic management and strategy execution (program management). Later in her career, she experienced the transformative power of executive coaching firsthand, inspiring her to pursue certification in both individual and team coaching. In recent years, she has developed and implemented a comprehensive 6-step program designed to build and coach high-performing management teams.
Nayla has held a variety of technical and business roles across six industries: Defence – R&D, Product management; Pharmaceuticals – R&D, Product management, Business development; Medical Devices – Engineering operations; Vaccine Manufacturing – Site technical services; Software development – Agility transformation; and IT/Finance – Project management office.
This diverse experience has provided her with in-depth knowledge of best practices in each industry and the ability to 'export' or 'cross-pollinate' these practices across different domains. It has also enabled her to identify commonalities among these varied industries and leverage these intersections to enhance her strategic management processes.
Her natural leadership skills were honed early on as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces (Army Reserves), where she became one of the first women in Canada to qualify as a Mechanized Infantry Platoon Commander, leading an Army Reserve Infantry Platoon from 1994 to 1999.
Education & Certifications
- —Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering; Specialization: Thermodynamics, Fluids and Propulsion
- —Graduate Degree in Management; Specialization: Marketing
- —Certification as a Professional and Personal Coach. Member of the International Coaching Federation
- —Certification in Strategic Management and Execution
- —DISC Assessment Certification – behavioural and communications styles assessment
Board of Directors
- —Member of the Royal Military College (St-Jean, Canada) Board of Governors (2018 – 2023)
Jean-Charles Marin
Principal
Jean-Charles attended the Royal Military College of Canada, where he earned a bachelor's degree in international relations. He then served as an infantry officer in the Canadian Armed Forces for 20 years, during which he was deployed on three missions in conflict areas. Following his deployments, he served as an educator at the Canadian Forces Management and Development School.
Academically, Jean-Charles completed his MBA at Sherbrooke University and earned a Doctorate in Strategy, Project, and Program Management from the École Supérieure de Commerce in Paris, France. He further pursued postdoctoral research focused on identifying strategic territorial needs through an international development and sustainability approach.
As a university professor, accredited trainer, and business consultant, Jean-Charles brings a wealth of academic knowledge and research-based methodologies to organizations and teams across various industries and sizes.
Education & Certifications
- —Postdoctoral studies in Strategy: International territorial needs identification – Université du Quebec
- —Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Strategy and project management – École Supérieure de commerce de Paris Lille
- —Master's in Business Administration (MBA) – Université de Sherbrooke
- —Bachelor's of Economy and international relations – Royal Military College of Canada
- —Certificate in Business law – Université de Montréal
- —Certification in Advanced instructional techniques and Group facilitator
Publications
- —Marin, J-C. (2012) 'The Impact of Strategic Planning and the Balanced Scorecard Methodology on Middle Manager's Performance in the Public Sector', International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 3, No 1, January 2012.
- —Zaras, K., Marin, J.-C., Boudreau-Trudel, B. (2012) 'Dominance-Based Rough Set Approach in Selection of Portfolio of Sustainable Development Projects', American journal of Operational Research, Vol. 2, N.4, pp. 502-508.
- —Marin, J-C., Zaras, K., Boudreau-Trudel, B. (2014) 'Use of Dominance-Based Rough Set Approach as a Decision Aid Tool for the Selection of Development Projects in Northern Quebec', Modern Economy, Vol. 5, N.7.
- —Kazimierz Zaras, Jean-Charles Marin, Bryan Trudel, (2019), 'Identifying Strategic Development Objectives for European Union States Using the Dominance-Based Rough Set Approach: The Case of Poland', Multiple Criteria Decision Making (14), pp. 144-156.
Work with a team that stays engaged beyond the plan.
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