Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – President

Stanley Bear, a member of Peguis First Nations, has an MBA from Queen’s University, a Diploma in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba, and completed the Executive Development Program at Queen’s University. Mr. Bear also holds a Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM) designation from AFOA Canada, and a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the Project Management Institute. Mr. Bear has more than 30 years experience in First Nations business and organizational development. Since 1989 Mr. Bear has owned and managed a private health care company with 100 employees, and two management consulting companies with 15 employees. Prior to working in the private sector, Mr. Bear had over fifteen years of experience with the federal government, managing programs at the senior level with the Department of Industry Canada.

Mr. Bear has more than 15 years experience providing management consulting services in the area of business management, business analysis, cost benefits analysis, organizational analysis, strategic planning, organizational policy and procedures development, project management, program and project evaluations, financial management and political advisory services to First Nation communities. Mr. Bear has conducted needs assessments of First Nations, which diagnoses present problems and environmental challenges that can be met through training, or future challenges that can be met through long-term development. Based on the needs assessment, individual training plans may be developed for each First Nation staff.

scbear@indigenousmanagement.ca
204-284-9255

Managing Partner

Lorne Cochrane has more than 25 years of increasingly responsible managerial and administrative expertise. He is a visionary who focuses on the big picture while recognizing and being cognizant of the building blocks required to attain the final goals and objectives. As a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation, Mr. Cochrane is mindful of the challenges faced by First Nations communities. He uses his expertise to seek out opportunities and explore, develop and implement solutions that are focused on and accepted by the community. Mr. Cochrane is a proven leader and has managed diverse organizations of over 200 employees.

Mr. Cochrane has committed his career to the advancement of First Nations issues both at the grassroots and national levels. He was a former Executive Director of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, where he was responsible for leading significant programs, initiatives and projects such as the Framework Agreement Initiative, Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters, Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre and Human Resource Development Program on behalf of the First Nations leadership of Manitoba.

Prior to joining the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Mr. Cochrane was the Regional Director General and the Associate Regional Director General for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Manitoba Region. Mr. Cochrane has extensive experience and knowledge of First Nations programs and services (band management, social services, human resources, education, community services, economic development, policing, health services, facilities operation and maintenance, etc.), and federal/provincial government legislation, project management, program and project evaluations, policies and directives. As well as being a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation, Mr. Cochrane has served his community as both Chief and Councilor, and he is ever mindful of the challenges faced by First Nations communities.

lcochrane@indigenousmanagement.ca
204-956-7525

Vice President (VP)

Ryan Bear, a member of the Peguis First Nation, has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree, a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Management (PBDM) from Athabasca University as well as a Business Administration Diploma (Marketing Major) from Red River College and a Property Management Diploma (Hons) from Ashworth College. Mr. Bear also holds two designations — a Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager (CAFM) from AFOA Canada, and a Chartered Manager (C.Mgr.) from the Canadian Institute of Management. Also Mr. Bear is a National Board member for the Canadian Mountain Network (CMN) a not-for-profit organization under their Finance, Audit and Risk Committee based out of Alberta, Canada.

Mr. Bear has more than 18 years experience in the finance and accounting business. As the Vice President for IMG, Mr. Bear is involved in business strategy, marketing, financial and management controls and operational management, where beginning to end solutions are provided. Mr. Bear is also responsible for providing accounting & advisory support services in the areas of accounting/CFO services, financial planning, forecasting, reporting, policy development and analysis, financial and debt management, capacity-building, Financial Administration Law, Financial Performance, and business consulting.

Mr. Bear’s previous experience include working for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada as an Economic Development Officer, and a Franchise owner of four tax businesses in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

rbear@indigenousmanagement.ca
204-452-0984

Human Resources Director

Poornima Saraswati, with more than 25 years experience in all aspects of human resources, including several years in management, has a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) Degree from the University of Winnipeg and a Certificate in Human Resource Management from the University of Manitoba.

As the Human Resources Director for Indigenous Health Group Inc. and Indigenous Management Group Inc., Ms. Saraswati provides guidance and manages the overall direction of Human Resources services, policies, and programs for the companies. Her responsibilities include providing leadership and expert advice in all aspects of human resource management, establishing and leading the recruitment practices and procedures to establish and maintain a superior workforce; and management the development and maintenance of various websites.

Ms. Saraswati’s experience in both the private and public sectors include: coordinating of services, policies and programs through Human Resources staff; overseeing processes in recruitment and selection, performance management, training and development and labor relations; human resource and strategic planning; organizational reviews; succession planning; external audits; and workforce adjustments.

psaraswati@indigenousmanagement.ca
204-284-2189

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Blessing Familusi is a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA), and has a Masters degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree (Hons) in Accounting. He’s a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and has taken courses in economic analysis, financial management, corporate finance, and project management.

As Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for IMG, Mr. Familusi is responsible for providing accounting & advisory support services in the areas of accounting/CFO services, financial planning, forecasting, reporting, policy development and analysis, financial and debt management, capacity-building, Financial Administration Law, Financial Performance, and business consulting.

Prior to joining IMG, Mr. Familusi had more than 20 years’ financial and accounting experience, fulfilling roles such as Senior Manager, Corporate Accountant, International Operations Manager, Internal Auditor and Audit Manager. He was the Corporate Accountant with the Winnipeg Conservatory of Music, Business Interface Consulting Limited, and a Senior Banking Advisor with the Royal Bank of Canada.

Mr. Familusi is a professional accountant with notable previous experience in Accounting, Taxation, Auditing, Financial Services, Information Technology and Project Management both in Canada and internationally.

bfamilusi@indigenousmanagement.ca
204-791-6750

Associate Consultant/Project Manager

Conrad Bear, a member of the Peguis First Nation, has a Masters Certificate in Project Management from the University of Winnipeg, a Diploma in Business Administration with a major in Marketing and a Certificate in Microcomputer Applications (Hons).

Mr. Bear is an Associate Consultant/Project Manager for IMG, involved in business strategy, marketing, financial and management controls. Mr. Bear provides objective advice, expertise and specialist skills with the aim of improving the business performance of the organization. This includes preparing business proposals/presentations, ongoing consultation with clients, identifying issues, formulating and implementing recommendations, and ensuring the client has necessary resources to meet the recommendations.

Mr. Bear conducts analysis and quality reviews ensuring financial policies and administrative procedures are being followed, and skills deficiencies and training needs for staff are identified. Mr. Bear’s previous experience included working for Indian and Northern Affairs of Canada in economic development. He has more than ten years experience in accounting and payroll management.

cbear@indigenousmanagement.ca
204-452-0994

Junior Accountant

Maria is responsible for providing a variety of bookkeeping, clerical accounting, and general office duties for Indigenous Management Group Inc. and assists Accountants in the financial administration/management of financial advisory and co-management accounts.

Maria has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Major in Accounting from the Holly Angel University in the Philippines. Maria also has an Accounting and Payroll Administrator Diploma and is a Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certification Candidate.  Maria has more than nine (9) years’ experience in Payroll Administration/Bookkeeping and has training in various accounting software, including Sage/Simply Accounting and QuickBooks.

mmacainan@indigenousmanagement.ca
204-949-0252

Project Manager / Economist

Greg Miles is an Economist and Project Manager with diverse experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. He has a Master’s Degree in Economics from McGill University (2008) and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (2017).

Mr. Miles specializes in solving complex issues for Indigenous communities in environment, education, health, and policy. In the non-profit sector, he provides advanced labour market information services to a variety of organizations and government departments. Mr. Miles has also taught Economics, Math and Statistics at both the University of Winnipeg and McGill University.

Mr. Miles uses a thorough and methodical approach to all projects relying on complex research methods, sound theoretical foundations, and advanced tools in econometrics. He also applies his knowledge of cost-benefit analysis to a wide-range of public and private sector projects.

gmiles@indigenousmanagement.ca
204-391-5033

Administration/Bookkeepers/IT Services

Support staff include responsibilities for Administration duties, Bookkeepers providing a variety of clerical accounting and assisting Accountants in the financial administration/management of financial advisory and co-management accounts, and IT Services making sure our systems are running accurately.