• Strategist
    • Executive Coach
    • Facilitator

    Find clarity in complexity. Lead with confidence.

    From startups to established organizations, I partner with leaders facing critical decisions to move important work forward.

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    Trusted by

    McKinsey & Company
    Africa Frontline First
    MSF / Doctors Without Borders
    Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
    Unicorn Labs
    Daphne Hemily

    Daphne Hemily is the Swiss army knife of an advisor. She has a rare ability to move between high-level strategy, operational details of getting something done, and genuine personal warmth, able to quickly sense and respond to the kind of conversation that is needed.

    — Co-founder & Executive Director, AFF - Social Sector Organization

    Having Daphne feels like having a secret weapon in my back pocket.

    — Senior Director, JLL - Commercial Real Estate

    She helped us achieve our highest ever profit margin, after originally forecasting to just break-even.

    — Co-founder & COO, ZIVA - Digital Marketing Agency

    Working with Daphne is a 10/10 recommendation.

    — Founder, Warburton Co - Boutique Travel Company

    Daphne is gifted at seeing details while simultaneously holding the big picture. She can see through a tangled knot of thoughts and feelings and efficiently separates the threads. She is direct, efficient, and kind. You will feel supported, seen, and genuinely cared for in your work with her.

    — Molecular & Cellular Biologist, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute

    RETURN ON INVESTMENT

    Coaching & advisory work should produce measurable results.

    Research consistently shows strong ROI from executive advisory and coaching — results that mirror what I see across my client work.

    My clients have

    • Clarified positioning and translated strategy into action
    • Increased revenue, profitability, and pipelines
    • Led through organizational growth, change, and challenges
    • Made difficult decisions with more confidence, even under pressure
    • Accelerated career growth and stepped into larger leadership roles
    • Built healthier, more sustainable ways of working
    • Improved alignment, trust, and collaboration within teams
    Who I Work With

    Who I Work With

    Helping Leaders Navigating Change and Critical Decisions Move Forward with Confidence

    Most leaders reach a moment when what once worked no longer does. The next step requires new ways of working and deliberate choices. Complexity increases. Demands grow heavier. The pressure builds. But the path forward isn't clear.

    In these moments, a trusted advisor helps focus on the real choices and walks alongside you.

    My clients span sectors, but share the same reality: significant responsibility, sustained pressure, and consequential choices.

    Jump to Services

    Executives at pivotal moments

    You're scaling fast and it's getting messy.

    CEOs, founders, and senior leaders facing decisions that shape the next chapter.

    Teams needing alignment

    Your team is talented but pulling in different directions.

    Teams that need to get on the same page and stop spinning their wheels.

    Professionals at a crossroad

    You're approaching a new phase but not sure which way to go.

    Professionals who want to make deliberate choices to define what comes next.

    Daphne writing in a journal

    “Daphne stepped in during a critical transition and guided us through a demanding period. Our fortnightly meetings were invaluable to the success of the business, with the ultimate proof being that she expertly helped us achieve our highest ever profit margin, after originally forecasting to just break-even.”

    — Co-founder & COO, ZIVA - Digital Marketing Agency
    Strategic Advisory

    Make Better Decisions

    Strategic Advisory

    Business outcomes. Measurable impact.

    Strategy only matters if it leads to decisions and real-world results.

    Whether you're scaling or resetting direction, what once worked starts to strain. Together, we'll move fluidly between the boardroom view and the operational weeds to clarify direction, evaluate trade-offs, and design the structures, systems, and plans needed to turn ambition into successful implementation.

    WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH

    • Clear positioning on where you win, and how to build from there
    • A concrete roadmap, grounded in vision, values, and constraints
    • Decisions that stick, with ownership, accountability, and follow-through
    • Real momentum, even within complex dynamics, politics, and shifting priorities

    Working with Daphne is a 10/10 recommendation.

    I began working with Daphne to decide where to make smart investments. Our work far exceeded that initial goal and I've made intentional investments, defined my financial priorities, and built practical systems to track growth.

    — Founder, Warburton Co - Boutique Travel Company
    Executive Coaching

    Grow as a Leader

    Executive Coaching

    Expanded capacity. Stronger presence.

    Ambition and a thriving life are not trade-offs, they must be built together.

    Leadership can feel overwhelming and isolating, especially when you're holding hard decisions alone. Together, our work strengthens your judgment, resilience, and practical ways of working that drive meaningful progress towards your goals.

    WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH

    • Deeper confidence in your own leadership style, even under pressure
    • Presence that earns trust and credibility in any room
    • More intentional use of your time, energy, and resources for the important pieces of work and life
    • Professional success that supports your whole life, without burnout

    Having Daphne feels like having a secret weapon in my back pocket.

    Daphne combines emotional intelligence with deep technical expertise. The most notable change has been the mental clarity I've gained, allowing me to act with greater intention in both my professional and personal life. Alongside that work, we developed a clear roadmap that increased efficiency and significantly expanded my pipeline.

    — Senior Director, JLL - Commercial Real Estate
    Facilitation

    Align People Around Action

    Facilitation

    Collective alignment. Forward motion.

    High-performing teams don't avoid conflict, they harness it productively.

    Without structure, even talented teams waste energy in circular debates or polite avoidance. Whether it's strategy offsites, leadership programs, or key decision moments, I design and facilitate sessions that create the conditions for candid conversation, resolve real tensions, and move teams toward clear decisions and committed action.

    WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH

    • Decisions that drive momentum beyond the room
    • Shared priorities, direction, and next steps
    • Increased trust, accountability, and a more cohesive team culture
    • Productive debate that improves outcomes

    We achieved our highest ever profit margin.

    Daphne stepped in during a critical transition, guiding us through a demanding period. Our fortnightly meetings were invaluable to reaching 90% of our company goals, with the ultimate proof being that she expertly helped us achieve our highest ever profit margin after originally forecasting to just break-even.

    — Co-founder & COO, ZIVA - Digital Marketing Agency

    Let's move from vision to impact.

    If you're navigating growth, transition, or complexity and want a strategic partner who can help you move from vision to real-world impact, let's talk.

    WHAT TO EXPECT

    Every engagement is tailored to your goals, but here’s what you can typically expect

    1. Start with a conversation.

      We begin with a complimentary discovery call to understand your goals, challenges, and whether we're the right fit.

    2. Define what matters most.

      Together, we'll clarify priorities, define success, and shape the engagement around the outcomes that matter most.

    3. Work in focused sessions.

      Most coaching and advisory engagements meet every 2 weeks over several months, giving space to apply takeaways and build momentum.

    4. Turn insights into action.

      Each session ends with clear next steps, including new practical tools or resources when helpful.

    5. Support between sessions.

      You're welcome to reach out by voice note or text between calls for brief questions, reflections, or when something important comes up.

    ABOUT

    Strategist, operator, leader, and the space between.

    From Macgyvering as a humanitarian in conflict zones to leading offsites in polished boardrooms as a McKinsey consultant, I've spent 15+ years across 10 countries, living the fast-paced, high-stakes realities my clients face daily. As a co-founder, executive, and board director, I've built organizations from the ground up, strengthened governance, and led change through growth and complexity.

    This range of experience allows me to bring a practical approach and strategic rigor to turn vision into impact that matters, without burning through the team doing the work.

    Certifications & Training

    • MBA, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
    • Not-For-Profits Governance Essentials, Institute of Corporate Directors
    • Best Practices in Project Management, Global Business Management Consultants
    • University of Toronto's Award of Excellence for teaching Complex Humanitarian Emergencies (2016, 2017)
    • In progress: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), International Coaching Federation
    LinkedIn
    Daphne Hemily

    Professional experiences that shape how I work

    McKinsey & Company

    Over my five years at McKinsey, I facilitated executive offsites, created leadership programs, coached key leaders and led central transformation initiatives. All of my work was impact oriented. For example, my strategy and execution work helped a large-scale manufacturing client increase their EBITDA by 31% over three years.

    Africa Frontline First

    As a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Africa Frontline First, I established two financing mechanisms that raised and deployed over $130M across eight countries in four years, supporting 90,000 community health workers serving 71 million people. As COO, I scaled the joint venture's team and operations from 5 to 70+ people over 3 years, while navigating funders' expectations, operational realities, and moonshot ambition of system transformation.

    MSF / Doctors Without Borders

    During my decade with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, I led a statewide healthcare program in South Sudan during active conflict, overseeing 264 staff serving more than 187,000 people. Beyond operations and security, I managed the responsible transition of a decade-old project to government and local partners, ensuring continuity of care.

    Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

    As we emerged from the pandemic, I co-led multi-day whitewater river expeditions for Rotman School of Management's Leadership Development Lab alumni community. The wilderness environment was the leadership laboratory, strengthening self-awareness, clear communication, resilience, trust, and judgment in dynamic conditions.


    What I Bring to The Work

    A steady, strategic partner — visible in the room or quietly behind the scenes.

    Calm, direct presence

    A trusted partner in your corner when the going gets tough. Honest conversations. Direct when needed.

    Strategic and practical

    I connect the big picture to the day-to-day. Addressing both the urgent fires burning, while building structures that prevent repeated chaos.

    Global perspective

    Professional experience in 10 countries. Clients in 5 countries (USA, Canada, France, South Africa, Kenya).

    Deep investment

    I care about the people I work with. I'm in it with you. Invested in what you're building at work and in life.

    Contact Me

    Let's start a conversation.

    Reach out to explore how we might work together. We'll talk through what makes sense for you before any commitment.

    Every company and their leaders' needs are different.Let's find the right fit for you.