GPA
TRANSITIONING GENERATIONS | TRANSFORMING COMPANIES
Trusted Advisors with Customized Solutions
We are a team of highly-credentialed professionals focused on advising, strategizing, facilitating and coaching our clients through crucial transitions and transformations, creating sustainable solutions to address organizational challenges. Collaboration characterizes our consulting approach and our flexible frameworks allows for successful problem-solving and customized solutions.
Our Associates have extensive experience across industries in for-profit, not-for-profit, and partnership organizations, and have delivered – and implemented – significant change at the individual, team and organization levels.
We also have a deep understanding of the unique dynamics of family business and family offices, and have designed specific service areas for family enterprises including succession planning, NextGen leadership development and the creation of family governance structures.
With five decades consulting experience, our global team has advanced degrees in psychology, business, governance and medicine and are licensed to practice their craft. We know about organizations because we have led them. We know leadership because we are leaders. Our aim is both to help optimize the performance of your business and create long-lasting and sustainable relationships with our clients built on trust, professionalism and dedication.
the gpa team
Elizabeth Baggar
M.A.
Colleen Bastian
Ph.D.
Marcus Benayon
JD, MEd, PhD., C. Psych.
Sandra Bertoli
B.Sc.
Stephen Scanlan
M.Ed.
Hartley Stern
MD, FRCS, FACS, ICD.D
Carey Stevens
Ph.D., C.Psych.
Debrah Wirtzfeld
MD MSc FRCSC ACC ICD.D MBA
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SERVICES FOR
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Family Offices
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Articles & Insights
Dave Wallace
Dave Wallace has worked with GPA as both a client and consultant since 2015. He has served as a Chief Operating Officer with four different family office real estate platforms managing billions of dollars in real estate assets. Dave provides GPA clients with a full range of organizational development services for their family offices and real estate platforms. The range of services includes organizational maturity assessments (OMA), strategic planning, organizational development, transition planning, and change management. He is uniquely qualified to assist with the development of strategic project management offices (PMO), and to train staff in Project Management Institute methods.
Dave has 25 years of experience managing family office real estate platforms that develop and construct real estate for their own portfolios. His experience includes strategic growth in revenue streams and profitability, value creation, organizational assessments, transformational change management, and enterprise strategy and operations. As a COO, he managed a $5 billion development pipeline with full P&L responsibility for $450+ million in annual enterprise revenues. He has successfully executed strategic plans in parent and subsidiary companies yielding a lengthy list of industry awards for both managerial and operational excellence.
Dave is certified as a Stanford University Advanced Project Manager (SCAPM), and a Project Management Institute Project Management Professional (PMP). He is a licensed general contractor in Florida and California, and a licensed California civil contractor. Dave is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) in both the US and Canada.
In addition to leading GPA’s practice in GTA (Toronto) and SW Ontario, Tracey’s boutique firm focuses on accelerating individuals, teams and organizations through executive coaching and business consulting. Tracey has partnered to extend the reach of Coaching Co. through her association with global consulting firms such as Deloitte, LHH Knightsbridge and Gerald Pulvermacher & Associates (GPA). She has extensive experience helping organizations proactively plan, manage and implement strategic change while assessing readiness and supporting the ‘human side’ of strategy implementation. Tracey also brings a depth and breadth of experience helping organizations develop and strengthen strategic, operational and organizational capabilities through leadership development and executive coaching.
An active member of the local and global community, Tracey is a Past President of Rotary Club of Kitchener-Waterloo and Chair of the Region of Waterloo Immigration Partnership Council.
Nicholas Tiliacos
Nicholas Tiliacos is a career Chief Executive Officer with a proven track record of driving consistent double-digit growth in public and private companies. He has wide-ranging international operational, fundraising, and M&A experience, giving him a unique ability to advise and coach domestic and global clients. Currently, he is focused primarily on engagements in Europe and North America.
He has led companies at different stages of development, from being the CEO of a NASDAQ publicly-traded company to leading early-stage startups. He has learned that changing business circumstances require diverse human talent, approaches, and tactics. What is common to all phases of business is the need to maximize individual performance, promote risktaking and innovation while preserving the necessary teamwork to achieve common organizational goals.
Nicholas holds a BS in Business Administration, a master’s degree in International Management (M.I.M) from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and is a certified Executive Coach.
Michael McFaul
Michael McFaul is an experienced global executive who has enjoyed a remarkable four-decade career with Deloitte, leading large-scale transformation programs for clients across multiple industries, including Financial Services, Consumer, and Public Sector.
Following retirement in 2022, and over the last 2 years, Michael served a multi-family office, providing independent, comprehensive wealth management and financial services to multiple high-net-worth families and individuals. He met with key prospective clients, led strategy for the CEO (mission, vision, values, strategic priorities, creation of a leadership team, competitive analysis, corporate development strategy, alliances program, branding, and social impact/philanthropy) and mentored future leaders.
Michael served as a Deloitte Board member for Canada and Chile for 8 years, with key roles as Chair or Co-Chair on numerous committees including: Governance; Leader & Talent; Strategy, Ethics and Risk; and Finance, Investments & Capital. He also served in numerous executive roles with Deloitte including Consulting Clients & Industries Leader, Canada/US Consulting Collaboration Leader, Director Operations – Ontario and Quebec regions, European Practice Director – People Competency, member of European Management Committee (operating across 15 countries for 5 years) and member of the Canadian Consulting Executive for 17 years. He also led many strategic client accounts across Canada over multiple decades.
Michael has exceptionally strong client relationship skills, with a proven track-record for bringing creative change strategies to solve complex client issues. He has developed a deep and broad experience in consulting in such areas as governance, program and performance management, leadership alignment, organization design, culture change, workforce transition and communications. He is recognized for his strong people orientation and team approach.
He completed his Director’s Education program at the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. Growing up in a small town in Quebec with two hard-working parents and six brothers and sisters, Michael learned early on the importance of strong family values, teamwork, commitment, and personal drive.
Dave Wallace
CMC, ICD.D
Dave Wallace has worked with GPA as both a client and consultant since 2015. He has served as a Chief Operating Officer with four different family office real estate platforms managing billions of dollars in real estate assets. Dave provides GPA clients with a full range of organizational development services for their family offices and real estate platforms. The range of services includes organizational maturity assessments (OMA), strategic planning, organizational development, transition planning, and change management. He is uniquely qualified to assist with the development of strategic project management offices (PMO), and to train staff in Project Management Institute methods.
Dave has 25 years of experience managing family office real estate platforms that develop and construct real estate for their own portfolios. His experience includes strategic growth in revenue streams and profitability, value creation, organizational assessments, transformational change management, and enterprise strategy and operations. As a COO, he managed a $5 billion development pipeline with full P&L responsibility for $450+ million in annual enterprise revenues. He has successfully executed strategic plans in parent and subsidiary companies yielding a lengthy list of industry awards for both managerial and operational excellence.
Dave is certified as a Stanford University Advanced Project Manager (SCAPM), and a Project Management Institute Project Management Professional (PMP). He is a licensed general contractor in Florida and California, and a licensed California civil contractor. Dave is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) in both the US and Canada.
Jael Itzcovitch
Jael N. Itzcovitch brings over 15 years of experience in human resources, executive development and organizational development to her work with GPA clients. Jael holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida International University.
Jael leads GPA’s South Florida practice specializing in supporting family-owned enterprises through generational transitions, governance frameworks, and leadership development. In addition to her family business expertise, Jael has consulted to privately-held enterprises focusing on organizational development, coaching leaders, designing and implementing strategic initiatives and enhancing organization cultures that drive performance.
Jael has also held leadership positions that included serving as Human Resources Director for the Icebox Group, where she spearheaded initiatives to reduce turnover, enhance engagement, and streamline compliance. She also co-founded We Power Consulting in Argentina, guiding family-owned businesses through pivotal transitions.
A passionate advocate for cross-cultural engagement, Jael draws inspiration from her international upbringing in Andorra, Argentina, and the United States. Beyond her professional achievements, she finds joy in traveling, exploring diverse cultures, and nurturing her family life with her partner and daughter.
Marcus Benayon
Marcus has consulted with Canada’s top family offices and industry leaders as their personal advisor and chief of staff. He subsequently grew advisory practice partnering with high-net-worth families across Canada, Europe, and the US in dealing with wealth transfer, business development and legacy.
Marcus has also served as Executive Advisor to six CEOs and Presidents of major private and public companies across diverse sectors, including land development, finance, and manufacturing. Although his roles have been diverse, all required the ability to influence, build trust and develop strategic relationships with key stakeholders, including C-Suite, Boards and Government Officials. Marcus has also had the opportunity to coach and mentor new and existing leaders to help advance their most critical objectives.
At his core, Marcus is a teacher and educator. Culturally astute, Marcus’ perspective is global and multicultural having lived, worked and traveled across the USA, Canada, Israel, Europe, building relationships and a diverse professional network.
Dr. Marcus Benayon, holds a Doctorate degree in Applied Psychology and Human Development, a Master’s degree in Education, both from the University of Toronto, and Juries Doctor from Columbia University, NYC.
Marcus lives in New York City.
Tracey Hare
Tracey has 25 years experience in sales, operations, and human resources leadership. Most recently, she formed her own company and transitioned into executive coaching and organizational consulting from executive leadership roles in the technology, financial services and government sectors.
In addition to leading GPA’s practice in GTA (Toronto) and SW Ontario, Tracey’s boutique firm focuses on accelerating individuals, teams and organizations through executive coaching and business consulting. Tracey has partnered to extend the reach of Coaching Co. through her association with global consulting firms such as Deloitte, LHH Knightsbridge and Gerald Pulvermacher & Associates (GPA). She has extensive experience helping organizations proactively plan, manage and implement strategic change while assessing readiness and supporting the ‘human side’ of strategy implementation. Tracey also brings a depth and breadth of experience helping organizations develop and strengthen strategic, operational and organizational capabilities through leadership development and executive coaching.
An active member of the local and global community, Tracey is a Past President of Rotary Club of Kitchener-Waterloo and Chair of the Region of Waterloo Immigration Partnership Council.


























