Challenge Factory’s projects are powered by expert collaboration. Meet our latest Steering Committee translating insight into action to help employers build internal career centres.
Career development is a proven driver of workforce engagement, adaptability, and business success. When it’s embedded in the way an organization operates, not treated as a siloed HR activity, it becomes a strategic lever that strengthens both people and productivity.
That principle is at the heart of the Organizational Blueprint for Creating Career Development Centres of Expertise (CDCE), a Challenge Factory-led initiative with funding from CERIC and delivered in partnership with CACEE. This project helps employers build internal career centres that make career growth, learning, and talent mobility part of everyday work.
Expert collaboration in action
Every Challenge Factory project brings together the right mix of expertise and perspectives—in research, practice, policy, and lived experience—to turn ideas into action. The steering committee is where this comes to life.
Co-chaired by Lisa Taylor and Emma James, our CDCE Project Steering Committee convenes leaders from across academia, government, and industry who share a commitment to strengthening workplaces and workforce systems across North America. Their insight ensures the project remains grounded in organizational realities and future-focused in its design.
Meet the CDCE Steering Committee Members
Together, this committee reflects a key career development ecosystem that links employers, educators, and policymakers who shape how people grow and work.
Emma James, Policy Advisor and Project Manager, Challenge Factory (Co-Chair)
Lisa Taylor, Founder and CEO, Challenge Factory (Co-Chair)
Trevor Buttrum, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers
Ricardo Carlos, Human Resources Officer, City of Austin Employees Retirement System
Matheus Grasselli, Deputy Provost, McMaster University
Mark Patterson, Executive Director, Magnet
Nathalie Thériault, Co-Chair of the Career Management Community of Practice for the Federal Public Service, Government of Canada
Career Development Professional, Insurance Industry (Confidential Participant)
Leadership and Learning Professional, Financial Industry (Confidential Participant)
Why steering committees matter at Challenge Factory
Steering committees are a cornerstone of Challenge Factory’s Research-to-Practice Model. They do more than provide oversight. They co-create.
- They establish relevance: By testing ideas against employer realities, committees help us develop resources that are practical, actionable, and credible.
- They strengthen connections: Their cross-sector insights bridge business, education, and public policy.
- They extend impact: Committee members amplify learning across networks so that project outputs benefit individuals, organizations, and systems.
- They uphold shared leadership: Each member brings influence and accountability, ensuring our work delivers value well beyond its initial scope.
In Challenge Factory projects, steering committees turn collaboration into transformation, translating shared insight into tools and practices that take root in organizations and across wider workforce systems.
Why internal career centres matter for employers
For employers, establishing an internal career development centre of expertise isn’t about creating a new department. It’s about unlocking potential already inside the organization.
When career development is embedded across teams and functions:
- Employees see a future for themselves and stay longer.
- Leaders build stronger pipelines for succession and mobility.
- The organization becomes more productive and adaptable, ready to navigate changing markets and technology.
The payoff is tangible: higher engagement, lower turnover, and a workforce that grows in step with business strategy. In complex markets, this is what gives employers a genuine competitive edge.
Looking ahead
Guided by our Steering Committee, the CDCE Project will deliver a playbook, bootcamp, and suite of tools to help organizations embed career development at the core of their strategy. These resources will debut at Cannexus 2026, beginning a new chapter in how employers grow, retain, and mobilize their talent.
Together, we’re shaping a future where career development isn’t a side initiative—it’s how organizations thrive and lead.
Read the full project announcement.
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