Katya Laviolette is an experienced board director and senior executive with over 30 years of leadership experience supporting organizations through CEO succession, enterprise scale, and governance transformation. She brings deep expertise in founder transitions, executive compensation, and leadership continuity, and is frequently engaged by boards and investors during periods of elevated enterprise risk.

She currently serves as Board Director and Chair of the Governance Committee at Sanimax, a $1B CAD circular economy business operating across North and South America, where she was heavily involved in CEO succession planning as the company transitioned from family ownership to professional executive leadership. She currently oversees all talent, executive compensation, reputational and health and safety risks in her role of Chair.

Katya is also a Board Director and Chair of the HR Committee at Solotech, a global audiovisual and entertainment technology company, where she led the seamless transition from a sitting CEO to a high-profile external CEO. She currently oversees executive compensation and leadership governance in her role of Chair.

Previously, Katya held board roles at FX Innovation (sold to Bell Canada), Gecko Alliance (sold to Nexcap), and LAPS (CDPQ-appointed). She also advises high-growth companies including Airvet and Mento on business expansion, product design, leadership scale and succession readiness.

In her executive career, Katya is Chief People Officer at 1Password, where she rebuilt the C-suite, led the founder to external CEO transition, and scaled the company from approximately 500 to 1,500 employees globally to ensure an IPO ready business. She has previously held senior leadership roles at SSENSE, TC Transcontinental (TSX), Alcan Packaging (Rio Tinto), and CBC/Radio-Canada.

Katya is ICD-certified in Governance Essentials, holds a Master of Industrial Relations from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta. She is bilingual in English and French and holds dual Canadian and British citizenship.

Katya is actively engaged in community and volunteer leadership. She serves on the HR Committee at McGill University and as a Board Member of Transform Montréal, contributing governance, talent, and leadership expertise in support of education, economic development, and sustainability. She is also an active mentor and advisor to senior executives and founders.