10 Questions with Lisa Cernivivo (June 2020)
10 Questions with Lisa Cernivivo
1. What do you do at The Marquee Group?
I’m currently the Director of Human Resources and Operations at Marquee. I lead all of Marquee’s client operations as well as organize and oversee the daily operations. I ensure functions and procedures are well coordinated and productive. At some point in my career with Marquee, I’ve had my hands in anything and everything from an operations/administrative perspective!
2. How long have you been at Marquee?
I started with Marquee in Jan 2012 – I just celebrated my 8-year anniversary! I am employee number 5!
3. You must be one of the original hires! Marquee has probably changed quite a bit since you joined.
It sure has! When I started, our office was Ian’s house! We ran a fraction of the training programs we do today, our meetings took place in Ian’s dining room, the accreditation program was in the idea stage and most importantly I didn’t have this great team of people to work with! It has been an incredible journey watching the firm grow and playing a part in it.
4.Where were you before Marquee?
In my previous role, I worked in Human Resources for the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. I had taken some time off to stay home with my young daughters and no sooner had I left when this opportunity presented itself. After meeting the team, I couldn’t pass it up!
5. Marquee is a small yet diverse group. What is it like working with many different skill sets and personalities and what piece of advice can you give any of us who work in teams?
What I love about the Marquee team is that everyone brings a unique skill set to the group. I feel like you really have the opportunity to learn something from each individual. I’ve often referred to the team as one big puzzle that fits together perfectly. We all have something different to offer to the firm as a whole and to one another.
As for advice when working in teams, it’s always critical to step back and look at the big picture. We are naturally focused on our own goals and not necessarily those of the team. It’s important to see where someone is coming from and understand their perspective in order to ensure projects are well thought out and capture the needs of an organization.
6. We ask this question to everyone in the 10 Qs hot seat but recognize you don’t build models all day. Still, we must know: what is your favourite snack to munch on while working?
You can usually find me snacking on fruits or vegetables but if you catch me around the 2 p.m. mark, I’m usually looking for something sweet – a cookie or baked good, candy or chocolate. My weakness is definitely sour keys! Luckily at the Marquee office there is never a shortage of sweets in the kitchen!
7. What is your favourite keyboard shortcut?
Control + D was a game changer for me!
8. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love to travel – I’m always looking ahead at what our family’s next travel destination will be and planning how we can make the most of it. I have an adventurous side and enjoy being outside – kayaking, paddle boarding or hiking. I also have a creative side – there has never been a redecorating or renovation project I didn’t enjoy working on!
9. Very diverse! It sounds like you could dabble in all types of different industries. If you weren’t working at Marquee, what would you be doing?
Flipping houses! I love seeing a project come together from beginning to end. I love being able to look at a blank space and envision its potential.
10. L-shaped Enter key or straight Enter key?
Straight all the way! I don’t think I’ve ever owned a computer with an L-shaped key.