References – 99% Customer Satisfaction Rate!

The CIKI Learning Centre has received many strong references and recommendations from our customers. The following are excerpts from recent reference letters and testimonials.

• Denise is an outstanding teacher, who engaged the group with her personal experiences and teaching methodology. She provided us with a customized course outline that met the needs of the participants in their manufacturing environments. It was a good mix of theory and practice with everyone having some real “gems” to take away and apply to their big or small projects. Course moved at a great pace and kept the group focused and participating in this project management course. Well done, Denise and thanks!
• Norm Chow, CGA, MBA
• Corporate Controller, International Forest Products Limited

• Denise, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for what will prove to be, some of the most valuable training I have ever received. Your project management program is essential in me furthering my education and subsequent advancement. The materials you have provided me have been reviewed by my superiors and should prove beneficial on both plant and corporate levels in keeping up with the changes and advances in our industry. Thank you!
• Bill Scheich
• Quarry Superintendent / Manager, St. Mary’s Cement Co.

• The CIKI Learning Centre customized a workshop for 23 participants to meet our organization's goal of maturing our project management practices and capabilities. The workshop was very successful. The exercise resulted in number of opportunities for improvement to be implemented across our organization. We would highly recommend CIKI!
• Darryl Kropp, PMP
• Director, Information Technology, Cascade Aerospace Inc.

• When we embarked on a program to Mature Our Project Management Practices last year, we engaged Denise to provide our division with foundational training on best-practice business analysis and risk management. Her enthusiasm for and knowledge of industry best practices was enthusiastically received by our teams who quickly applied some of the concepts and techniques learned to their real-world projects. As a result, we are continuing to utilize Denise to provide consulting and coaching services for our project management and business analysis practice maturity development project.
• Kurt Pregler, MBA, CMC
• Manager, Process & Project Services
• Business Technology Group, TransLink

• CIKI custom developed and delivered Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) workshops for over 60 staff on what WBS were and how to build them in a project. These workshops have really taught us the value and importance of putting together WBS to understand and define scope for projects and have given us the tools to be able to build them properly.
• Eileen Iverson, PMP
• IT Business Solution Services Manager, City of Surrey

• Denise trained me in an accelerated PMP prep course. She is an excellent conveyer of information, has a keen mind and a tremendous depth of knowledge. The information that she provided was concise and the support materials very helpful to prepare me for the PMP exam.
• Andrew McClure, CDP,PMP
• Project Manager, BC Hydro

• I recently completed the "Project Management Essentials" course, and I was most impressed. It was not the first project management course I have taken, but it was by far the best. Although I was familiar with some of the course content, the practical exercises and real world examples used by Denise provided me with a fresh perspective and a variety of new tools that I can use on my own projects. The take home materials will also be a useful resource, especially with the dozens of helpful tips, tricks and techniques I feverishly scribbled in my binder. I would highly recommend the course to all PM's, both new and experienced.
• Lyle Thompson, Project Manager
• Canadian Environmental Assessment Authority

• We contracted CIKI to customize a course/workshop for us. After only a few brief meetings, the content was exactly what we were looking for from an industry perspective. The CIKI team took the time to ensure the terminology and approach was suitable for us and reflected our business practices so that the course attendees immediately walked away with vitally relevant knowledge! Not only did Denise provide and conduct the course, she guided us on a mechanism for ongoing knowledge sharing amongst our team members as we navigated through the new material.
• Deneen Asano, CBAP
• Mgr Distributed Systems, North America Change Delivery, HSBC

• CIKI prepared and conducted a customize Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) workshop for all of our IT staff. The goal was to familiarize all staff with the concept of WBS, and the associated tools and techniques, so that they could effectively participate in the creation of WBS under the facilitation of a PM. Attendees had varying levels of exposure to WBS, the majority with no formal exposure. Denise developed and presented the material in an easy to understand, interactive manner, sprinkled with illustrative examples from her extensive PM experience, and paced to the audience’s ability to absorb. The end result was a heightened level of awareness around WBS, an understanding of why that pesky PM is requiring so much information about activities, dependencies and estimates, and more active participation by project team members during the detailed project planning phase.
• Barbara R. Davey, Dipl Tech, PMP
• Application Services Manager, City of Surrey

• I just completed the Risk Management course, taught by Denise Holleran-Boswell. The course content is relevant and useful, but it was Denise's energy and examples from her own experience that really brought the material to life. I was able to see how to make Risk Management an integral part of the project that stakeholders are engaged in and not just a line on a status report.
• Darla Jamieson
• Project Manager, Coast Mountain Bus Company

• I attended a two-day Risk Management workshop conducted by Ms. Denise Holleran-Boswell during October, 2010. Using PMBOK®’s Risk Management knowledge area framework as a reference, she facilitated the development of Risk Registers for two of our current projects. This mix of theory and hands-on group work resulted in a highly effective learning experience for everybody. Denise demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and was able communicate effectively with all the participants. I would like to recommend this workshop to anybody desirous of improving their project risk identification and risk response planning skills.
• Lalith Samarawickrama, PMP
• Project Manager, Coast Mountain Bus Company

• I recently passed the PMP Certification Exam. Denise's teachings along with the tools and techniques in the PMP Exam Preparation Workshop provided the strong basis for my success.
• Deb Hoadley, PMP
• Senior Business Process Manager, Envision Financial

• I attended the two day Applying Risk Management for Improved Risk Performance presented by Denise Holleran-Boswell. Denise has a style which keeps the material interesting and easy to follow. It provides a good foundation for developing skills in risk management and a good reminder for those with some exposure.
• Maria Patten, Director, Corporate Projects
• Liquor Distribution Branch

• Attending the course was a great experience.  I found the material in combination with Denise's expertise to be an invaluable preparation for the PMP certification exam.  The material provided during the course was at a sufficiently challenging level to increase my confidence about passing the PMP exam on the first try.  Denise has worked with many students before and I found that her insights and suggestions were very helpful not only on how to study for the PMP test, but how to take the test itself.  I also found the weekly Friday format over four weeks to be highly effective.  This format allowed me to study the material each week and work through the entire course book in one month.  I was therefore in a good position to write the PMP test shortly after the course's conclusion. I highly recommend the course to students who are interested in preparing for the PMP certification test.
• Arden Styles, MBA, CMC, PMP
• Senior Manager, Advisory Services, KPMG LLP

• I took recently a 3 day Project Management Process Workshop with Denise Holleran-Boswell. When I first signed up, it was with the view that the workshop would be a refresher since I got my PMP certification a year earlier. Surprisingly, this course offered more than I expected. While sharing her vast experience, Denise facilitated skillfully the dialogue in the class so that everyone benefited and learned from the knowledge and experiences of the others. I would recommend this workshop to any Project Manager or anyone working in this area.
• François Cambron, PMP
• Marine Systems Designer
• Fleet Technical Engineering, BC Ferry Services Inc.

• Denise’s approach to PMP exam preparation provided exactly what I needed: four Friday's in February with straightforward content delivery and practical tips for studying for the exam. I recommend this course to people who want a primer on preparing for the PMP exam effectively and don't want to take months to do so.
• Brad Birt, PMP
• Project Manager, AMBit Consulting Inc

• Participant’s feedback on our standard workshop evaluation questionnaire was highly positive.  Denise received very unusual, extremely high scores: Overall rating of the workshop: scale 1 – 5; average score 5.  Overall effectiveness of instructor: scale 1 – 5; average score 5.  Example of a participant feedback comment: I thought the whole thing was excellent, she really knew her stuff and could pass on tons of helpful information.  Following the course, Denise provided soft copy templates to the participants and was available for follow-up questions.  She also provided me with a structured feedback form from all the participants regarding opportunities for project management improvements at the BCSA.  I would recommend Denise and the Learning Centre as a high quality group to use in providing Project Management training.
• Neil Kyle
• Leader, Organization Development, Human Resources, BC Safety Authority

• A very practical and focused 2 day introduction to project management. Denise Holleran's clear and determined style gives participants the rationale and confidence to manage any project successfully!
• Brenda Prosken, Director Human Resources
  
• Vancouver Public Library

• I highly recommend this course for anyone with an active role or interest in project management. I found the course material comprehensive and insightful, with practical tips on effective project management. Denise Holleran-Boswell is an excellent teacher, and has a wealth of experience that can guide you successfully through the most challenging of project issues.
• Tony Doyle
  
• Business Systems Manager, Vancouver School Board

• PMP Exam Preparation course by Denise was an excellent basis for absorbing PMBOK concepts. Thanks to clear instructions, comprehensive material presentation and measurable guidelines for study, I passed the exam on my first attempt. I recommend PMP Exam Preparation course by Denise to anyone who wants a guaranteed approach for passing the exam.
• Alex Komisarenko, BSc,PMP
  
• IT Project Manager, TELUS

• I did attend the PMP Exam Preparation Workshop with Denise Holleran-Boswell. I was totally impressed with the invaluable course material provided, the schedule of this course and the expertise which Denise brought and shared with us her project management experience and how to prepare for the PMP exam together in such a comfortable environment. We were encouraged to clarify our doubts and yes with so much enthusiasm and passion for Project management I did pass my exam. I would recommend this course to every PM both new and experienced.
• Prabjit Syali, B.Eng, PMP
  
• Technical Project Manager Tiger Eye

• Denise is very engaging, her vast experience was very evident. I would most definitely recommend this course!
• Robin Pierce
  
• Analyst, Power Smart, BC Hydro

• Denise's boot camp was very helpful and informative for me. It helped me very much in preparing for my PMP certificate exam.  The instructor Denise Holleran-Boswell was highly knowledgeable and a master on this subject. It was a rigorous session and Denise did a wonderful job of keeping us on our toes and our minds alert.
• Behram Divecha, PMP
  
• BRZ Holdings Inc.

• The Accelerated PMP Certification Prep Course hosted by The Learning Centre, was critical in helping me prepare and pass the PMI PMP exam.  The instructor’s course material, study tips and tools wee instrumental.  Her real-life experiences were extremely valuable in learning how to apply the theory into practice.  Thank you for helping me attain my PMP!
• Ritu Gulati-Alvares, PMP, BEng.
  
• Project Manager, SAP Canada

• The Learning Centre customized a simulated exercise for 25+ participants to meet our specific organizational challenges around improving LSS' competencies in resource estimation, cost estimation, and collaborative planning and decision making.  The exercise resulted in four prioritized opportunities for improvement to be implemented across our organization.
• Thomas Fink, Manager of Strategic Planning
  
• Legal Services Society

• The Accelerated PMP Certification Prep Course was extremely useful in helping me prepare for my exam.  The real life examples and scenarios that Denise provided were invaluable!  Her years of experience in Project Management provided the students a much deeper understanding of what is required to be a Great Project Manager.  I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in doing the Certification and also for anyone who wants to learn the processes, inputs, outputs, tools and techniques of how to successfully manage projects.
• Nimira Anandji, PMP, BASc
  
• Project Manager, TELUS

• I am glad to have taken Learning Centre’s Accelerated PMP Certification Preparation Course. I am very impressed with the quality of the course material, the caliber and knowledge of the instructor as well as her support given me even after the course ended. Besides helping me tremendously in preparation for the exam, the excellent program had also enriched my understanding of various project management areas. The class time was very well-organized and the pace at which it was taught was just right, with ample time for questions as well. I would rate it as one of the best courses I have ever taken. I highly recommend this course to anyone who considers pursuing the PMP accreditation.
• Jackson Lee, PMP, MBA, MASc, BASc.

• Denise’s four-week accelerated PMP Prep course was excellent. It was well organized and followed a logical flow.  Denise was able to take the difficult and challenging concepts and make them clear and easy to understand.
• Brian Smith, PMP, MBA, BGS
  
• President, Malabar Marketing Ltd.

• In 2007 I had the opportunity to complete a Project Management workshop, it was extremely well prepared and delivered.  It was obvious our facilitator had numerous years of experience as a PM and Instructor.
  Our group was made up of both seasoned veterans and novice Project Managers and Project Coordinators/Contributors.  The workshop material and presentation was such that it enabled all participants to learn, understand and apply their knowledge to in class practical exercises in a structured approach.
  The take away from this exercise is that I have noticed a marked improvement in the Commission's project processes.  Cost effective use of our resources and materials mean greater efficiencies driven into our daily effort.  The Stakeholder wins.
• Al Urquhart, IT Project Manager/ Gestionnaire de projets des TI
  
• Canadian Tourism Commission / Commission canadienne du tourisme>

• I have been doing professional development all my working career.  The prep course for the PMP certification is probably the best course I have ever taken.   This is one of the first times I’ve actually been through a program which ensured my success on passing an exam.  I was impressed by the structure and format of the course, the companion materials provided and the caliber of the trainer.  Denise has significant real world experience and her insights on project management were invaluable.  I highly recommend taking this course if you really want to pass your PMP exam knowing the content.
• Ann Peters, PMP
  
• President, BearCat Consulting Ltd.

• As a Private Contractor, I really appreciated the efficiency of the Learning Centre PMP preparation course run over four consecutive Fridays.   I was a little worried about course content, as the course was built around the (at the time) untested PMBOK v4 exam, but it turned out to be spot on!  Denise's real life experience certainly helped me put some of the (big, complex projects) processes in context.
  I would certainly recommend this course to other PMs.
• Andy Jones, PMP
• Project Manager

• I recently passed my PMP® exam thanks to Denise and the extremely thorough PMP Exam Prep course. Some of the processes and approaches used to reinforce basic PMBOK principles were fantastic in highlighting areas I needed to focus my studying. I enjoyed the course, project knowledge she shared, and study tools – all necessary knowledge to pass the exam. Of greatest value were her tips on the exam itself, study tips, and suggestions for resolving what appear at first glance to be multiple correct answers.
• Linda Flegel, PMP
  Project Manager, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority

• I have taken a number of project management courses over the years, but the PMP Exam Preparation course from the Learning Centre was the best learning experience I have had since I finished University.  Denise is an exceptional instructor and uses her extensive experience to illustrate project management concepts in a way that makes retention of the material both easy and enjoyable.  The knowledge and skills I received in this course were instrumental in my passing of the PMP exam.
• Garnet Gracey, BSc, PMP
  
• Applications Team Lead, International Forest Products

• Undertaking the PMP exam is not easy task, it takes preparation and at times a change in mindset.  Having the opportunity to take an exam preparation course helped me in thinking about the exam process and gave me access to a fantastic group of people for guidance.  I would advise anyone who is thinking of taking the PMP exam, to take the Leaning Centre’s PMP Exam course.  Denise is an excellent tutor who gets right to the point, making the course and learning both fun and interactive.  I am very grateful to have had Denise as a tutor. 
• Michelle Chapman PMP, CITP, MSC
  
• Manager, Advisory Service Performance Improvement
  
• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

• The PMP Prep course was a thorough examination of the PMI materials in a cooperative and interactive setting.  The instructor used her extensive PM experience and knowledge of the PMI framework to challenge the class and keep everyone involved.  I really enjoyed that class and felt well prepared for the exam.
• Michael Everson, PMP
• Principal, Orcades Informative Consulting Ltd

• Denise trained me in an accelerated PMP prep course. She is an excellent conveyer of information, has a keen mind and a tremendous depth of knowledge. The information that she provided was concise and the support materials very helpful to prepare me for the PMP exam.
• Andrew McClure, CDP,PMP
  
• Consulting Project Manager, Bald Girl Enterprises Ltd
  
• Project Manager, BC Hydro
  

• The PMP Exam Prep Workshop hosted by The Learning Centre was instrumental in helping me prepare for and pass the PMI PMP exam. The format, content, schedule and presentation of the material were structured in the most effective manner to allow me to assimilate the information and study for the exam. The workshop helped me to tie together my Project Management experience with the PMI framework to fulfill the requirements for writing the exam.
• Al Henry, PMP
  Project Manager, Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers

• The biggest thing I learned was sufficient planning up front will help create conditions for success.
• Colette Peterson, Manager, Business Service Group>
  
• International Forest Products Limited

• Learning the proper project management framework and structure taught us how to map out a project, enabling us to be more efficient in planning and running projects.
• Craig Dohm, General Manager of Logistics
  
• International Forest Products Limited

• I think the Learning Centre did an excellent job of customizing the project management workshop such that is was applicable to our specific business needs.
• Bruce Blackwell, President / Principal
  
• B.A. Blackwell and Associates Ltd.

• Good foundational learning – the customized project management workshop was very appropriate for our audience.  Many of the learnings will be adopted by our PMO and Professional Services Group.
• Michel C. Dubé, Vice President, Product Strategy
  
• FDM Software Ltd.

• Thank you for a fabulous learning experience.  The materials provided were top notch, giving me all the resources I needed to pass my PMP certification exam.  On top of that the workshop facilitator, Denise Holleran-Boswell, used her extensive experience as a Project Manager to give real world examples of the concepts we were covering.  I recommend this workshop to anyone looking to get their PMP certification.  The goal is to achieve your certification; you will get much more.
• Liz Dobson PMP, CPIM
  
• Principal, Apple Tree Consulting Inc.

•  I am extremely pleased with the course – it has provided me with the tools to transform my efforts to results!
• Zach Fischer, EIT
  
• Project Engineer, Urban Wood Waste Recyclers

• I found the Project Management course offered by Ms. Holleran-Boswell very useful; the format is interactive and allows a learner to absorb and retain the information. The tools and strategies presented are applicable across business sectors, and will help to bring as much certainty as possible to an uncertain situation thereby allowing one to control a very complex process and achieve an objective.
• Rob Hajdù, Environmental Assessment Officer,
• Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency

• I had the opportunity of taking a course on the project management process with Denise in 2009. Denise is highly experienced in project management and is able to skillfully explain PM theory into practice through the usage of real life scenarios. I found Denise to be very knowledgeable and I owe my interest in project management to her.
• Emil Tarka, MA
• Project Manager, Rural Instructor Preceptor Project, Red Deer College

• Denise Holleran-Boswell customized an intensive two day PM workshop based on our specific needs and appropriate to the varying experience levels of the attendees.  The main goal was to enable participants to apply a structured approach to managing quality projects.  The workshop was a great success.  Denise's vast knowledge, expertise and experience sprinkled with humour proved to be an invaluable learning experience for us all.  The principles we learned are extremely beneficial to the development and potential of both staff and the organization playing a critical role to the future success of our projects and fundraising.
• Brenda van Engelen, Executive Director
  
• Vancouver Public Library Foundation

• Anthem Properties had a successful experience with the learning centre through their delivery of a project management course.  We found the team flexible as to the curriculum, accommodating as to our specific needs, and energetic and interactive in their sessions.  We will use them again and have no hesitation in recommending them to other project teams.
• Robert Clark, Director, Information Technology
  
• Anthem Properties