People

Something that has never been done before? We’re building award-winning homes and businesses in their respective communities, and helping people live better while doing it.

Rob Cecil

President & Chief Development Officer
Rob has been with the company since 2013 and is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the Alair organization and management of the senior leadership team.

Blair McDaniel

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Blair founded Alair in 2007 and provides executive leadership, vision, and guidance to Alair.

Stu Hopewell

Chief Operations Officer
A contractor for 22 years and in charge of Alair’s system-wide operations and compliance, he oversees the operations department at the home office. Stu has been with the company since 2012 and has been COO since 2016

Katrina McLauchlan

Chief Financial Officer
With the Alair since its infancy in 2007, Katrina oversees all financial planning and fiscal management system-wide for Alair as well as leadership of the accounting team.

Natalie Harper

Director of Communications

As the Director of Communications at Alair, Natalie connects Alair with homeowners across North America through integrated brand campaigns and community engagement. In addition to her role as director, Natalie is also the managing editor of Alair Magazine, which showcases home and lifestyle trends.

In 2011, Natalie founded Harper PR, an independent marketing communications consultancy that serves as one of Western Canada’s most sought-after consultancies by global brands. Harper PR has secured media coverage with major outlets such as TSN, CTV, Global National, and more. Natalie has led PR for Food Banks Canada, initiated the Stocking Stuffers for Seniors program in collaboration with London Drugs and Operation Friendship Seniors Society, and championed the #BuildingARTyeg initiative, creating the #BuildingARTyeg award in partnership with IDEA.

Over her 10-year tenure at Alair, Natalie has championed an engaging, people-to-people public relations strategy that catapulted Alair’s Edmonton locations to the forefront of Alberta’s top builders. Now, she continues to expand that successful strategy across Alair, empowering builders at 100+ locations to commit to meaningful change in their communities. Driven by this motivation to give back, Natalie spearheaded Alair Cares, Alair’s community give-back program that has contributed charitable donations and services across the U.S. and Canada.

Natalie has been recognized as a finalist for the prestigious Notable Award in 2016, the Best in Business #Yeggie Award category in 2013, and the Deloitte Women of Influence award in Edmonton in 2010.

In 2022, Natalie received Alair’s highest honor at the Alair International Conference Awards: the Jamie Affleck Legacy Award.

Rachel Peace

Internal HR

Hailing from the U.K., Rachel Peace brings an impressive track record in human resources spanning national and multinational organizations over two decades. Her journey led her to the vibrant shores of Canada in 2015, where she embarked on a new chapter with Alair.

As an adept HR Manager, Rachel holds a prestigious CPHR (Chartered Professionals in Human Resources) designation. Her passion for nurturing human potential and fostering organizational culture is evident through her extensive portfolio, encompassing recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning and development, compensation and benefits, change management, and employee engagement.
Rachel’s contributions have extended to strategic resourcing, where she played an integral role in negotiating and implementing Preferred Supplier Agreements with recruitment agencies across the UK. Her portfolio boasts an impressive involvement in business acquisitions and transitions, such as relocating a team of 200 staff between major cities.

At Alair, Rachel has been instrumental in recalibrating Home Office goal-setting structures, devising a competency-driven Growth Framework, launching a dedicated Wellness Team, and orchestrating the recruitment of pivotal roles. Rachel has also orchestrated the hiring of 93 staff members within a nine-month period during a phase of exponential growth.

Amidst the demands of HR leadership, Rachel treasures her family time by visiting the oceans and forests where they live. She also loves to cheer on her daughter on the soccer field (or footie, as she would call it).

Jeff Daley

Director of Training & Education

Meet Jeff Daley, a seasoned professional with a diverse background and extensive experience across various industries. Since July 2019, Jeff has served as the Director of Training & Education for Alair’s home office. Jeff has been instrumental in enhancing the organization’s training and education initiatives.

Jeff joined the home office after working as a project manager in one of the Nanaimo franchise offices. Since then, he has honed his expertise in management by playing a pivotal role in refining and optimizing Alair’s processes and software.

As a director, Jeff brings a multifaceted approach to his role in training and education, introducing principles that he learned during years of experience in sales, marketing, customer service, and financial services.

Jeff is originally from Toronto, Canada. In 2017, he moved to Nanaimo; today, he enjoys everything that beautiful British Columbia has to offer.

Michael Duncan

Director of Operations

Michael Duncan is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in business operations, leadership, and team building. With a background in multi-unit management, Michael brings a unique blend of expertise to his role as Director of Operations at Alair. In his previous roles at Starbucks, Michael led a dynamic team to spearhead business growth, enhance service quality, and ensure strict adherence to operational processes and procedures. His commitment to excellence resulted in elevated customer experience and operational efficiency. In his current position as Director of Operations at Alair, Michael has dedicated himself to enhancing the Alair process and communication strategies, effectively streamlining operations and introducing methodologies such as EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) and KOLBE. Michael’s strategic insight has played a pivotal role in aligning the operations department’s focus, ensuring that the right tasks are executed at the right time by the right team members. Michael holds certifications in Servant & Situational Leadership, along with LEAN methodology, underscoring his commitment to effective leadership and continuous process improvement. His proficiency in analyzing and optimizing operational procedures has consistently yielded tangible results. Beyond his professional pursuits, Michael finds solace in the outdoors. You can often find him scaling mountains or navigating waters in a canoe with his family and beloved adventure dog, Benson.

Shane Duff

Director of Market Development

As the Director of Market Development, Shane Duff has been a guiding force at Alair since 2016. With a wealth of experience as an entrepreneur, executive, and business coach, Shane’s insights have been instrumental for both Alair partners and external companies. His advisory role spans ownership structures, process enhancement, system development, succession planning, and exit strategies. Leveraging eight years of in-depth consultations with thousands of residential general contractor (GC) firms, Shane brings a distinctive depth of experience to Alair, offering valuable insights into effective strategies and pitfalls to avoid. Since joining Alair, his expertise has propelled the integration of over 40 builders into Alair’s network, cementing his role as a pivotal driver of growth. For Shane, the allure of Alair lies in collaborating with some of the brightest and most caring entrepreneurs in North America. He is grateful to work in an industry that has tremendous impact on the communities where we operate. In his free time, you can find Shane saving the coastal wetlands of Southwest Florida. Shane is the president of Cypress Cove Landkeepers (CCL) and oversees the Wildlife Monitoring program at the Gore Nature Education Center.

Burc Gunes

Director of Information Systems

As the Director of Information Services for Alair, Burc Gunes is passionate about the synergy between technology and people. Burc’s journey into computer engineering began in the 5th grade when he first played with a Commodore 64, and since then, he has built a strong foundation in computer engineering, specializing in software.

Prior to becoming a member of the Alair team, Burc accumulated a spectrum of experiences spanning different industries. His journey encompassed roles in industrial automation at G.E., contributions to financial software such as QuickBooks Canadian and UK editions at Intuit, and active participation in the regulatory oversight of games, alcohol, and cannabis in Alberta while at AGLC.

One of the standout moments in Burc’s career was his integral involvement in the cannabis legalization process in Alberta. He led the project responsible for collecting sales and inventory data from cannabis retail stores, delivering crucial metrics to Health Canada. This innovative approach gained nationwide attention and was later adopted by other regulatory agencies.

Burc is a Certified Scrum Master, Advanced Certified Scrum Developer, and Certified Scrum Product Owner. Looking forward, he aims to earn his P.Eng. (Professional Engineer) designation.

Beyond the professional sphere, he finds solace and adventure underwater, having logged over 800 hours of scuba diving. On land, he enjoys running and biking, often accompanied by his son.

Robert Kerr

Director of Procurement

With a relentless drive for excellence, Robert Kerr brings extensive expertise to his role as Director of Procurement at Alair Homes. A highly accomplished Senior Level Professional, Robert has a solid track record of delivering complex solutions aligned with organizational vision. His career spans a decade, encompassing key positions in sales operations, vendor management, strategic planning, and procurement. Robert’s exceptional negotiation skills, coupled with his ability to foster fruitful vendor relationships, have consistently improved profit margins and upheld trust in essential partnerships. Adept at budgeting, forecasting, and retail strategies, Robert’s leadership extends to cultivating professional partnerships with stakeholders at all levels. He embodies values of integrity, responsibility, and precision, ensuring a commitment to achieving corporate objectives.

Adam McCaa

Director of Sales

Adam McCaa is a well-respected international sales and business growth expert with over 25 years of experience in building and scaling businesses. Adam has had the privilege of training and working with some of the most successful business minds on the planet today and has brought those insights and expertise to Alair.

Over the past 10 years, Adam has been responsible for helping to develop and grow the brand into the largest custom home builder and remodeler in North America. Today, Adam works directly with the partners at Alair to help them master the skills to best market, sell and grow their business.



Adam’s impressive track record stems from his vast knowledge and experience of developing creative marketing and sales strategies, building effective systems and processes and implementing the best practices that consistently generate optimum performance.

Damien Peters

Director of Accounting Services

Powered by a strong commitment to client-centric service, Damien Peters assumed the role of Director of Accounting Services at Alair in 2021.

Before joining Alair, Damien served as the VP of Finance at Prodigy Education, a renowned EdTech company located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). During his time at Prodigy, Damien prioritized the needs and preferences of users, which propelled him to success in the dynamic EdTech field.

This same philosophy now underpins his approach to accounting services at Alair. Damien believes that to serve Alair’s partners effectively, an obsessive commitment to understanding their needs and consistently evolving based on feedback and insights is essential.

Damien’s primary goal is twofold: to ensure that the accounting team at Alair provides unwavering support to partners and that the team itself feels nurtured and empowered. Currently, Damien’s focus is on fostering trust and collaboration between Alair’s franchises and their accounting teams.

As Alair continues its growth trajectory, Damien Peters stands as a visionary leader, driving client-centricity and team empowerment at the core of accounting services. His dedication to understanding partner needs and fostering internal support structures makes him a valuable asset to the Alair family.

ABOUT HOME OFFICE

Albeit Headquartered in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, our Home Office team is comprised of specialists and experts located across North America.

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