Diane Pryde
Diane Pryde is the President, CEO and Partner of StepUp Learning.
Diane has worked in leadership positions in the Management Systems and Product Certification field for over 25 years. This has included National and Multi-National positions in Marketing and Sales, Operations and Executive Leadership for several global Management Systems and Product Certification Companies.
During these tenures Diane successfully identified, trained, mentored, and led management teams to improve performance and achieve outstanding results. Often tasked with company turnarounds Diane achieved results with her ability to inspire confidence and create loyal and productive teams. With her talent for growth, Diane introduced many new product lines and achieved additional success by entering and penetrating new markets throughout North America and Europe.
In addition, Diane has experience in the development and implementation of management systems in a wide variety of manufacturing and service companies spanning multiple industries.
Passionate about this industry and the value it brings to customers, Diane established The StepUp Learning Company along with her Business Partners who collectively have a wealth of experience in Learning, Operations, Consultancy and Business Development.
Diane has a degree in Biology from Napier College in Edinburgh, Scotland
Cherene Amos
Cherene Amos is the Senior Vice President, Operations, COO and Partner of StepUp Learning. Cherene has over 20 years leadership experience in the Management Systems and Product Certification field with proven success in delivering business outcomes. She has held Executive positions in Certification, Training, Client Management, Operations and Customer Success globally.
Cherene has an extensive coaching and mentoring track record and is recognized for turning-around under-performing business units through process improvements, operational excellence, change management, recruitment, coaching and development of top talent.
With her experience in all aspects of operations management, policy and procedure development, project management, training, consulting, and service delivery, Cherene has created, motivated and led high-performing teams.
She has successfully established partnerships with leaders, auditors, instructors and consultants to improve operational performance and customer satisfaction, streamline business processes and efficiency and provide learning solutions for businesses.
In addition, Cherene has extensive expertise in the implementation of management systems, organizational and corporate development and she is adept at driving client success outcomes and continuous improvement.
Her passion for the management systems, food safety and training industry and desire to provide outstanding customer experience and help companies succeed, has inspired her to partner with Diane Pryde and Paul Damaren to help fulfill the training, consulting and certification needs of organizations across multiple industries.
Cherene has a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in English from Calcutta University.
Paul Damaren
Paul Damaren is the Chief Commercial Officer and Partner of StepUp Learning. Paul has worked as a Senior Executive in the Management Systems and Certification space for 17 years and has over 35 years experience in the hospitality, service, and retail agri-food sectors. This has included National and Global Leadership positions for Global Certification Bodies.
Paul has worked with many companies across multiple sectors in supporting their food safety, supply chain, health & wellness, brand protection, quality, environmental, health & safety, GMP/GDP compliance, automotive, aerospace, medical and information technology requirements.
Paul is a Board Member and Treasurer of the Ontario Food Protection Association, “OFPA” and further, is an Advisory Council Member with The George Washington University, School of Business for their Digital Marketing Certificate Program, as well as a Strategic Advisor for the Crisis Ready Institute. He also maintains an Executive Partner position with Repositrak, a global software company that provides an integrated platform for optimizing sales, sourcing & safety in the retail supply chain.
Before working in the Certification industry, Paul was a professional Chef and consultant for 20+ years working in major hotel chains, restaurants, private golf courses and food service organizations such as Aramark. Further, he was a member of the National Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks “C.F.C.C.” for 14 years, member and President of the Region of Waterloo Culinary Association “R.W.C.A.” for 14 years, President of R.W.C.A. for 3 years and while serving on the board of the C.F.C.C., was the National Culinary Ambassador to Russia for 5 years.
Paul’s wealth of knowledge and experience across the span of our services supports his commitment to the ongoing success of our Customers.