Jefferson Hawthorne
Save Time. Worry Less. Be More.
Who We Are
We make opportunities appear. Problems disappear.
The Jefferson Hawthorne Group is Canada’s only dedicated corporate fixer. When no employee, advisor, or firm is the right fit, we’re called.
We work alongside your team to ensure no opportunity is missed and all blind spots are covered.
Think of us as a campaign manager for priorities with no clear owner and no margin for error.
Our clients are boards and CEOs with rare opportunities or complex problems that don’t fit neatly into one category and are beyond the usual playbook.
For over 20 years, we’ve operated in the boardrooms of Bay Street to the corridors of power on Parliament Hill, trusted to make big things happen and bring clarity to chaos. We move fast, think across disciplines, and get things done.
Our ability to navigate complex challenges makes us the ideal partner for strategic growth initiatives.
Knowing what can go wrong means we can prevent breakdowns and create breakthroughs.
"A fixer is someone who sees what others don't
and acts where others won't."
“What they do can’t be categorized and that’s exactly the point. They cross disciplines to deliver exactly what is needed. They will always be my first call.”
— TSX 60 Board Chair
When To Call
Strategy
Consulting
03
Your team has ideas but aren’t aligned on a direction. What’s needed is a live workshop session to help your leadership team make clear, confident choices.
01
You are starting a new leadership role, there’s pressure to prove decisiveness, and you need a plan to deliver quick wins during your first 100 days.
04
Your strategy is still technically right but the world has changed. Something inside is wondering if you should pressure test whether it still holds up.
02
You are a new CEO or board chair carrying the weight of a bold vision and need to quickly earn credibility in a competitive industry.
05
You know there’s chatter about you with shareholders and in the boardroom. Not loud but pointed. You’re wondering if your time is almost up and what you can do about it.
Political
Intelligence
03
You need to understand which global political events actually matter for your business and how they could affect your next moves.
01
Your business is being hit by government decisions and internal leadership is quietly asking who’s supposed to be on top of this.
04
You’ve got supporters and a message but government officials still aren’t paying attention or taking your issues seriously.
02
You are dealing with government roadblocks and need help making your case and moving your issue forward.
05
You feel a shift coming, but still don't know the timing, the players, or what you should do before decisions are finalized.
Crisis
Management
03
Your company reactively adopted social policies but now you sense something changing in the background. You see a gap growing between what makes sense for the business and what the public will demand.
01
You’ve moved past a crisis, but stakeholders are still rattled, confidence is shaken, and everyone’s waiting to see how you bounce back.
04
Your team is solving what’s urgent but you’re worried there may be risks or blind spots in your organization no one has named yet that could grow into bigger problems.
02
You said the right things in the face of pressure and scrutiny but now you need a way to get customers, employees and partners cheering for you again.
05
You can feel internal divisions forming and need a clear path to get leadership aligned before the next issue hits.
“When you can't afford to lose, you need Jefferson Hawthorne.”
— S&P/TSX Composite CEO
APPROACH
Create growth. Protect growth.
The world doesn’t operate in straight lines. Nor should your advisor. Strategy only matters if it survives contact with reality. Our job is to make sure it does.
We take on jobs others aren’t a match for and tackle problems others don’t have experience with. We don’t deliver theoretical advice and long presentations. We take action and make things happen at the point where power, perception, and operational execution meet.
Multiple Strategic Angles
One lens isn’t enough anymore. We’re trained in multiple modalities of strategy. We account for every angle including economic, social, political, geopolitical, historic context, and psychological. As traditional playbooks become obsolete, we mix disciplines to change the game so only you can win.
Power & Influence
The politics of people matter more than the plan, yet most ignore it. We map the power behind the power and influence the influencers to build support, shape the strategic landscape, outmaneuver resistance and control outcomes.
Pattern Recognition
You don’t need more data. You need someone to connect dots, identify patterns and name the opportunity. We apply a wide spectrum of knowledge and experience across multiple fields to spot what specialists miss and act before they understand what’s happening.
Sound Judgement
You don’t need more expert inputs. You need increased range with broader perspectives and sharper judgment. We don’t deal in isolated perspectives, we connect insights across fields to spot hidden opportunities and nonlinear vulnerabilities.
OUR TEAM
Ian Robertson
Partner
Ian is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience helping global leaders solve novel, complex problems. He has developed a wide range of expertise from the boardrooms of Bay Street to the backrooms of government with a career that includes being CEO of Kingsdale Advisors and Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager to high-profile political leaders.
Andrew Sidnell
Partner
Andrew has extensive experience advising organizations on high-stakes challenges, with expertise in corporate strategy and special situations. As VP of Kingsdale Advisors, he led strategic initiatives navigating contested and hostile situations. Previously, as Chief of Staff to Ontario’s Minister of Finance he played a leadership role in the delivery of multiple provincial Budgets and the Capital Markets Modernization Task Force Report.
Daniel Gordon
Partner
Daniel brings a wealth of experience in policy, strategy, and investment advisory. As Deputy Chief of Staff to the Premier of Ontario, he oversaw the development and execution of the government’s policy agenda. Previously, Daniel worked in management consulting, advising Fortune 500 companies on investment decisions and growth strategies. Daniel holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University and is a CFA Charterholder.
“What Jefferson Hawthorne provides is so valuable, they bring clarity where there is none.”
— CEO of a National Association
![Wallpaper_Blue_HOR[50].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2a0445_eabe2e374a2e4ba296fbaaff9acee62a~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_120,h_90,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_avif,quality_auto/2a0445_eabe2e374a2e4ba296fbaaff9acee62a~mv2.png)
What We Do
Strategy Consulting
We help make better decisions about what to do next. This includes identifying opportunities, clarifying focus, and stopping what’s not working. We solve both the technical issues and the human dynamics that drive success or get in the way.
Political Intelligence
We track and anticipate what’s happening and tell you what it means for your business. You get early warning and actionable steps on political shifts, government decisions, and regulatory changes, grounded in real-world experience from being in the room where decisions are made.
Crisis Management
We stop problems before they surface and shut them down fast if they do. We spot vulnerabilities, plan for what-ifs, and lead the response. Where others specialize in one piece — legal, PR, operations, governance — we provide a war room to bring it all together.