People Profile: Lisa Desilets – Operations and People Manager

Mar 10, 2026

Jamie Unruh

Lisa has been at Beyond Group for a mere 8 months, and her passion for people and helping them see their potential has already been a great benefit to the company in her short time on staff.

Her background in retail leadership shaped her ability to adapt and solve problems which are skills that most of our team deal with on a daily basis.

From selling CDs at A&B Sound to managing a territory of Starbucks cafes, and serving as general manager at Apple, Lisa brings with her extensive customer service and sales experience but also proficiency in leading and building teams. Leveraging these skills has allowed Lisa to help make good decisions for the business, prioritize the Beyond team and our customers’ experience while having fun doing it.

Lisa recently saw her role change from Operations Manager to Operations and People Manager, so we sat down with her to find out what exactly that means for her and for Beyond Group.

“What was clear to me pretty early on when I joined Beyond was that we have an amazing opportunity to do better for our people,” says Lisa. “We are a growing business, and we haven't had a lot of people-related infrastructure that has us looking at things like the way that we consistently apply processes around coaching and development.”

Coaching Consistency

The task of growing internal talent in a consistent way for the whole Beyond team is still in its early days, but the goal is absolutely attainable.

There are gaps in the way employees are coached or offered feedback as well as managing employee performance whether they are underperforming or doing well. We need to figure out how to keep those employees engaged.

“Itis really important to me to look at how do we put some things in place that not just I'm looking at, but all the leaders at Beyond are looking at?” says Lisa.

While the delivery of said skills might be different, the message will be the same across the board.

“I might have a slightly different ability to have a conversation based on my experience, but I would still expect any of our newer coaches to be able to share the same information with clarity and field any of the questions from the team member about their experience here as well,” says Lisa.

Starting fresh might seem intimidating, but Lisa has implemented similar programs in the past where there was dedicated training into development departments.

“My job was to implement it, and roll it out, but I also had a team of nine leaders in my last job that worked for me that I had to make sure we were applying those principles consistently,” says Lisa. “So that's why that's important for us here [at Beyond] to decide what framework to go with and then is everybody implementing that in a consistent way.”

Be Great and Go Beyond

Once the coaching aspect is nailed down, the goal is to implement a strategic plan for employees to develop internally into either being great in their current roles or ready for the next.

Whatever the goal, there will be a clear plan tailored for the team member to grow from where they are now to where they want to be, with a multitude of people on the leadership team that can contribute to that journey.

Customer’s Benefits

While these goals focus more internally at Beyond Group and its team members, the effects will reach our customers.

Coaching our employees on the skills and behaviours they use in the field, such as how to stay composed when dealing with a customer issue, will help the team focus on customer service.

Specifically, Lisa is looking at consistent coaching around response time to customer concerns and delivering the highest level of quality work on site.

“When the team knows what's expected of them and what Beyond Group would consider success, and those behaviours that support doing that in whatever role somebody has in the company, that's what I'm looking for us to be able to coach better,” says Lisa.

A Little More about Lisa

One of Lisa's favourite things about her job is that no one takes themselves too seriously.

"When we can admit mistakes and take accountability for how we show up, it allows for deeper, more authentic relationships,” she says.

One of the most unexpected things Lisa has found about working at Beyond is the culture and deep care and appreciation for who people are as individuals.

“This is something I had hoped for in a local business, but I’ve been truly impressed at how this team has grown and developed and taken care of each other,” she says.

“The best thing about working for Beyond is that we can try different things in the interest of making things more efficient, safer or more fulfilling for the team in the field as well as our customers. Some ideas might not work, but we relish the collaboration and opportunity to learn from one another. The best idea wins!”

Pearl Jam and Pearls of Wisdom

When not having fun at work, Lisa is spending time with her two Golden Retrievers and refreshing Pearl Jam’s official website to see when they announce their next concert tour.

Over the past 30 years, Lisa has seen 40 Peral Jam concerts all over the world and looks forward to adding to that number.

It's not only in her job that Lisa is focused on people, but she is also a people person at home, maintaining flourishing friendships with those she loves.

“I feel really grateful to have learned early in life that intentionally choosing who you surround yourself with is one of the best decisions you can make for your well-being. It also helps if your friends are smart and funny, so in that respect, I’ve hit the jackpot!”

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