The Calm in the Chaos: Agnes McLachlan on Working with Ember

We sat down with Agnes Mclachlan, People & Culture Manager, TELUS, to talk about what it felt like to collaborate with Ember and the moments that stood out most to her.

Agnes first met Jesse while working in the public sector, and what began as a professional collaboration quickly grew into a lasting friendship rooted in shared values. “When we first connected, it was just immediate,” she said. “Our core values aligned; family, leadership, and how we approach our work. That connection has stayed strong ever since.” 

Over the years, she’s seen Ember’s values show up not as statements on a page, but in the way Jesse and the team work with people; with care, generosity, honesty, and a commitment to meaningful change. One of the first things she talks about is generosity. “Jesse is incredibly generous with his time and ideas. He’s fully present in every conversation and gives his all, but he also knows his boundaries, and he’s not afraid to hold them. If something doesn’t work, he’ll say so and suggest another time or another approach. It’s such a healthy balance.” 

That balance, she says, shows up in how he challenges the status quo. “He’s courageous in his work, willing to ask the hard questions and push people to think differently, but always in a way that feels constructive, not confrontational,” she said. “His generosity and courage complement each other. The work he does is meant to challenge, but it’s always rooted in care.” 

For Agnes, this combination of clarity, curiosity, and care is what makes Ember’s approach to collaboration feel so different. “Jesse sticks to his values, even when it means disagreeing. He’ll say, ‘I don’t see it that way,’ and it never feels defensive. It feels like he’s protecting the integrity of the work. There’s a lot of back and forth, a lot of co-creation, and you always end up with something stronger because of it.” 

That commitment to honesty becomes even more important when things get hard. “From the start, I’ve always felt comfortable saying when something isn’t working,” she said. “That’s not always easy in corporate settings, but Jesse creates a space where you can be honest. 

Agnes recalled a project with their VP group where timelines kept slipping and meetings were repeatedly rescheduled. “Jesse finally said, very clearly, ‘This isn’t working.’ It was honest and exactly what we needed to hear.” That moment sparked internal reflection: were they showing up in a way that signaled the work mattered, or were they unintentionally deprioritizing it? “It actually built more trust, not less,” she said.  

She’s also seen how quickly the Ember team builds psychological safety, especially in environments where leaders are wary about bringing in an external partner. “There’s sometimes nervousness when we bring in outside experts. People worry they’ll be judged that someone will come in and ‘fix’ them.’ But Jesse and the Ember team immediately put people at ease. He challenges things, yes, but in a way that feels safe and human. People walk out of the first meeting thinking, ‘Okay, this is different. I can work with this.’” 

What stays with her most is Jesse’s ability to lead without ego, something she says has influenced her own leadership. “When you work with senior leaders, there are often big personalities in the room. But being a subject matter expert doesn’t mean you have to take up all the space. Jesse models that perfectly. He challenges thinking but makes room for others. He leads without ego, and our leaders notice it. They respond to it.” 

When she thinks about the overall experience of working with Ember, one phrase comes to mind: the calm in the chaos. “Our world can be fast-paced and high-performing,” she said. “Jesse reminds us that we’re not chasing quick wins. We’re building culture. He’s not there to just deliver a product or an outcome; he genuinely cares about the impact the work will have on our leaders and our people.” 

For Agnes, that’s what Ember’s values look like in action: To her, this is Ember’s values at their best: caring for people, giving generously, learning openly, and creating change that lasts.