Jonathon Karelse

Jonathon Karelse is a co-founding partner of NorthFind Partners, a global partnership of management practitioners. NorthFind Partners, located in Vancouver, Canada, is focused on enabling value-chain transparency, goal alignment, and data-led, actionable analysis. In addition, the company specializes in forecasting and demand planning, supply chain management, pricing and segmentation analysis, and sales and marketing strategies. NorthFind Partners has clients in various industries, including: aerospace, cosmetics, electronics, transportation products, chemical, and heavy equipment.

Recognized by the Institute of Business and Forecasting & Planning (IBF) and APICS as a thought-leader in demand planning and forecasting, Jonathon Karelse has extensive experience with change management and governance in companies and organizations of various sizes, including multi-billion dollar corporations.

In addition to his responsibilities at NorthFind Partners, since 2015, Jonathon has served as the chief strategy office for Factors Group of Companies, a leading manufacturer of nutritional supplements and other health-building products. Factors Group of Companies, located in Vancouver, Canada, aims to enhance the wellbeing of its customers by providing effective nutritional products and to serve its customers, employees, and wider community in a cooperative and sustainable way.

Since 2016, Jonathon has also been a director and partner at Mariner Brewing Company, located in Coquitlam, Canada. Mariner Brewing Company is the first craft beer brewery in Coquitlam, and has a 50-person tasting room.

Prior to his time with these organizations, Jonathon served as the vice president for strategic planning and corporate development at Wholesale Tire Distributors. In that position, he was responsible for the creation and ongoing direction of the company's sales, marketing and operations departments. He implemented operations frameworks, policies and procedures, and communications policy. Jonathon also developed and improved key supplier relationships with Continental Tire, Hankook, Pirelli, GoodYear and Yokohama.

Prior to this, Jonathon was the business unit director for Yokohama Tire Canada. During his six years at Yokohama, he was responsible for the company's entire consumer product portfolio. Jonathon oversaw the development and execution of short-, mid-, and long-term operational and sales plans for the division. Jonathon’s responsibilities encompassed sales, marketing (advertising, merchandising, and promotions), and strategic planning. He was also charged with liaising with product planning, operations, and production departments in the United States and Japan. His team included staff from Quebec to British Columbia in roles as diverse as sales, marketing and systems management.

During Jonathon’s tenure as head of sales and marketing for the division, brand awareness grew by nearly 10 full percentage points; the company established one of the most active social media programs of any Canadian-based tire manufacturer; and market share nearly doubled. During his time at Yokohama Tire Canada, Jonathon Karelse also served as the chairman of the statistics and forecasting committee of the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada. As chair, he was responsible for aligning the efforts of delegates from many competing tire manufacturers and producing forecasts and research that was accurate and relevant.

Jonathon graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Sloan School of Business in 2008. He is also a graduate of The University of Western Ontario and The University of British Columbia.