Marie Michel Thermil (Social Science, 2012) is an organizational development consultant and EDI workshop facilitator who works with both companies and individuals. She created her own consulting company in 2024 and has launched a program specifically aimed at breaking down the stigma around taking career breaks called the PAUSE Program.

“One of the reasons why I created this program is because I went through a pause myself,” said Thermil. “I went through it, and I don’t want other people to go through it alone. It can be a very lonely journey.”

She set out to be there for her clients the way she would have liked to be supported herself: “I would have liked to have someone who understands the importance of the intentional pause. It’s really hard to give yourself the medicine that you’re so freely administering to everyone else.”

Her program is designed to help guide people during these periods of transition.

“I truly believe that people already have the tools and the answers and they just need the space to find it.”

Thermil said she was drawn to the field of social science but didn’t have a specific career goal in Cegep.

“I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work with people, and I didn’t want to be locked in an office all day. Personally, I do get great joy from interacting with people.”

It was at Champlain that she took her first sociology and psychology classes.

“In my first semester I fell in love with sociology. It kind of opened the door for what I could go into later. These are not necessarily positions that are advertised when you are a kid. People talk about nurses, firefighters and lawyers, not necessarily organizational development,” she said. “It was eye opening.”

Thermil went on to study both Sociology and Psychology at McGill and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her studies furthered her knowledge in the field of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) which she had long held an interest in.

“Being a neurodivergent Black woman in Quebec, I feel like I was always an “EDI person”, especially studying sociology and psychology, you are just more aware of social dynamics and in-group relations,” she said.

Thermil had the desire to gain more concrete and applied knowledge, so she completed a Graduate Diploma in Organizational Development at HEC in 2020.

Thermil has held different positions in the public and private sectors during her career. She worked as an organizational development and training coordinator at Audace au Féminin and went on to work as a Change Management Officer at Employment and Social Development Canada.

In 2022, she spent a year working as a Senior Specialist in Talent Development and Organizational Effectiveness at the CBC/Radio-Canada office in Montreal. While there, she worked on the INSPIRE mentorship program and the EDI Leadership Program.

“It was super interesting and fun to work on the first iteration of that mentorship program,” she said.

In 2023, Thermil chose to step back and take the career break that would later inspire her PAUSE program.

“I decided to take the very hard decision to not renew my contract,” she said. “I realized that starting my own thing would be very aligned with my goals. It’s rewarding to create something that is your own, that you get to mold as you go along  but don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely nerve-wracking and it will confront you. Transitioning towards Entrepreneurship is not necessarily an easy shift but it remains meaningful when you truly believe in the product or service you provide.”

Thermil makes sure to have a holistic and decolonial approach as she incorporates notions of wellness and somatic practices into her services. Beyond her work as a consultant, she is also a dance teacher, a writer and leader of a poetry circle.

“As a multi-hyphenated individual with many interests, I naturally take a transdisciplinary approach to everything I do,” she said.

Thermil’s advice for current students and recent grads: “Reach out to actual professionals and seek out mentors early on. Trust your judgement in seeking these people out and remember that not everyone will be the best fit for you. Go get the exposure to experience from someone who has been out in the world professionally for a while. Cold calls have worked very well for me. The worst they can say is  ‘no’ to you. Remember that rejection is redirection. Non-linear paths are valuable! So lean into your interests and your experience and don’t put all your eggs in the same basket. Also, Life is made of ebbs and flow so, keep the presence of something you’re passionate about in your daily life. It will keep you warm and steady regardless of what life throws at you.”