Diverse. Talented. Driven. Meet our people.
Diverse. Talented. Driven. Meet our people.
Our team is tight-knit, linked by zu’s values. There’s a strong sense of accountability as each of our team members focus on personal development but take the time to mentor one another. These are the soccer moms, camp counselors and dungeon masters that make up the soul of our team.

Chief Executive Officer,
Founding Partner
Chief Executive Officer,
Founding Partner
Ryan Lejbak
As Co-Founder and CEO, Ryan’s start at zu was a humble one, designing and developing for Saskatoon’s small businesses as he explored the uncharted territory of the Internet in 1995. His role today takes on many forms. Sitting on the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership Board and as a charter member of SaskTech, he promotes our growing industry and all of the innovation taking shape around us. Ryan is the steward of zu culture; he continues to make our office an inspiring place to work.

Chief Financial Officer, President,
Founding Partner
Chief Financial Officer, President,
Founding Partner
Tony Zuck
Tony founded zu in 1995 with Ryan, right about the time the Internet started to get traction. Tony’s role is multifaceted but he gathers facts and develops strategy, whether financial, communications, usability or to make folks laugh. As an executive sponsor, he has a relationship with many clients, divided with the CEO. But his main focus is on zu's performance as a business, which keeps clients coming in and team members staying long term.
Leadership team
Leadership team

Strategy Director, Partner
Strategy Director, Partner
Albert
Jame
Albert is zu’s resident storyteller, DJ, and camp counsellor. A regarded thought leader on Design Thinking and Digital Strategy, Albert regularly facilitates workshops and kicks off project strategy sessions. An equally passionate speaker, Albert is committed to proving that your brand is only as good as your experience.

People Strategies Director
People Strategies Director
Deidre
Larmour
zu’s employees have been Deidre’s clients for the past seven years. She ensures that everyone has the tools they need to succeed, that our teams are filled with incredible talent, and that our projects and clients are supported by the right people at the right time.

Finance Director
Finance Director
Melissa
Arnott
Melissa is our go-to pro for all things finance. She works within our executive team to analyze performance and facilitate planning, with our accounts team to ensure contracts and budgets are managed, and with all clients through accounts receivable.

Account Director
Account Director
Laurence
Nixon
Laurence builds relationships. Working with a committed team on the numbers end of zu, he oversees all of zu’s accounts and business development activities. Laurence supports our clients’ digital direction by bridging the gaps between production and long-term success.
zu crew
zu crew

Developer
Developer
Anja
Gilje
As a graduate of zu’s intern program, Anja completed her Computer Science degree at the University of Saskatchewan and now focuses her time on iOS and front-end web development. She primarily works on projects for Directwest and the Government of Saskatchewan.

Developer, Student Ambassador
Developer, Student Ambassador
Brady
Smith
Brady is the primary developer for both Android and Symfony as well as zu's student ambassador. Brady co-built and trained people on the Selenium VM grid and corresponding testing strategies. He does back-end work, writes PHP, Java and JavaScript, developing for the Government of Saskatchewan and Directwest.

Designer
Designer
Brian
Ohlmann
Brian came to zu in early 2019 with 17 years of experience in branding, advertising, marketing, and digital design. He simply loves creating new concepts for clients and is the design team story-teller. He has a deep understanding and passion for how design can solve business and communication challenges.

Designer
Designer
Brittany
Lloy
In her years at zu, Brittany has never stopped expanding her creative and professional skill set, which is evident through her work. She participated in an IDEO course for human-centred design, a Google Design Sprint in San Francisco, Adobe MAX, and the Nielson Norman Group UX certification program.

Account Strategist
Account Strategist
Candace
Walz
With her Bachelor of Commerce and experience in digital marketing, Candace finds ways in which technology and digital strategy can be used to solve mature industry challenges. She works with clients such as Directwest and the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

UX Lead
UX Lead
Chelsey
Schaffel
Chelsey’s our professional problem-solver with a keen eye for detail, bringing 15+ years of experience in the digital industry to zu and our clients. She has certifications in user experience, design thinking, and design sprint facilitation from Nielsen Norman Group, IDEO.org, Human Factors International, and AJ&Smart.

Developer
Developer
Cody
Robertson
Cody started working in web when he was only 12 years old, and joined zu in 2018. He brings serious coding skills and a quick-witted sense of humour to the team. Cody’s fluent in front and back-end and web application development, touch interfaces, JavaScript, CSS, and Swift.

Intern Developer
Intern Developer
Connor
Cooke
As he completes his B.Sc. in Computer Science, Connor is spending the majority of 2020/2021 with zu. As intern developer, Connor is applying and building on his knowledge in Python, Java, C#, Haskell, Javascript/CSS/HTML as he works on complex projects and kicks off his professional experience in the tech world.

IT Manager
IT Manager
Dan
Brown
Dan is the IT Manager and jack of all trades when it comes to systems administration. He works with python, shell scripting, PHP, occasionally javascript, along with all of the associated data formats.

Developer
Developer
Dan
Surkan
Dan is an Acquia Drupal 8 Certified Developer and does backend development working in PHP. Dan's expertise lies in Drupal and Symfony. Since joining zu in 2014 he’s developing on projects for Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation, Great Plains College, AltaGas, and Canpotex.

Video Production Contractor
Video Production Contractor
Emma
Zuck
Emma makes our team look good on-screen, all while balancing student life at Ryerson University, taking Film Studies and gigging with CBC. Working closely (and remotely) with our design and marketing crew, Emma flexes her video production skills in telling the zu story.

Design Coordinator
Design Coordinator
Gillian
Tebbutt
Gillian tends to wear a few hats and toques at a time, something her varied professional experience has prepped her for. You can find her juggling tasks and timelines for the design team, writing content for both zu and clients or coordinating zu Academy courses and events.

Developer
Developer
Jason
Leibel
Jason joined zu in the summer of 2019 as a graduate of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Computer Systems Technology program. He’s fresh to the industry and works in a team of developers to solve complex problems for clients like the Government of Saskatchewan.

Product Owner
Product Owner
Jennifer
Korney
Jen brings optimism and great customer service to zu. Joining the team in 2014, she is hard working and passionate about doing something she loves (this job!). Jen works closely with Directwest and Mysask411, along with 3 Ministries at the Government of Saskatchewan; Education, Cabinet and Trade & Export Development.

Product Owner
Product Owner
Jessica
Forster
Hailing from Germany, Jessi joined zu in 2020, bringing extensive project management experience to the team. A spreadsheet maestro, she’s keeping projects on time, on budget and is the liaison between client partners and our production teams.

Senior Developer
Senior Developer
Kevin
Warrington
Kevin is our senior front-end developer and works primarily with JavaScript, CSS, and PHP. He is a Zend Certified PHP Engineer and joined zu in 2006. Kevin spends the majority of his time working on projects with the Government of Saskatchewan and Mysask411.

Product Owner
Product Owner
Kirsti
Hale
Our fast-paced, task-juggling world of tech is a perfect match for Kirsti’s Bachelor of Commerce and experience in event planning. She started at zu in July of 2019 and works with clients such as Cameco, Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation, Blue Cross and Great Plains College.

Business Development Manager
Business Development Manager
Kit
Hillis
Kit is always looking for new ways that zu’s strategy, design, and technical experts can spark or enhance innovation within organizations. He sources inspiration from new trends, companies, and markets and harnesses ideas into actionable insights for his colleagues and clients.

Developer
Developer
Maximilian
Gewers
After completing the Computer Systems Technology program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Max joined zu in 2018. He thrives in fast-paced, problem solving situations and focuses on back-end development within his team, while spending most of his time in Symfony.

HR Administrator
HR Administrator
Meagan
MacLean
Meagan is a human resource and marketing wiz. Whether she’s working the room while recruiting the next addition to the zu crew or scouting out professional development opportunities, she’s always discovering creative ways to support our teams and help move the company forward.

Designer
Designer
Mellary
Bitner
Mellary specializes in wireframing and interaction design, visual design, user experience design, illustration, and lettering. She works on projects for Saskatchewan Blue Cross, Government of Saskatchewan, AltaGas and Great Plains College.

Developer
Developer
Michael
Hébert
Michael specializes in CMS and front-end development. He has a keen eye for detail and holds 20+ years of industry experience. In his 11 years with zu, Michael has worked with a variety of clients, including Cameco, Saskatchewan Blue Cross, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation.

Product Owner
Product Owner
Rebecca
Ready
No two days are the same for Rebecca, which is something she loves about working at zu. She’s driven by fast-paced projects and is committed to providing proficient project management to all of her clients and projects. Rebecca works alongside Nutrien, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and SAMA.

Executive Assistant
Executive Assistant
Reda
Moosavi
When you pick up the phone or walk up the stairs at zu, you’ll meet Reda. Our client experience ace, finance pro and office zukeeper, Reda keeps our books, calendars and our space in check and works with our operations team to create office efficiencies and moments of delight.

Designer
Designer
Roberta
Barrington
Roberta is a critical thinker and expert creative with a fascination for how design and user experiences intersect. She joined zu in 2017, has a Bachelor of Design from the Alberta College of Art and Design, and is a Certified Graphic Designer through Graphic Designers of Canada.

Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Coordinator
Ryan
Nieman
Former zu Account Strategist, Ryan is now putting his B.Comm in Marketing and years of experience to good use by creating strategies, experiences, and content that help our current and future partners navigate the complex world of digital.

Developer
Developer
Sadie
Swanson
Sadie has been a developer since 2008, and joined zu in 2015. Her specialties include Drupal and similar CMS development. Sadie is involved in projects with AltaGas, Great Plains College, Canpotex, Lentils.org, and the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation.

IT Specialist
IT Specialist
Shane
Doucette
Shane has been providing desktop support and administration for OS X, Linux, and Windows clients since 2011. In addition he develops and maintains server solutions for web hosting, file serving, ftp, VPN, and other infrastructure.

UX Lead
UX Lead
Zach
Perkins
Zach has over 16 years of experience and education in digital design and is an expert in human-centered design and strategy, user research, interaction design, and information architecture. He uses his depth of knowledge to take the lead on projects, solving complex digital challenges for zu clients.