Rethinking Succession – Framing the Conversation

Registration Fee: FREE for Members  Non-Member: $39
Length: 1.5 hours

This opening session sets the tone for the RAIC webinar series by reframing succession as a strategic, multi-phase process rooted in financial acumen, leadership development, and firm investment that drives long-term value creation. 

 

Participants will explore the qualitative and quantitative drivers of firm value and how internal succession can support a broader vision for long-term sustainability. Elaine will be joined by Zenon Radewych, Principal at WZMH Architects (Toronto), for a candid conversation about his progression within the firm and the succession strategies that shaped its leadership model. His reflections offer practical insights into how culture, growth, and leadership readiness intersect with firm strategy. 

 

This session lays the foundation for the series, equipping participants to assess their firm’s current stage in the succession journey and identify the next step with confidence. 

 

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:  

 

Elaine Pantel, CPA, CGA, ICD.D 
 

Elaine is a strategic advisor to leaders of architecture and design firms across Canada, with over 30 years of experience. She specializes in helping firms integrate business strategy, financial insight, and long-term succession planning. Elaine works with firms to develop ownership transition models, executive financial dashboards, and firm-specific approaches to leadership evolution and firm value. Based in Toronto, Elaine brings a collaborative and thoughtful lens to helping practices navigate complex transitions. 

 

Elaine has spoken widely in the industry on behalf of the OAA, RAIC, OALA, IDS, and SDA Canada, and has published articles in Canadian Architect magazine. 

 

 

Zenon Radewych has been with WZMH Architects for 30 years and became a Principal in 2007. In his early career, he led some of the firm’s largest multi-disciplinary projects, earning a reputation for clarity, rigor, and delivering complex projects on fast-track schedules. Over time, he expanded WZMH’s reach into new industries and clients, most notably establishing the firm’s leadership in the mission-critical sector and data centre design. 

 

In the past decade, Zenon has focused on future-proofing the firm through innovation. He founded Sparkbird, WZMH’s research and development lab for smart building technologies and prefabrication; co-founded Giraffe Apps, a software company driving digital transformation in the AEC industry; and spearheaded WZMH’s first Provisional Patent for a mass timber solution, with additional patents underway for green concrete technologies. He also launched the Rebuild Ukraine Hackathon in 2022, which has engaged over 800 students from 45 universities and distributed more than $95,000 CAD in funding. Most recently, Zenon has been actively involved with the partnership in supporting WZMH’s expansion into the United States, leveraging the firm’s success in mission-critical design.