Always moving the dial

For Christina, ‘If you’re not growing, you’re staying the same’ isn’t just a saying, it’s a way of life.

As Director of Design & Drafting with Lauren Services, Christina thrives on innovation, embracing challenges, and fostering continuous growth for both herself and her team.

Whether navigating her sailboat through the Pacific Northwest or managing a high-performance design team of 25, Christina lives by one principle: “Never stop moving the needle.”

“The mountaintop keeps moving,” Christina says. “At one point, my dream was to live and work in London. Then it was to lead a high-performing team, manage projects, and now to create an amazing work environment for my team. Setting new goals is what keeps life exciting.”

That same drive extends beyond work into her personal passions. Introduced to sailing over a decade ago, Christina and her husband frequently traveled from Calgary to the waterways of British Columbia to refine their skills. Committed to mastering both theory and practice, she eventually trained in the British Virgin Islands to earn her coastal skipper’s license, and more recently completed her International Certificate of Competence.

Her journey toward certification wasn’t without its challenges. Amid early-morning study sessions and family health struggles, sailing became both a test of resilience and a source of focus.

“We had to wake up at 4 a.m. to finish our coursework before work,” she says. “It was a blessing in disguise, giving us something to dive into during a difficult time. Sailing teaches you resilience. You’re constantly adapting to the environment, and there’s no room for complacency.”

Now, with global sailing credentials in hand, she and her husband plan to explore Alaska, circumnavigate Vancouver Island, and eventually sail to Hawaii.

For Christina, the destination is secondary, it’s the journey and lessons learned along the way that matter most. As one of the pioneers who helped establish and grow Lauren’s Vancouver office, she says she is grateful the company and its leadership have always supported her growth. Over the past decade, she’s grown her team from just three people to a dynamic group of 25, driving innovation and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Her approach to leadership and team development puts people and core values like trust and integrity at the heart of things. “People spend a significant portion of their lives at work. It’s my responsibility to ensure they feel supported and engaged,” Christina explains. “It’s about finding people with the right values—strong ethics, a positive attitude, and a willingness to contribute.”

Staying on top of evolving technology is crucial for a designer. From transitioning to 3D modeling to exploring reality capture through advanced scanning technologies, Christina and her team stay at the forefront of innovation. “The tools we use are evolving constantly,” she says. “Now, it’s about integrating real-world data into our models, which opens up incredible possibilities.”

With AI’s rapid advancement in data processing and adaptive learning, Christina remains both curious and pragmatic about its potential in the design world. Her adaptability in the design world mirrors her approach to sailing: assess the landscape, anticipate challenges, and navigate confidently toward the goal.