Theory in Practice
Theory Principles that explain why. Practice Repeated action.
Theory in Practice

Applying proven models to real-world situations.

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Academy

Each program connects proven management frameworks to the operational reality of your team. The goal is judgment to act differently on "Monday".

The mechanics of execution.

  • Product Management What should we build, and why? How do we decide what comes next — before we spend time building the wrong thing?
  • Project Management How do we go from a mandate to a finished outcome — on time, within budget, and to the standard we promised?
  • Projects for Non-PMs I'm not a project manager, but I'm running a project. What do I actually need to know to keep this on track?
  • Earned Value Management Are we ahead or behind right now — and how do we know before it's too late to change anything?

The people side of execution.

  • Design Thinking Are we solving the right problem — or just the most obvious one? How do we define the challenge before we design the solution?
  • Change Management We know what needs to change. Why isn't it changing? What does it take to move an organisation from where it is to where it needs to be?
  • Effective Meetings Why do our meetings cost so much and produce so little? How do we run the room so that decisions actually get made?
  • Building High-Performing Teams We have capable people. Why aren't they performing as a unit? What does it take to build a team that delivers consistently?

Predicting events and taking action.

  • Risk Management What could go wrong — and how do we decide what to do about it before it happens? How do we distinguish a real risk from noise?
  • PMO Design How do we build the governance architecture that keeps every project across the organisation on track and accountable?
  • The Sponsor's Edge I'm sponsoring this initiative. What is my actual job — and what does it take to guide the team across the finish line?
  • Agile for Executives My team is running Agile. What do I need to understand to lead it effectively — without getting in the way of the work?
12Years
1,500+Participants
4 / 4Consistent rating
Consulting

We begin with a question — and follow a disciplined four-step process from diagnosis to decision. The process is iterative: after Debrief, clients return to Discover with a sharper question.

01 · Discover
Why

What is the real problem or opportunity?

We establish a fact-based definition before any solution is proposed.

Output
A written definition that all stakeholders agree on.
02 · Design
How

What does the right solution look like?

We apply Design Thinking to find the best path forward for your specific context.

Output
A solution design tailored to your situation.
03 · Deliver
What

How do we execute with precision?

We implement alongside your team, building systems and measuring results against the objectives defined in Discover.

Output
Measurable results.
04 · Debrief
What next

What did we learn?

We compare results to intent, surface lessons, and transfer knowledge.

Output
A decision: exit with confidence, or return to Discover.
↩ returns to Discover
In practice · Global engineering firm · Project Controls
Discover

The stated problem was a skills gap. The real problem was behavioural. Teams had the tools but lacked a shared model for why planning discipline matters.

Design

The solution had to address the why before the how. A single governing principle shaped everything: a weak Work Breakdown Structure makes forecasting impossible. That theory determined the workshop design.

Deliver

Three sessions across North American time zones. Teams applied the principle to their own projects, their own WBS gaps, their own forecasting challenges.

Debrief

The client returned to Discover twice, each time with a sharper question. First: how do we build trust between Project Controllers and Project Managers? Then: how do we make the value of Project Controls visible to the people it serves?

93.3% of participants said they would recommend this program
About
Roti Akinsanmi
Roti Akinsanmi Founder & Principal
LinkedIn →
Education
  • 2011
    Cornell / Queen'sExecutive MBA
  • 2023
    Harvard Business SchoolCertificate of Management Excellence
  • 2021
    MIT SloanAI & Business Strategy
  • 1996
    University of LagosBSc Computer Science
Experience
  • 2019–21
    Major Canadian AirlineHead, Digital Innovation Lab
  • 2021–24
    Leading Streaming PlatformVP of Products
  • 2016–20
    First Transfer Inc.Founder · Regulated FinTech
  • 2014–
    Mount Royal UniversityInstructor★2026 Teaching Excellence in Lifelong Learning Award
Strategic Partners
Mount Royal University

Since 1990, Mount Royal University's Faculty of Continuing Education has partnered with organisations to build capability and respond to change. Every Academy program is co-delivered through this partnership. Participants receive co-branded certificates from a leading Canadian university.

MRU Custom Training →

This partnership has delivered some of the most consistent results we have seen across our Custom Training portfolio. Participants leave with frameworks they apply immediately. The outcomes speak for themselves.

Strategic Partnerships, Mount Royal University
Tarka Consulting

Tarka Consulting brings Theory in Practice methodology to enterprise clients across North America. Together, we deploy the same frameworks inside some of the continent's most operationally complex organisations.

tarka-consulting.com →

The ability to ground every engagement in a clear theoretical model and then execute against it is rare. Our clients consistently report that the approach produces results that other interventions have not. The methodology holds.

Emil Tarka, Principal · Tarka Consulting
Clients
AEB aeb.com ↗

“I walked out with a framework I could use the next morning. The concepts finally connected to the work I was actually doing.”

Project Controller, 2025
Calgary Food Bank calgaryfoodbank.com ↗

“Our team left with a shared language for tracking performance. For the first time, everyone understood what the numbers meant and what to do about them.”

Program Manager, 2023
NALMA nalma.ca ↗

“The program gave our team a shared framework for managing complex land administration projects. The structure was clear, the delivery was practical, and the impact has been lasting.”

Representative, NALMA
Alberta Landmen landmen.ca ↗

“It changed how we plan. We stopped guessing and started forecasting. The difference in our project outcomes has been measurable.”

Director, Project Controls, 2019
Petrochemical plant, AB

“We came in thinking we had a scheduling problem. What we discovered was a planning problem. That distinction changed everything about how we approached the project.”

Program Lead
Industrial group, ON

“The team came out with a common language and a clearer sense of accountability. Within two months, our project reporting had fundamentally changed.”

Project Director
Research university, AB

“What distinguished this engagement was the emphasis on understanding before acting. That sequence matters enormously in an institution like ours, where change takes time and requires genuine buy-in.”

Department Head
Regional college, AB

“Our staff had been through change management training before. This was different. It started with a real diagnosis of what was actually happening, not a prescribed model layered onto our situation.”

Operations Manager
Transit authority, WA

“Delivering across distributed teams in multiple time zones is difficult. The fact that each session felt coherent and purposeful, despite the complexity, says everything about the preparation behind it.”

Program Manager
Medical device manufacturer, MN

“In a regulated environment, the cost of poor planning is not just delay. It is compliance risk. This engagement gave our team the discipline to plan with the precision that environment demands.”

VP Operations
Cement plant, FL

“We had good project controllers. What we did not have was a consistent methodology. After this engagement, we did. The improvement in forecast accuracy was immediate.”

Project Controller
Defence contractor, FL

“We operate in a demanding environment where performance data has to be defensible. This engagement gave our PMO the theoretical foundation to produce reporting that stands up to scrutiny.”

Director, PMO
GIS software company, CA

“We build software for complex spatial problems. Our delivery challenges are equally complex. Having a framework that could adapt to our specific context, rather than a generic methodology, made all the difference.”

Delivery Lead

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