Mission, Vision & Purpose
Ascending builds the systems that let growing businesses run without depending on any one person to hold them together. Here's why, and where we're headed.
What we do
To build the systems that let growing businesses run without depending on any one person to hold them together. Real structure your team will actually use, not paperwork that sits on a shelf.
Where we're headed
A world where every growing business runs on a system, not a founder's memory. Teams at every size move with the same clarity and accountability as the best-run companies, no matter how small they started.
Why we started
We watched too many capable business owners get trapped by their own success. They worked harder as the business grew, instead of building something that could grow without them. Our purpose is to give them their time and control back.
Paco Youssef
Your team is busy all day. So why isn't the strategy moving?
I spent 25 years inside the majors of oil and gas. ExxonMobil, Shell, CNRL, TC Energy, Enbridge. Projects up to $14 billion, across South America, North America and the Middle East.
But the projects are not what I want to tell you about.
What I actually did, most days, was fix how work moved.
Early in my career I was handed a series of projects at a production facility. Engineering, service and construction teams. All three had been there for years. All three had the same running problems. Delays, arguments, rework. Normal for a project organization.
I did not add people. I did not add budget. I mapped the process, wrote down who owned what, set clear boundaries between the teams, and opened the communication channels that did not exist.
I ran a series of projects there over several years. One of them ran a year and a half. Zero incidents, 99% on budget, 99% on schedule.
Here is the part that mattered most to me. Those projects took less of my time than when I started. Everyone knew what to expect, what to deliver, and how to do it. They stopped needing me in the room.
That is what a system does. Run it consistently and it gives you your time back.
Three continents. Different languages, different regulations, different cultures. Same pattern every time. The problem is rarely lazy people. It is misaligned effort. Good teams drowning in work that does not move the business.
Then came the job that changed everything.
I was asked to build the project governance for a large pipeline company. Business case, priorities, expectations, KPIs. Straightforward work.
I could not do it.
Not because it was technically hard. Because nothing was coming down from the top. No stated purpose. No core objectives. No principles. I sat there and asked myself a question I have never forgotten.
How can I do my job if nobody has told me what we are actually trying to achieve?
That question was the beginning. I wrote down four letters that day. CHAMP. Over the years it became CHAMPION™.
After 25 years I kept seeing the same thing. Smaller companies have the exact same problems as the majors. They just do not have the structure, the process or the discipline to handle them, and they cannot afford the people who do.
So I left to build it for them.
A $14 billion project and a 40 person company have the same disease. The big one just has a department to manage it. You do not.
There is no secret. Only organization, systems, and consistency.
Every business deserves to run like a great one. Not just the ones with a corporate budget behind them.
I still take project management work for energy and industrial clients. Same discipline. It keeps the frameworks honest.
Outside of Ascending, you'll find me cooking, hiking, or behind a camera.
Trademarks & Legal Notices
Ascending, the Ascending logo, and CHAMPION™ are trademarks of Ascending. This includes the CHAMPION™ crest, name, and framework. All rights reserved.
The CHAMPION™ framework is proprietary to Ascending. This includes its methodology, terminology, and training materials. None of it may be copied, distributed, or used to deliver services to a third party without written permission from Ascending.
Mentioning CHAMPION™ or Ascending on this site does not mean we endorse, sponsor, or are affiliated with any third party, unless we say so directly.
Questions about trademark use or permissions can be sent to info@ascendingnow.ca.
Privacy Policy
This section explains what information Ascending collects on this website, and what we do with it.
What we collect. When you fill out a contact form, book a consultation, or take the CHAMPION™ Readiness Survey, we collect what you give us: your name, email, phone number, company, role, and anything you tell us about your business. If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your name and email address.
How we use it. We use it to respond to your inquiry, schedule a consultation, and send you results you requested. If you opt in, we use your email to send our newsletter, covering management, leadership, case studies, and CHAMPION™. We do not rent or sell your information to anyone, for any reason.
Where it lives. Submissions are stored in our own database. If you subscribe to the newsletter, your email is also held by the email service we use to send it. We use Vercel to host this website and for basic traffic analytics, which does not track you individually across other sites.
Your choices. Unsubscribe from the newsletter anytime, using the link in any email we send. You can ask us to delete your information at any time.
Questions about this policy, or requests about your information, can be sent to info@ascendingnow.ca.
Terms of Service
By using this website, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.
The site. This website describes Ascending and CHAMPION™, and lets you reach out, book a consultation, take the CHAMPION™ Readiness Survey, or subscribe to our newsletter. Nothing on it is a guarantee of results. Every business is different, and outcomes depend on factors specific to yours.
Not professional advice. Content on this site, including the blog and the survey results, is general information, not tailored consulting advice for your business. Using the site, or completing the survey, does not create a client or advisory relationship between you and Ascending. That starts only once we agree to work together, in writing.
Intellectual property. Ascending, the Ascending logo, CHAMPION™, and the content on this site belong to Ascending, as described in the Trademarks & Legal Notices above. You may not copy, resell, or use our content or framework to deliver services to a third party without written permission.
Third-party links. This site links to services we do not control, including Calendly for scheduling and our LinkedIn and Academy pages. We are not responsible for the content or practices of those third-party sites.
No warranty. This site is provided as is. We work to keep it accurate and available, but we do not guarantee it will be error-free or uninterrupted.
Limitation of liability. To the extent allowed by law, Ascending is not liable for indirect or consequential damages arising from your use of this site. Nothing here limits liability that cannot legally be limited.
Governing law. These terms are governed by the laws of Alberta, Canada.
Changes. We may update these terms as the site or our services change. The current version always applies.
Questions about these terms can be sent to info@ascendingnow.ca.