Northwood Staff Profile: Elana Kimel

What do you do at Northwood?

As Office Manager/ Executive Assistant I help ensure the smooth day to day operations at Northwood through a range of administrative, financial and managerial tasks. No two days are alike, and I have the opportunity to work on a variety of interesting projects, as well as interact with many different people.

California, Winter 2019

What did you do before joining NFO?

Prior to joining Northwood, I managed a private medical imaging clinic in downtown Toronto. Before that I was Executive Assistant to the Registrar/CEO of an Ontario regulatory body. I also lived in Los Angeles, California for a few years where I completed my post-graduate studies and later worked as an Associate Buyer for the 99c Only stores.

What do you enjoy most about working at Northwood?

At Northwood we have a relatively small, but growing team of 21 people. I am privileged to work amongst this talented group of professionals across various backgrounds, where everyone is encouraged to learn from one another. Northwood fosters a supportive environment where team members work together towards one common goal – to provide excellent service to our clients and to help them achieve their goals. Another great aspect to Northwood is the many team-building initiatives we have, from our annual charity day to our quarterly wine and cheese events and off-sites.

Elana's Work from Home Assistant

What is one hobby you’ve picked up during quarantine?

Like most everyone else, I tried (but failed) at growing my own herb & vegetable garden. RIP to the tomatoes that never were. I’ve also always enjoyed cooking and baking, but without the luxury of dining out or ordering in during the first few months of quarantine, I found myself wearing my chef hat more than usual. My neighbours have been the lucky beneficiaries/ guinea pigs to many of my culinary experiments. I look forward to taking cooking classes once places open back up again.

What are your favourite things to do outside of work?

There’s a chance I’m biased, but I’m fairly certain I own the cutest dog in the world who holds a lot of my attention. He also happens to be my work-from-home assistant where he excels at paper shredding, when not sleeping on the job. Art is a big hobby of mine. I love to paint, as well as peruse galleries and museums, whether online or in person. I also enjoy movies, particularly ones that put my brain to work like documentaries, mysteries or thrillers. On the weekends I like to get out and explore - whether it be eating at a new restaurant, partaking in one of Toronto’s many food/art festivals or taking a day trip outside the city. I also love to play tennis – although I won’t leave you with the impression that I’m actually any good. After 20+ years of playing, I’m still working on harnessing the power of my serve. Perhaps I’m better suited for baseball. When travel is possible again, my next trips will be Japan and then Italy.