Our Team
Experience, Excellence, and Passion
Our Commitment to Quality
Ensures Satisfaction
Mission
By integrating human expertise with cutting-edge technology, our suite of safety learning solutions continues to set the standard in the industry.
Vision
The market leader in innovative & collaborative safety learning solutions, getting you and yours home safely.
Values
- Customer Focus
- Professionalism
- Innovation
- Quality
- Teamwork
Family Owned & Operated
Our family is bigger than the four of us. We embrace and thank all of our staff who dedicate themselves to making our roads safer. They are our family too. Without our team we are just four people with obvious competitive problems! Between KnowledgeSurge and DriveWise, we have grown from one facility serving Barrie to a group of companies serving the Road Transportation industry worldwide. Our entire team is extremely proud of our 99.9%+ client recommended programs. Whether you are looking for a high quality trucking school or an approved driving instructor program, we are here for you. We are passionate about everything, including our hockey! Thank you for visiting us and I hope we earn the right to serve you.
– Lesley de Repentigny, President & CEO
Management Team
Our team delivers quality, integrity and professionalism. We embrace a culture of lifelong learning and team collaboration.
Lesley is a highly experienced training Professional with over 30 years in advanced learning. She is a recipient of the Brock University Alumni of Distinction Award and twice been named to the Profit W100 for Canada's top female CEOs. She is a passionate visionary who has dedicated her life to improving workplace safety. Lesley began her career as an officer in the Canadian Forces. Prior to founding her companies, Lesley was Vice President of Adacel, a world leading aerospace training company. She led contracts with NASA, the FAA, United States Air Force, the Canadian Forces and Nav Canada amongst others.
Martin has over 30 years in advanced learning training. He has instructed at the university level and holds a Masters degree in Engineering. Martin is a certified Driving Instructor and has completed Teaching and Training Adults. He is also Kirkpatrick certified in the 4 Levels of Evaluation. Martin is a retired officer from the Canadian Forces.
Katherine has over 15 years experience in Adult Learning and Program Management with KnowledgeSurge Institute and DriveWise. Her passion for road safety and client satisfaction leads us to our 99%+ client recommendation rating. From conceptualization to implementation, she has demonstrated a keen ability to navigate complex business landscapes, identify key opportunities, and develop innovative strategies that align with organizational objectives. Katherine has an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen's University. She is Kirkpatrick certified in the 4 Levels of Evaluation and has completed Teaching and Training Adults.
Matt has spent over 15 years in advanced learning solutions. Matt led the development team on our award winning air brake simulator and our new Toolbox simulator. He is an ardent advocate of advanced learning tools and keeps our state of the art environments humming. Matt has completed Teaching and Training Adults.
Rhiannon is an award-winning manager with over 20 years experience in the Training, Learning and Development field. With a proven track record of success, she is a dedicated and results-oriented professional adept at driving business growth. Having honed her expertise across diverse industries, Rhiannon brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Rhiannon excels in fostering collaborative relationships both internally and externally, leveraging strong communication skills to effectively liaise with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and clients. With meticulous attention to detail, she ensures that programs are executed with precision, on time, and within budget, exceeding expectations at every turn. Driven by a passion for continuous improvement, Rhiannon is constantly seeking new ways to streamline processes, enhance efficiencies, and deliver unparalleled value to clients.
Jaime has over 5 years of experience in Sales, Marketing, and Account management, during which she has consistently demonstrated exceptional skills in building and maintaining client relationships. She enjoys interacting and getting to know clients, and approaches all situations with a friendly and positive attitude.She has a creative mindset and a passion for forming meaningful connections. Jaime holds an Honours Bachelors of Business Administration degree with a focus in Marketing.
OUR LEAD INSTRUCTORS
Don brings over 20 years of Transportation industry instruction. He has driven for some of the largest Commercial Trucking firms in Canada and is a licensed driving instructor. Don is qualified to teach all of our programs. Don is a certified Driver Instructor Trainer. In addition to completing BDIC/BCIC, he has completed Teaching & Training Adults as well as our continual training series with Georgian College. Don is a passionate lifelong advocate of Road Safety.
Dave has extensive experience in the Commercial Trucking and Commercial Vehicle industry both as an instructor and as an operator. Dave truly cares about his students and does all he can to ensure a lifetime of safe driving. Dave is the Head Yard & In-Vehicle Instructor, helping to set the standard and ensure our high quality expectations are being met each lesson by all of our incredible instructors.
Testimonials
Don't just take our word for it!
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I Corey really enjoyed going to this institution for my AZ MELT PRO course. All the staff and instructors ladies in the office. They all are perfect.They … More help you, they want you to succeed. They want you to pass, they push and push you. They are truly one of the greatest institutions schools around If I had to do it all again BY FAR I'D PICK KNOWLEDGE SURGE ALL DAY EVERYDAY.
Thank staff and instructors at Knowledge Surge for opening my future up. -
I had a great experience completing my DZ training with DriveWise. From the classroom training to air brakes, vehicle inspections, and the practical driving … More sessions, the instructors were knowledgeable, patient, and focused on preparing me to become a safe and confident commercial driver.
What I appreciated most was the support throughout the process. Even after I didn’t pass my first road test, the team continued working with me, helped me understand what I needed to improve, and prepared me to go back more confident and better prepared.
I would definitely recommend DriveWise to anyone looking to obtain their commercial licence. The training is professional, practical, and focused on helping students develop real driving skills, not just pass a test. -
Thank you so much knowledge surge institute. I successfully completed my DZ driving test today. All the teachers and driving instructors were a pleasure … More to work with and very knowledgeable. Im confident i will be a great safe driver thanks to the great staff a knowledge surge. Really only good thing to say. Thanks again.
