Meet Kevin
I am an International Coaching Federation-certified Associate Coach with a post-graduate diploma in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University. My interest in coaching and mentoring stem from my own experiences as a collaborative leader supporting other leaders.
As a coach, I support the development of authentic leadership based on my client’s values and priorities – what does growth and success look like to you – is a key question. My sense is that leadership is a habit, and coaching supports the daily exercise of leadership muscles. Specifically, I support clients in: developing leadership competencies; getting from strategy to results; managing issues and opportunities; managing their own career; and, preparing for promotion processes.
Themes that are often explored in coaching sessions include: achieving results, providing services, managing issues and opportunities, leading change, collaborative leadership; building workplace culture, building high performing teams, creating relationships based on trust and respect, accountability, influence, and grabbing strategic opportunities when they emerge.
Leadership is important. Healthy organizations that are nimble and resilient have strong leaders at all levels. Leaders achieve short term objectives while building a culture of inclusion and respect for diversity where people feel supported and can bring their whole selves to work. The earlier leadership muscles are developed the better.
I have coached clients from federal departments, the Edmonton and Calgary municipal governments, and non-profit organizations. I have also worked with professionals and consultants. I work with members of diversity groups and with Indigenous leaders. I work with team leaders, managers and executives.
After 29 years in the federal public service, I retired in November 2023. For 20 years I was Ottawa based where I held senior roles: in Canadian international development (now part of the Global Affairs Canada mandate); at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat; and in Indigenous Services Canada. For the last 9 years, from 2014 until retirement, I was the Associate Regional Director General for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) in Alberta.
As the Associate Regional Director General, I played the role of senior operating officer for the Alberta Region. With the Regional Director General, I provided leadership to an executive team of 5 and to over 200 staff. I supported complex regional operations and annual expenditures of over $2 billion. My responsibilities included issues management, change leadership, building high performing teams, building sound governance and stewardship approaches, developing a work culture based on health, safety, wellness and service, and building relationships based on trust.
I am a collaborative change leader. I work with partners and stakeholders to draw out the wisdom of the group and to identify the best paths forward through engagement, dialogue, negotiation and consensus-building. Recently I completed a leadership study within ISC that identified priorities for building the next generation of ISC leaders, including recruitment, retention, professional development and advancement of Indigenous leaders. I also co-led a major Alberta Region change initiative that integrated guidance by Elders and that included Indigenous Sharing Circles presided over by Elders as a major component of engagement and consensus-building. The results led to restructuring, realignment of functions between branches, enhancing operations and being more intentional about an organization culture that includes Indigenous ways of thinking.
I have also been preoccupied with national work on diversity and inclusion with a focus on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action 57. As a part of this work, in 2022, I led a team of public servants from across Canada to produce the first National Day of Learning for Public Servants in advance of the first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. We were recognized for this work in 2023 with a Public Service Award of Excellence from the Clerk of the Privy Council.
I live with my partner in Edmonton Alberta. We are surrounded by four adolescent and adult children, one grand child, 4 dogs, a guinea pig and a bearded dragon. I love volunteer activities, swimming, sailing, scuba diving and hiking in the Rockies. I am open to coaching sessions on top of Whistlers Mountain in Jasper National Park, or in Roatan… 😊