No-nonsense tools & advice for leaders of high growth companies

A teacher at heart, Dean Ritchey brings specialized expertise from a career as a senior executive in the North American consumer goods/retail sector to his coaching practice.

Combined with a love for the dynamics of the business world, and an unbridled commitment to see people achieve the extraordinary, his passion lies in growth and development, as he works to enhance the skills of leadership teams, and challenge his clients to do – and be – more than they thought possible.

Dean earned a Bachelors of Business Management, and a Masters in Executive Management, and is skilled in the Rockefeller Habits, as a Coach, and a Continuous Improvement trainer.

Intrigued by the links between people’s passion for their work, and the results they generate, Dean focuses on building teams to increase engagement and deliver the results that impact a company’s long-term success. He believes that success is about making a conscious choice to execute the right decisions at the right time and loves discovering those opportunities with his clients.

Dean, a great reader of business books, loves soccer, running, hiking and fly fishing – and travelling in Mexico with his wife Rossy, and their two children.

As a coach and consultant to executives and leaders in high growth entrepreneurial organizations, Kristin Hazzard understands the importance of building and developing high-performing teams. Working with clients internationally, Kristin drives growth in organizations through assessing and developing talent, training leaders, and strengthening executive team alignment. She is an expert at solving complex people issues, navigating relationships and conflict, organizational leadership and development, and optimizing on opportunities to achieve positive results for her clients.

Drawing on a wide breadth of professional practice, a Master’s degree in Educational Practice, an entrepreneurial mindset and experience as an elite athlete, Kristin thinks strategically and focuses on the big picture achieved through measurable goal setting and execution. She is particularly adept at navigating and leveraging the individual and complementary personality styles and skills of people within high performing and cross functioning teams, in different scenarios.

With an affinity towards the psychology of leadership and being a true educator at heart, Kristin is motivated to help leaders grow and take massive action in their lives, both personally and professionally. As an accomplished speaker and best-selling co-author, Kristin inspires through her infectious passion and no-excuses mindset. She is heavily invested in the success of her clients and will roll up her sleeves to solve any challenges they may face and stretch them to achieve their highest potential. She does not accept mediocrity and holds her clients accountable to a high standard. Through her coaching, speaking, and advising, Kristin makes leaders better and ensures companies have  high-performing teams needed for sustainable growth.

From start-ups to multibillion-dollar multinationals, Timothy Schokking helps businesses of all sizes to identify, align, and implement critical value-driven strategies.

His work as a coach and consultant is infused with deep, front-line experience, anchored with a BA in Economics and Business from York University, and an MBA in Corporate Finance and Management of Innovation and New Technology from McMaster University.

Career highlights include Human Resource Specialist for Van Hessen BV, Marketing Associate for SIR Corp, and Production Group Leader at General Motors; and Director of Business Development at the Cliner Group, where he led small- to large-scale projects to ensure alignment with business priorities using a holistic approach to business development, while considering marketing, branding, people, sales and strategy. Tim was also Manager of Innovation Strategy and Operations at Canadian retailer lululemon, where he managed the Innovation Operations team, and developed long-term strategies in collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders.

A passion for developing people and helping them to find their way follows Brett Abram’s career path. Known for his optimism, Brett is a leadership educator who shares his wisdom and insight with purpose and intention as he helps to bring organizational strategies to life, and provides the direction and support for individuals and teams to succeed and strengthen others.

A Human Resources professional for the last 25 years – with senior experience in public and private sectors, retail, manufacturing and media broadcasting – he is also an Adler Trained Coach and certified in Myers Briggs.

Brett’s deepest satisfaction comes from working with people whose “ah ha” moments mark a new level of excited self-awareness and insight about themselves and those with whom they work.

Based in Toronto, Canada, Brett and his wife are avid baseball fans who travel internationally as #1 fans of their son, a former member of the Canadian junior and senior national teams; and now on a university scholarship.

Kurtis takes a holistic approach to his work to secure the financial health and wellbeing of founder-led, growing companies.

With experience in a variety of sectors – including construction, manufacturing, tech, and non-profits – he is intimate with the excitement, pain and challenges of growing companies, and passionate about helping CEOs to be successful.

Using numbers as the tool of his accomplished trade, Kurtis works with senior leadership teams to bring clarity and structure to financial planning, execution and assessment. His practical, grounded and analytical perspective reveals what big picture goals actually look like, and informs a team’s ability to look forward, manage, learn, and grow.

As a former varsity basketball athlete, he appreciates and values the results that can be achieved by the creativity, hard work and determination of a great team. Off the court, he loves dishing up gourmet barbecue fare for big family dinners and chasing his three young children.

More than anything, Lance loves to ‘crack the strategic code’ that unleashes a clear purpose and path for his clients to thrive. A seasoned strategist, he crafted his career in senior leadership roles, including 11 years as CEO of a software company – in large, sophisticated companies, as well as entrepreneurial, growth-oriented organizations.

His skills have been honed in sectors as varied as publishing, technology/software and private equity; and in Water, Marketing and Business Services, Retail, Manufacturing and Distribution industries. He is also Board Chair of one of BC’s leading water management service companies.

Recognized for his ability to understand the complex dynamics of a business challenge and for his operations expertise, he knows how to foster a shared vision for progress and growth and to engage teams within a dynamic culture. Lance also brings deep experience in Mergers & Acquisitions, and the critical integration work necessary for their success.

Underlying his work is an unflagging passion to acquire and share knowledge about leadership, strategy and organizational behaviour. Every year, he attends Harvard Business School President’s Program to learn best practices from MBA professors. And, for almost 20 years, he’s been deeply committed to the Young Presidents Organization at provincial, national and international levels. In 2014, he was recognized for curating the Best Education Program in the World for YPO British Columbia.

Out of the office, Lance stays mentally and physically strong and resilient by competing against himself and his friends in golf, cycling and hiking; and travelling with his wife and two sons, particularly to Australia.

Our founder Kevin conducted an interview to get to know Lance. Here is a list of the clips if you’d like to learn more about Lance, or watch the full video below.

• Intro
• What was your first major job?
• What was your first major career?
• What gets you out of bed?
• Who has had the biggest impact on your leadership?
• What made you become an advisor?
• How do you describe the work you do?
• Who is your favourite kind of client?
• What tools do you use with clients?
• What are your resilience rituals?
• What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
• Closing