GRACE under pressure: John Baldoni with Dan Pontefract

Dan Pontefract is the founder and CEO of Pontefract Group, a firm that improves the state of leadership and organizational culture. He works with firms such as Salesforce, Canada Post, BMO, Nutrien, TD Bank, Autodesk, Amgen, and others to help shift their culture, employee experience, leadership practices, and operating ways. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business. 

Dan is the best-selling author of five books: WORK-LIFE BLOOM: How to Nurture a Team That Flourishes (2023), LEAD. CARE. WIN. How to Become a Leader Who Matters (2020), OPEN TO THINK: Slow Down, Think Creatively, and Make Better Decisions (2018), THE PURPOSE EFFECT: Building Meaning in Yourself, Your Role and Your Organization (2016) and FLAT ARMY: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization (2013). 

Dan is on the Thinkers50 Radar list, HR Weekly’s 100 Most Influential People in HR, PeopleHum’s Top 200 Thought Leaders and Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 leadership speakers.

Notably, Dan is a proven leader with real-world, game-changing and award-winning experience. Previously as Chief Envisioner and Chief Learning Officer at TELUS—a Canadian telecommunications company with revenues of over $14 billion and 50,000 global employees—he launched the Transformation Office, the TELUS MBA, and the TELUS Leadership Philosophy, all award-winning initiatives that dramatically helped to increase the company’s employee engagement to record levels of nearly 90%. Despite leaving full-time in 2018, Dan continues to work with TELUS as Director of the TELUS MBA and on a retainer to assist TELUS clients as needed. Previous to his ten years at TELUS, he held senior executive positions over twelve years with SAP, Business Objects, Crystal Decisions and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).

Dan’s career is interwoven with corporate and academic experience, coupled with an MBA, B.Ed and multiple industry certifications. He is a renowned speaker, invited to deliver over 600 external keynotes and presentations, including four TED Talks. Dan also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. www.worklifebloom.com