Kellie Garrett

Kellie Garrett is passionate about helping people reach their potential, by helping see how they get in their own way. (She says she had a lot of personal experience in this area...) Kellie inspires audiences take ownership of their reactions, inaction and lack of traction when it comes to personal and professional leadership. She is a Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator, an expert in the work of Brené Brown. Dare to Lead teaches the four courage skills of daring leaders, including vulnerability, values, trust and learning to rise (resilience). These skills are founded on emotional intelligence and deep self-awareness. Known for her candour, practical advice and sense of humour, Garrett leaves audiences with self-discovery pieces that can be pursued after hearing her speak. She is also a mental health advocate who shares her lived experience (four generations of her family have been afflicted by anxiety, depression, postpartum or other issues), inspiring audiences to look after their own mental health or become an ally of those experiencing such issues.

A recovering executive, Kellie occupied senior leadership positions, culminating as Senior VP, of business strategy, knowledge management and reputation at FCC, a Canadian $41B agriculture and agri-business lender. She is a speaker, executive coach and consultant on leadership, corporate culture, employee engagement, team dynamics and high performance. She also provides training to Boards on these topics. Her experience spans business strategy, enterprise risk management, marketing communication, corporate culture building and the customer experience. During her tenure at FCC, she helped mastermind a cultural transformation that led to the corporation's inclusion on Canada's Top 50 Employers list, ultimately at spot #5. 

Kellie holds a Master of Arts in Leadership & Training from Royal Roads University (2005) and completed Harvard Business School's two-month Advanced Management Program in 2006. In 2010, she was granted the Master Communicator (MC) designation from IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) and in 2015 was named an IABC Fellow. Her awards include Humanitarian of the Year (Saskatchewan) from the Canadian Red Cross (2014) for autism advocacy; Top 25 Women of Influence (2012) and Canada's 100 Powerful Women (2007). She holds the Institute Certified Director Designation (ICD.D) from the Rotman School of Business. Garrett serves on the boards of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Autism Resource Centre.

She believes strongly in giving back to community. Her favourite causes are Dress for Success and autism. (One of her two grown sons has autism.)

She is an avid flower gardener, writer and voracious reader who loves travel and quaffing wine.