Joel Shapiro, PH.D.
Over the past twelve years, Joel has designed and facilitated more than 30 different employee, leadership, and organizational development programs for more than 40 client firms, including customized change management programs for BC Hydro, ICBC, Providence Health Care, and WestJet.
In his role as the Director of Learning & Change at NewsWest, Joel was responsible for human resource strategy, change management, talent development, organizational culture, and merger integration management. As part of the family ownership group, Joel helped NewsWest transform itself from a small, local, monopolistic commodity supplier to a medium-sized, regional, highly competitive, value added service provider. NewsWest tripled its annual revenues, opened branches in several new cities, completed three mergers and two acquisitions, and maintained very high levels of employee and management retention. NewsWest is now recognized as North America's leader in the value added distribution of magazines and books to the retail trade, and has launched several start-up companies that leverage its core capabilities.
As a leadership educator, Joel has a unique ability to drive performance and build leaders at all levels of an organization. Joel's consulting and educational practices are unique in many ways: in addition to providing world-class content and extremely practical tools, Joel's programs have a unique way of combining leadership and organizational development; professional, personal, and interpersonal growth, and a big picture, strategic focus that helps all participants align what they are learning with their organization's unique vision, strategy, and values. All of Joel's programs are action-oriented and results-based, and are designed to generate both quick wins and larger-scale sustainable solutions.
Joel was a member of the Canadian National Freestyle Ski Team; earned a Ph.D. with Distinction from DePaul University (Chicago); was an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the University of Calgary's cutting edge "Master of Workplace Learning Program"; and owns and has co-managed family businesses with more than 400 employees.