I spent more than three decades in executive roles before ever coaching a single leader.

My career began in finance. After earning my CPA, I moved into senior leadership roles across manufacturing and product distribution, where I was responsible for operations, performance, and growth. Over time, I learned that while financial statements tell you where you’ve been, leadership determines where you go next.

Those years shaped my understanding of responsibility. Leadership is not abstract when you are responsible for payroll, for performance, and for the livelihoods of the people around you. Decisions rarely arrive cleanly. Most carry consequences that extend far beyond the numbers.

One CEO once told me his goal was simple: to run the business with his brother and still enjoy Thanksgiving dinner together. That conversation had nothing to do with strategy. It had everything to do with clarity, perspective, and trust.

Eventually, I reached a point where I wanted to work more directly with leaders themselves. I wanted to work alongside those carrying the same responsibility I had carried.

That path led me to TEC Canada.

Today, as a TEC Canada Master Chair, I facilitate confidential peer advisory groups for CEOs and senior executives. These groups create space for leaders to step back from their organizations and think clearly, often alongside peers who understand the weight of the role in ways others cannot.