Dan Pontefract is a leadership strategist, best-selling author and keynote speaker. He founded the Pontefract Group in 2014, a firm that improves the state of leadership and organizational culture.

Dan is the author of four books including LEAD. CARE. WIN., OPEN TO THINK, THE PURPOSE EFFECT and FLAT ARMY.

His third book, OPEN TO THINK, is the 2019 getAbstract International Book of the Year winner and the 2019 Axiom Business Book Award Silver Medal winner in the Leadership category.

A renowned speaker, Dan has presented at four different TED events and also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review.

Dan is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business and has garnered more than 20 industry awards over his career.

Previously as Chief Envisioner and Chief Learning Officer at TELUS—a Canadian telecommunications company with revenues of $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%. Prior to TELUS, he held senior roles at SAP, Business Objects and BCIT.

He is honoured to be on the Thinkers50 radar list. In 2019 he was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Talent Award.

Dan lives in Victoria, BC, married to Denise and father to Claire, Cole and Cate.