Executive coaching is not a regulated profession. Anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves an executive coach.

To succeed, however, an executive coach should have counselling experience, the ability to “connect” with senior executives, and the management expertise to coach for results. Only a broad combination of knowledge, training and experience will help senior executives feel comfortable discussing their personal feelings, challenges and aspirations.

Michael Stern’s experience in both counselling and executive search demonstrates his ability to understand the management and performance challenges facing today’s organizations, along with the needs of individual executives.

Michael has interviewed thousands of senior executives about their qualifications, their strengths and weaknesses, their hopes and dreams. He knows how to listen and what to listen for. As a result, he has helped numerous executives clarify their ambitions, adjust their attitudes and expectations, solve performance problems, and achieve personal and business breakthroughs.

Coaching comes naturally to Michael. After earning an M.A.Sc. in counselling psychology from the University of Waterloo, he worked as a Counsellor at Conestoga College and a Psychologist at the Brantford General Hospital.  He then became a Consultant for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.  At CAMH, he managed clinical services in Hamilton and was also Co-Chairman of a joint CAMH/Police Department steering committee, which developed the pilot project that became Ontario’s R.I.D.E. Program.

For the past 25 years, Michael has worked in executive search – helping many of Canada’s largest companies identify and evaluate senior talent. It’s a profession that demands the utmost in business knowledge, management insight and interpersonal skills. Michael has advised hundreds of organizations on their human-resource needs and helped companies obtain more of the behaviours, attitudes and results they need from their management teams.

Michael is a widely quoted expert on business, management and careers. His articles on leadership and management have run regularly in The Globe & Mail, The Toronto Star, and Canadian Business magazines. He currently writes a biweekly column for The National Post.

As an advisor to Canada’s most respected corporations, Michael’s experience enables him to work closely with senior managers and executives as coach, confidant and mentor. He has discussed career prospects, qualifications and personal development with thousands of talented executives. He has helped them address their shortcomings, master new challenges, and become better leaders. And of course his commitment to client confidentiality is absolute.