Expert on Trust-Based Leadership, Influence and Performance, Expert on Trust-Based Leadership, Influence and Performance
How can leaders bring teams together to achieve extraordinary results? What do all great organizations have in common, whether they realize it or not? How do we consistently and effectively get people to listen, follow, buy-in, and take the next step? Heath Slawner shows audiences that trust and purpose – based on a palpable concern for others – are what’s at the centre of it all. When we’re clear about why we’re here, where we’re going, who we serve, and how we’re getting there, people start to feel valued and fulfilled. As a consequence, we will naturally seek out ways to collaborate, execute and bring bold visions to reality.
Heath’s work lies at the intersection of leadership, influence, and trust. Through in-depth and dynamic presentations, he shows audiences how to leverage proven strategies to strengthen relationships, drive performance, and achieve outstanding results. He shares his insights with individuals and teams at leading organizations around the world, including the United Nations, and some of Canada’s most iconic companies, such as Bell, Canadian Tire, and Loblaws, to name just a few.
Boasting exceptional facilitation skills and a passion for helping people learn and apply new skills, Heath combines intelligence, empathy, and conscientiousness to ensure valuable and memorable experiences for all audiences.
Heath earned his undergraduate business degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout his career, he has continually contributed to his community, both nationally and internationally. He is also a Board and Executive
Committee Member of Equitas – International Centre for Human Rights Education, whose mission is to help build a global culture of human rights through education.
Ever optimistic, Heath believes that trust and purpose are at the center of it all. When we’re clear about why we’re here, where we’re going, how we’re getting there, and whom we serve, people start to feel valued and fulfilled. When we achieve this clarity, we are able to do our best work and bring bold visions to reality. Heath has worked alongside some of the world’s leading thinkers. Starting in 2006, Heath was the only professional in Canada certified to deliver and facilitate the Principles of Persuasion workshop and keynote, an evidence-based program based on the research of renowned author Dr. Robert Cialdini.
Following his work with the Principles of Persuasion, Heath spent several years
collaborating with the team at The Trusted Advisor LLC., where he facilitated programs centered around building and strengthening trust-based relationships.
Driven by the belief that people thrive when they are united by a shared sense of purpose, Heath joined the Start With Why team in 2015. He continues to work with clients in order to drive change, enhance leadership, and strengthen workplace culture. Since joining the team, he has delivered over 150 live and virtual keynote presentations on behalf of Simon Sinek Inc.
Heath received his degree from the Wharton School of Business. He currently lives in Montreal, Canada.
Peter Katz is a JUNO Award & Canadian Screen Award-nominated singer-songwriter who has spent the past 15 years touring internationally. He has been
described by many of his fans and speaking clients as “a thunderbolt for the soul”. Renowned CBC radio host Tom Power described Peter’s music as “one of the most heartfelt, beautiful, and vulnerable records of the year… an astonishing record”.
To date, his music has been streamed over 4.5 million times and his music videos have over 16 million views on YouTube. Peter’s music has also been featured on
several TV shows and movies like Lethal Weapon, Reign, Sign Sealed and Delivered, Felicity, For Your
Consideration, Hello Goodbye, Alias, Heartland and more, as well as on CBC Television’s 2016 Rio Olympics / Paralympics coverage. As a speaker, Peter is a 4-time TEDx fellow being called on to give his highly
customized ‘Keynote Concerts’ to countless companies and organizations across various industries like Bell, Xerox, Royal Lepage, SITE Global, Trillium Health, The Canadian Society of Association Executives, and the Government of Canada, to name a few.
“His ability to connect is unlike anyone I’ve seen. To be the highest standard of being a storyteller is to be like Peter Katz.” Jeff Pulver – Founder of Vonage
Paula Vital is an award winning yoga therapist, leader, coach, speaker and author dedicated to helping you move from striving to thriving by accessing the power of the present moment.
With over 20 years of experience in the field of mindful leadership and health, she has seamlessly integrated wellbeing into all aspects of her life and is passionate about helping others to do the same.
Laura Cole is a communication expert who has been building relationships as a communication coach and keynote speaker for over 15 years. She has been featured in Thrive Global and has appeared as a guest on many international podcasts as a thought leader in the art of communication and human relations.
As a self-proclaimed introvert who chose public
speaking as her profession, Laura had to intentionally discover ways to make small talk and conversations easier, which she now passionately shares in her
coaching and keynotes.
Nicknamed “the negotiator” since childhood, Fotini Iconomopoulos is an expert communicator with a passion for helping
organizations and individuals get what they want.
For the last decade, she has been helping Fortune 500 clients and audiences to achieve their business goals, increase profitability, and create a competitive advantage. She thrives in empowering people to navigate high-stake scenarios, and always leaves her audiences with tangible actions to immediately help them tackle their next challenge. After a decade of owning and managing small businesses in the retail sector, Iconomopoulos refined her negotiation skills in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry before moving into consulting.
Through her company, Forward Focusing, she helps clients across the globe achieve their commercial objectives through strategic forward thinking, and has worked with CPG, retail, professional services, energy, telecommunications, tech, and finance industries.
When she’s not strategizing with clients, Iconomopoulos is a sought-after speaker on negotiation, communication, leadership, and conflict management, and is passionate about helping people, particularly women and disadvantaged groups, develop the confidence to take on whatever challenges come their way. She is also a frequent guest on CBC and CTV, and an instructor of MBA Negotiations at the Schulich School of Business at York
University in Toronto.
Iconomopoulos was recognized with a Greek America
Foundation Top 40 under 40 award for her achievements and philanthropic work, and nominated for an RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award presented by Women of Influence.
