From high-flying marketing & sales executive to self-awareness leadership expert, John Kuypers has led an adventurous career. One theme dominates his work – successful change. As a marketer, he led bold marketing campaigns to change consumer behaviour in beverages, snacks and household products. As a strategic change consultant, he helped transform one of Canada’s largest investment banking groups into a customer-driven, sales-focused organization. As a person, he tackled the most difficult change of all – himself.
Author of three books, John Kuypers is an expert in helping leaders get peak performance from others. As a young marketing manager, John led the Mott’s Clamato brand to year over year growth exceeding +25% each year. He was awarded employee of the year by his employer, Cadbury Schweppes, for his efforts at making the Bloody Caesar, Canada’s favourite mixed drink. As VP Sales, John led a turnaround in the soft drinks division from -10% to +4% during a tough recession by changing the culture from old-time schmoozing to modern business discipline.
As a strategic change consultant, John helped TD Bank’s Treasury and Investment Banking group achieve $20 million (+15%) in growth after three years of flat results. This came just one year after leading senior and middle managers through a comprehensive strategic planning process. John helped management create a customer-driven culture that broke down product-centric silos over a three year period.
As a person, John looked in the mirror to re-examine his own values and beliefs. After a blackout on the living room floor at age 34, his first foray into self-awareness was the truth that he spent his mind-time living in the future and in the past. He quickly discovered that focusing the mind on the present is the key to being happy, authentic and true to yourself. His first book, What’s Important Now, sold over four thousand copies on his six step method for developing authentic presence and letting your real self shine through.
John’s latest book was in development for over five years. In Who’s The Driver Anyway? Making The Shift To A Collaborative Team Culture, John outlines his leadership method for helping leaders get better results…by becoming highly self-aware of how decisions are made “in the moment.” His driver-passenger model helps leaders create smooth change by holding up a mirror to current organizational and individual habits that cause resistance to change.
John has helped leaders reach new levels of success in financial services, manufacturing, marketing services, not-for-profits, consumer goods and health care, among others.
