Ed McKenzie

CCHL Leadership Faculty

Ed considers it an honour to be involved in the field of leadership and learning. He describes himself as one of the fortunate few who get an opportunity to do what they really care about, a chance to do meaningful work with others who truly want to make a difference in our world.

With a calm, clear and friendly presence, Ed prides himself on being able to engage others in in thoughtful and meaningful ways to bring about transformative learning. When Ed reflects on the paths that have led him to his current work, he realizes they all involve a curiosity about people – how they think, how they feel, how they act and how they communicate with each other.

Consequently, it’s no surprise that Ed spent a great deal of his working life as a journalist and corporate communications specialist before teaming up with his wife Cathy in 2000 to establish Learning By Heart Consulting, a firm that works with a wide variety of public and private sector clients, nationally and internationally.

One of the largest, and most rewarding, consulting projects Ed has ever undertaken involved the health care system in British Columbia. In 2007, he co-facilitated a series of public meetings throughout the province as part of a major government initiative entitled “Conversation on Health”.

Today, as a Certified LEADS Specialist, Ed works extensively in the Canadian health sector, facilitating workshops designed to “bring LEADS to life”. In 2001 Ed completed his Masters degree in Leadership and Training at Royal Roads University in Victoria where he now proudly serves as an associate faculty member. In October of 2018, Ed and Cathy were honoured to receive the Gerry Kelly Teaching Award for Outstanding Workshop Facilitation from Royal Roads University.

Over the years, Ed has given, and received, his greatest gifts at home – as a husband and father of two grown children and, more recently, as a grandfather to three little ones – two boys and a girl. To stay balanced, Ed loves to play guitar, golf, read, and walk, talk and travel with Cathy.