Dennis Geelen

Coaching and mentoring to help you start and scale your one-person business.

Founder

Zero In

The mission of Zero In is to help as many businesses and leaders build a brand customers love and a company people are passionate to work for.  

So where do you need to focus (or Zero In)?
Solve the problem of INDIFFERENCE!

Indifferent customers have no compelling reason to purchase your product or service rather than your competitors' product or service. 

Indifferent employees are complacent because they are not passionate about coming to work each day.

Utilize the resources, books, and courses from Zero In to increase your customer retention, improve your customer experience, and build a passionate culture of innovation giving your team the ability to find new and better ways to serve your customers.

"Customers DO NOT buy your product or service, they buy what it can DO FOR THEM"
Customer-centricity means knowing your customers and giving them what they crave.  This helps you to build trust and loyalty, but also a solid reputation.  Loyal customers become fans of your brand and refer other customers to you.

"If you don't find new and better ways to serve your customers, SOMEONE ELSE WILL!"
Being Innovative brings new ideas, which is crucial to a business being able to find new and better ways to add value for your customers.  With innovation comes creative new products and services, increases in efficiency and, as a result, improved profitability.

BE THE BRAND CUSTOMERS LOVE AND THE COMPANY PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE TO WORK FOR

Founder and Chief Difference Maker

The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group

About the Commonwell
We are committed to profitable growth, team development, ingenuity, while having fun at work.  We offer a complete range of insurance products including residential, automobile, commercial, farm and watercraft. We encourage a work-life balance and we are serious about what we do!

About my Role
As Manager of the PMO, I lead a group project managers and business analysts to implement the project management office from the ground up.

About the PMO
Projects at the Commonwell are measured against timelines, budget, delivery of scope, but most importantly the realization of the intended benefits of each project.  Over 85% of projects at the Commonwell were consistantly green throughout 2018.

Manager, Project and Portfolio Management Office

As Manager of Application Services, I am responsible for planning, coordinating and managing the activities of the Application Services team within the Information Systems (IS) Department. This includes leadership and development of the IS team members, as well as providing direction and support for IS solutions to meet the present and future needs of the organization.

Manager of Application Services

Kawartha Lakes Food Source

Kawartha Lakes Food Source is a community effort to reduce hunger in the City of Kawartha Lakes by:

1. Maintaining a central warehouse to supply food to organizations that provide food to individuals in need,
2. Raising public awareness, and
3. Working in concert with other local not-for-profit organizations.

Board Of Directors

Operitel Corporation (An OpenText Company) 

ABout OpenText
OpenText, The Information Company™, a market leader in Enterprise Information Management software and solutions, enables intelligent and connected enterprises by managing, leveraging, securing and gaining insight into enterprise information, on-premises or in the cloud. 

About my Role
Directed a team of PS and R&D resources to develop and implement the LearnFlex LMS platform for over 40 clients.

Director of R&D and Professional Services

TELUS

Manager - Payment Solutions Development and Support

Emergis - A Telus Company

Manager

Emergis Inc

Business Coach | Keynote Speaker | Author of The Happy Accidents newsletter and The Accidental Solopreneur book

What I Do
I help teams, organizations, and solopreneurs flourish by focusing on what really matters: people.

As a speaker, author, and consultant, I equip audiences with practical, human-centered strategies to thrive in uncertain times, build meaningful businesses, and create lasting impact.

Who I Work With
• Event organizers seeking keynote speakers on serendipity, growth, and personal transformation
• Businesses and nonprofits looking to create stronger cultures, customer experiences, and leadership teams
• Solopreneurs who want to design businesses that give them both income and freedom


What I’ve Created
• Author of The Zero In Formula and The Accidental Solopreneur (bestseller)
• Creator of top-rated online courses for solopreneurs and authors
• Host of the Happy Accidents podcast and newsletter
• Keynote talks including 'The Power of Serendipity', 'Start Before You’re Ready', and 'Rooted in Humans'


Want to Work Together?
Let’s talk if you’re looking for:
✅ A keynote speaker for your next event
✅ A workshop or webinar for your team
✅ A course to help you grow as a solopreneur or author


DM me if you’d like to connect about speaking, workshops, or collaborations.

Maple Leaf Foods Inc

With Maple Leaf Foods, I lead the Talent Acquisition strategy in support of our vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth. 

I lead an awesome team of Talent Acquisition pros responsible for:

- Recruitment Delivery
- Employer Value Prop / Employer Branding
- International Recruitment strategy, relocation, integration, and compliance
- Early Careers Programs
- Recruitment Operations & Governance
- Talent Projects & Programs
- Candidate Experience

Director, Talent Acquisition

Motivators.io

Validated by I/O Psychologists and backed by research on human motivation, the Motivator Assessment Profile (MAP)™ analyzes 12 factors that influence the recruitment and retention of athletes and employees.

There are no right or wrong answers for what motivates you, and your top motivators will shift with your life and career priorities.

When motivators change, it can be challenging for companies, athletic programs, and individuals to consistently fulfill those top motivators. This lack of fulfillment leads to disengagement, turnover, and lost productivity. 

For Student-Athletes, Recruiting Services, and Agents: The MAP enables athletes to prioritize the teams and programs that best support their top motivators.

For College and University Coaches: The MAP enables Coaches and Recruiters to analyze student-athlete motivators, personalize the recruitment process, improve scholarship decisions, and reduce student-athlete transfer risks.

For Individuals and Career Coaches: The MAP supports job seekers and employees to identify, prioritize, and fulfill their top motivators at work.

In addition to assessments, we provide Student-Athlete and Career Coaching services to support to the transition from motivator insights to motivator fulfillment.

Founder and CEO

Communitech

As an Advisor and Growth Coach, I support Canadian Start-ups and Scale-ups to achieve their talent strategies.

Growth Coach & Advisor, Talent Management

Whiteboard Talent

Please note: I am not taking on consulting engagements at this time. I am happy to provide introductions to other Consultants and professional services providers in my network. 

As the Founder and Chief Talent Officer at Whiteboard Talent, my mission is to support you in building or redesigning your talent management programs. 

In the talent industry, there is an abundance of traditions and processes that are rarely challenged and improved. A whiteboard is synonymous with collaborating, ideating, and challenging the status quo. Contact me if you're ready to transform your talent strategy!

My Consulting services included:

Executive Recruitment Support (Director level and above): Finding and engaging with candidates that are highly skilled in their craft, complement your culture, and are motivated by your Employer Value Proposition (EVP). 

Employee and Candidate Assessments: By leveraging my proprietary platform, I assess and compare employees and candidates against your organization’s Employer Value Proposition. Synergies between employees and your EVP directly correlate to higher employee engagement, performance, and retention. 

Employer Brand Consulting: My proven four-step framework will improve your candidate throughput at the top and bottom of the recruitment funnel, amplify your employer brand awareness, and decrease your cost per hire. 

Talent Management Strategy: In support of high-growth and high-scale organizations, I provide a broad range of Organizational Development services, including org design, succession and workforce planning, and pre-IPO talent planning.

Fractional Talent Acquisition Leadership: I provide short-term or interim executive leadership, coaching and mentoring of colleagues in the talent organization, and consulting support to CxOs on all things Talent.

Founder & Chief Talent Officer 

Conestoga College

Responsible for teaching HR Consulting and Organizational Learning courses to Post Grad HR students.

Faculty Member

Wealthsimple

Lead the Talent Acquisition function with the world's most human financial company!

Invest - Cash - Trade - Crypto - Tax: We hire for all products and supporting functions

On the talent side, we're building our Talent programs to enable the success of the business: Early Career, Professional & Tech Recruitment, Talent Sourcing, Exec Recruitment, Employer Branding, and more.

Vice President, Talent Acquisition

Lightspeed HQ

With Lightspeed, my role is to partner with Executives, Business Leaders, and HR teams to advise on and implement Talent and Organizational Development programs. 

We're more than just a high-tech point of sale. At Lightspeed, we provide our customers with a simple way to build, manage and grow their retail, restaurant or eCommerce business, and create a best-in-class customer experience. Our end-to-end solutions unify inventory, customer management, sales, and analytics across all channels, in-store, and online.

Want to help in our mission? Join the Lightspeed team in one of our offices across the globe — Montréal, London, Amsterdam, Ghent, Toronto, Ottawa, Olympia, Paris, Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne.

Vice President, Talent Management & Organizational Development 

PointClickCare

This role provided me with the opportunity to deliver strategic leadership to the talent programs at PointClickCare. 

Some of my key initiatives focused on: attracting top external talent, driving internal mobility and employee career paths, implementing workforce and succession plans, crafting the employer brand, improving the candidate experience, implementing quality of hire initiatives, and measuring the effectiveness of all talent programs.

VP, Talent & Organizational Effectiveness 

Our Talent Acquisition team is responsible for supporting PointClickCare as we continue to grow and scale the organization. We continually hired top talent in Software Engineering, Product Development, Sales, IT, and Corporate Functions.

BlackBerry

Responsible for leading a hybrid team of in house and RPO recruitment to support Software, Enterprise Engineering, Sales and Marketing, Supply Chain, IT, Design, Hardware, and Corporate Functions. In addition to people leadership, I partnered with HR and business leaders to drive:

• Targeted Talent Acquisition Initiatives:
     - What skills are needed?
     - Where should they be based?
     - When is it needed for?
     - How will we secure the top talent?

• Project and Program Management:
     - Innovative candidate attraction strategies 
     - Internal mobility and career planning
     - Recruitment efficiency 

• Analytics and Action Plans:
     -  Analysis of key recruitment metrics
     -  Root cause analysis
     -  Execution on process improvement plans

• Collaboration with Talent Acquisition Stakeholders:
     - Partner with local and global teams in Talent Management, Rewards, and Operations
     - Collaborate with recruiters to develop and implement recruitment strategies
     - Lead change management initiatives within the business

Recruitment Manager - North America & Global Talent Acquisition Partner

Responsible for driving global recruitment process improvements via day to day operations, strategic projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Coach and lead a team of Recruitment Specialists within R&D and Manufacturing and Global Supply Chain disciplines, including: Software, OS, Research, Program/Product Management, Developer Relations, Hardware, RF Technologies, Quality, Test, Manufacturing Engineering, Training, Continuous Improvement, IT Systems, Supply Chain, and Operations Management.

Oversee three lines of business, including Executive Recruitment, Professional, and Campus hiring.

Manager, Global Talent Acquisition Operations

Responsible for Executive and Engineering recruitment within the Manufacturing and Global Supply Chain Business Units for roles based in Canada, U.S, Mexico, and Brazil.

Areas of focus include Software, Hardware, Program Management, Advanced Engineering, and Supply Chain disciplines.

Projects supported: Improving the candidate experience, Taleo optimization, Internal mobility best practices, and implementing innovative candidate sourcing strategies.

Recruitment Specialist - Executive and Engineering Recruitment

Adecco Employment Services

Responsible for leading the recruitment team, focused on contract and direct hire placements within numerous sectors, including R&D, Sales/Marketing, Legal/Corporate, Finance/Accounting, and Manufacturing/Supply Chain.

Performance metrics - Budgeting, KPI implementation and recruitment scorecards

Recruitment process improvement initiatives. 

Business Development, focused on new clients, client retention, and emerging markets

Branch Manager

I have held multiple senior leadership roles in Talent Acquisition and Talent Management, ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. I am a Certified Career Coach, an HR Faculty Member, an advisor to numerous start-ups and scale-ups, and a popular speaker on Talent Management, Employer Branding, Next-Gen Talent Strategy, and Employee Motivation.

In support of my passion for exploring Motivation Theory, I created the Motivator Assessment Profile (MAP)™ to enable workers and student-athletes to make more informed career decisions.

Senior Leadership Experience In:

- Talent Acquisition 
- Talent Management
- Employee Experience Programs
- Employer Branding / Employer Value Prop
- Fractional support to Start-ups & Scale-ups
- Executive Recruitment
- Internal Mobility & Career Development 
- Workforce & Succession Planning 
- Organizational Design & Development
- Leadership & Competency Development
- Campus & Early Talent Programs
- Onboarding & Improving Time to Productivity
- Fostering Diversity and inclusion via Talent Programs  
- Operational Effectiveness
- M&A Due Diligence & Integration

Member of the International Association of Professional Career Coaches

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Dennis Geelen

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