Shakeel Bharmal
Leadership Coach and Facilitator
Expertise:
Leadership Development • Organizational Transformation • Strategy • Change Management • Executive Coaching • Non-Profit Management
Shakeel Bharmal is a leadership coach, facilitator, and instructor with Ivey Executive Education. He specializes in strategy development and alignment, leading high-performance teams, strategic selling and customer engagement, and leading change initiatives. His extensive leadership experience includes roles in start-ups, organizational transformations, product launches, and turnarounds.
From his early career as a sales manager, management consultant, director of marketing & sales effectiveness and general manager across industries to his more recent roles as a chief operating officer and director of development with a global NGO, Shakeel has demonstrated his adeptness at navigating strategic change and developing capacity in his teams.
Shakeel is deeply committed to his professional development. He holds an advanced coaching certification from Ivey Executive Education, is an accredited coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and a Certified Professional Facilitator with the International Association of Facilitators. Additionally, he earned an MBA from Ivey Business School, where he was honored as Class Valedictorian, and a BBA from Simon Fraser University.
Originally from Tanzania and raised in Vancouver, Shakeel now resides in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where he continues to impact leaders and teams through insightful coaching and leadership.
Programs
Building High-Performance Teams
Capable teams don’t automatically perform. Become a stronger team lead by clarifying priorities and ownership so talent and effort translate into repeatable performance.
Starts March 25, 2026
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Starts October 19, 2026
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Articles
The Poetry of Leadership: The Navigating Disruption Podcast
Explore how the arts can help leaders strengthen self-awareness and creativity and take a dive deep into the complexities of turning a passion into a profession in this discussion between Shakeel Bharmal and Stephanie Bolster, an acclaimed Canadian poet, professor, and winner of the Governor General’s Award for Poetry.
Leadership on the Menu: The Navigating Disruption Podcast
Shakeel Bharmal sits down with Mohamed (Mo) Jessa, President Emeritus and Corporate Director of Earls, an iconic Canadian restaurant brand who shares his journey from an entry-level kitchen position to leading the company's expansion across Canada and into the US and how his passion for learning and teaching shaped his leadership style.
The Entrepreneur Inside: The Navigating Disruption Podcast
Shakeel and Jason MacDonnell (MBA ’00), Acting CEO and President of TELUS Digital Customer Experience, to explore Jason’s journey from navigating the tech bubble burst to leading a digital transformation at one of Canada’s largest companies, sharing insights on balancing the entrepreneurial mindset within a large organization and the importance of diversity and authenticity in driving innovation.
Gen AI Goes to School: The Navigating Disruption Podcast
Shakeel sits down with Brett Walker, a high school English teacher who has embraced AI as a transformative tool for education. Brett shares his journey from the classroom to a new role in his school district’s education technology initiatives, exploring how AI can enhance teaching and learning while addressing the challenges of getting educators to adopt this technology.
Window of Tolerance: The Navigating Disruption Podcast
Raheena Lalani Dayha discusses the Window of Tolerance framework, how it helps individuals understand emotional regulation under stress, and practical advice for managing personal and team dynamics in high-pressure situations.
The Civic Champion: The Navigating Disruption Podcast
Shakeel speaks with Maiwand Rahyab, founder of Resilient Societies, who shares his remarkable journey from Afghanistan to Canada and his unwavering commitment to civic engagement and human rights.
