A Customized Approach

Leading a business has never been tougher. Ruthless competition, disintermediation and the ever increasing demands of stakeholders challenge you to be at the top of your game. Unlike most coaches and advisors, I have been there myself, as a senior operating executive at GE, and as the CEO of Camco.

Effective C-level coaching is a real differentiator for you and your team, and yet my observation is that leadership coaches can be inconsistent in quality and that their training and real world experience is often limited. My work is heavily influenced by two people: Jack Welch, who was CEO during my time at GE and who was, in his heart, a passionate HR leader, as well as Manfred Kets de Vries at INSEAD, who is one of the first people to think about organizations through a psychodynamic lens.

I completed two graduate degrees to prepare for this work - a masters diploma in Clinical Organizational Psychology with Manfred at INSEAD, and an MA in Counseling Psychology at Pacifica. I also associated with Knightsbridge Human Capital for five years, building their CEO Advisory Services practice.

CEO Advisory Coaching is a completely individualized service. No two assignments - or client meetings - are the same, and I can draw on experience, leadership models, assessment tools and strategic frameworks that I applied at GE, INSEAD, LEK, Pacifica and Knightsbridge. Most importantly, I am not tied to any particular model, so each assignment can be completely tailored to meet my client’s needs.

James Fleck

James Fleck is an experienced public company CEO who works as both a senior leadership coach and as an executive team facilitator. He brings to his practice meaningful experience as an operating executive as well as the perspective of having worked with a wide variety of C-level clients.

James was a founder of the CEO Advisory Services Practice at Knightsbridge Human Capital. Prior to practicing as a coach, advisor and facilitator, James was the President and CEO of Camco, the largest manufacturer and distributor of home appliances in Canada.

James also worked in senior operating roles at GE in the US, Europe and Asia in industries ranging from energy to advanced materials to consumer products. He started his career as a strategy consultant in London with LEK - a consultancy founded by the European partners of Bain and Company. He has served on a number of public, private and not for profit boards, and has guided start-up firms as a venture capitalist. In these roles James has guided firms through significant change including acquisitions, restructurings and the sale and integration of entire companies.

James has coached CEOs, entrepreneurs and executive teams at major banks, retailers, manufacturers, technology companies, resource companies and professional services firms. His clients include Top Forty Under Forty recipients, Rhodes’ Scholars and CEOs of some of Canada fastest growing and best managed companies.

James also assists executive teams and boards in strategy facilitation and team alignment, helping teams to address challenges related to organic growth, acquisitions and their integration, as well as restructuring and cost reduction.

James takes on assignments throughout Canada, the US and, occasionally, further afield.

Education and Professional Certifications