About Hani Kafoury

Psychologist, Author & International Speaker

“I realize that the right path doesn’t really exist. Instead, life blesses us with many paths, each with its own risks and rewards. But had I not found the courage to embrace the unknown - to step away from the safety of the familiar - life’s opportunities for growth and transformation would have simply passed me by.”

My Mission

Hani at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro at 51

Hani filming documentary on Mount Kilimanjaro

Hani completing a full Ironman at 59

Helping Leaders and Organizations Navigate Change, Build Resilience, and Enhance Wellbeing

For more than 30 years, I led teams and organizations through growth, transformation, and uncertainty as a senior executive in the pharmaceutical industry. In my 50s, I reinvented myself as a psychologist, combining decades of leadership experience with the science of human behaviour.

Today, I help leaders and organizations build resilience, navigate change, and enhance wellbeing through keynote presentations, executive coaching, and psychological services. My work combines executive leadership, psychology, and doctoral research on psychological resilience in business leaders.

Throughout my life, I've learned that growth rarely happens inside our comfort zone. Whether climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, completing a full IRONMAN, or reinventing my career, each experience reinforced the same lesson: our greatest potential often emerges when we embrace change.

I believe resilience is more than bouncing back. It is about adapting, growing, and becoming stronger through adversity.

My mission is simple: to help people and organizations navigate change with greater confidence, resilience, and purpose.

Become What You Must.

Credentials & Experience

My work is built on a unique combination of executive leadership, psychology, coaching, and evidence-based research.

Executive Leadership

  • More than 30 years of senior leadership experience within multinational organizations.
  • Extensive experience leading organizational growth, transformation, and organizational change.

Psychology & Executive Coaching

  • Licensed Psychologist (Ordre des psychologues du Québec)
  • Executive Coach
  • More than a decade of experience helping leaders strengthen resilience, enhance wellbeing, and improve performance.

Change Leadership

  • Certified PROSCI Change Practitioner
  • Certified William Bridges Change Management Practitioner
  • Extensive experience helping organizations implement and sustain successful change initiatives.
  • Doctoral research on the determinants of psychological resilience in business leaders during times of adversity and major change.
  • Evidence-based approach integrating leadership, psychology, executive coaching, and organizational research.

Additional Qualifications

  • Certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practitioner
  • Certified Mindfulness Meditation Practitioner
  • Certified Career Coach
  • Contributor to the Montreal Gazette and professional publications
  • Keynote speaker and workshop facilitator across North America, Europe, and the Middle East

Why My Perspective Is Different

“To become what you must, you need to fulfill all that you already are.”

- Hani Kafoury

Most speakers approach leadership and change from a single perspective - business, psychology, coaching, or academia.

My perspective bridges these worlds.

Executive Leadership

More than 30 years of experience leading teams and organizations through growth, transformation, and uncertainty.

Psychology

As a licensed psychologist, I understand how people respond to change, build resilience, manage stress, and perform under pressure.

Executive Coaching

Having coached hundreds of leaders across diverse industries, I translate insight into practical strategies that leaders can apply immediately.

Research

My doctoral research on psychological resilience in business leaders enables me to bring evidence - not simply opinion - to every presentation.

Lived Experience

From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and completing a full IRONMAN to reinventing my own career, I draw upon experiences that bring leadership principles to life and make them memorable.

Together, these perspectives enable me to translate research into practical strategies that help leaders navigate change, strengthen resilience, and unlock their potential.

Every presentation is designed to leave audiences with practical strategies they can apply immediately - and the confidence to become what they must.

Hani in the Headlines

The Montreal Gazette

Life after work can be emotionally draining

Vancouver Sun

Prepare for emotional side of life after work

Investors Group

Ready for Retirement?

Pharmaceutical Marketing Club of Quebec

Move your career forward!

Association of Change Management (Los-Angeles)

Beyond Change Management – What Do We Do With the People?

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Chez Nous – Employee newsletter

Montreal Children Hospital
“Change, Change, Change – Big change is coming to MCH: Some tips to help you cope” – Lisa Dutton

The Montreal Gazette

“Focus on process, not result of change” – By Hani Kafoury

PharmacyU

“Resistance to change: Understand it. Prevent it. Bust it.” – By Hani Kafoury

The Montreal Gazette

“Creating customer loyalty, one employee at a time” – By Hani Kafoury

40Plus Career Guru

“Employers and recruiters take note – these are the myths about mature workers” – By Hani Kafoury

Articles

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Testimonials

The nice things some very nice people have said about me

Hani has presented for ACMP as a breakout session speaker at our annual conference in 2013 in Los-Angeles and 2015 in Dallas. He has spoken on the topics of: “Beyond Change Management – What Do We Do With the People?” and, “Coaching Change: How Coaching Can Help Transform Your Organizational Culture”. Both years, Hani has delivered a successful, well-received session with survey responses written in including: “Best session yet!”, “Excellent job weaving stories and principles together” and, “Walked away from a session with a great speaker and expanded views.” Hani is an asset to your speaking agenda.

Nikole Fridenmaker, CMP, Director of Meetings
ACMP (Association of Change Management Professionals)

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Hani gave an excellent presentation to open our PMCQ 2017-2018 educational season. Throughout the planning process, Hani was generous with his time to ensure that the session met the audience needs. Then, on the day of, along with inspiring us through his masterful storytelling, Hani left participants with real-world, actionable steps to elevate the integration of mindfulness into our everyday lives and for that, we are most appreciative!

Shannon Quinn, President
Pharmaceutical Marketing Club of Quebec

Hani spoke in our annual conference in Dubai. Hani is a unique speaker, dynamic, engaging. With practical content that is applicable immediately.

Khaled Almobarak, President
ASSOCIATION OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS - MENA

Hani approaches change by integrating his extensive managerial experience and formal training in psychology with his personal journey, a powerful combination to engage the audience and generate lively discussions.

Ela Borenstein, Program Director
BDC CAPITAL

We benefited from Hani’s services as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for the last 4 years. Our various audiences, including pharmacy owners, always found him dynamic, inspiring, and informative.

Barry Fitzgerald, Director of marketing
STAGNITO BUSINESS INFORMATION

I found Hani’s presentation to be very interesting and quite relevant in today’s industry. His real-life accounts and handout questions provided excellent examples of important aspects to consider when empowering yourself to achieve life and career aspirations.

Georges Ged, Director & Board Member
PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING ASSOCIATION OF QUEBEC

Our MBA students had the privilege and pleasures of hearing Hani speak at the University of Montreal HEC. His approach, style, and pertinent anecdotes, have consistently captured and engaged the audience. Hani is dynamic and talented communicator whom I recommend without hesitation.

Christian Denis, Director, MBA HEC
UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC

Hani combines a deep knowledge of organization change and organization transformation with a relaxed engaging style of animation. He can help a group develop dynamics which help it engage in dealing with difficult issues.

Glen Shepherd, President
HEALTH PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL OF CANADA

Hani knows how to captivate an audience who remains engaged to the very end of his talk. Hani's message is clear and practical, his delivery style engaging and to-the-point. Any organization about to implement a change, big or small, should contact Hani to secure a successful journey.

Sybil Dahan, President
TRITON PHARMA INC.

If you need someone professional, thought-provoking, entertaining capable of motivating or animating your conferences, Hani is the speaker you want. He brings more than 27 years of business experience in executive management positions along with athletic and travel prowess which ensure credibility and bring true life experiences to the program.

Pierre Montanaro, President & CEO
PHARMETICS

Hani assisted our organization through some internal changes that, as with most re-organizations, came with difficulties and hard feelings. With his help, our teams were stronger and more successful. We appreciated his thoroughness and ability to see all sides of the issues associated with leadership and change. Hani is a wonderful coach for all levels. I will of course work with him whenever the opportunity arises, and I would recommend him to anyone who needs a helping hand in the workplace.

Catalina Lopez-Correa, MD PhD, Chief Scientific Officer & Vice-President
GENOME QUÉBEC

I have had the pleasure of working with Hani for over 4 years in a variety of roles from Coach to Facilitator and Mentor Coach. Hani connects with people in a warm credible and value-add way. Hani has done Mindfulness Training, One on One Leadership Coaching and Group Coaching and exceeds expectations each time. I am never worried to put Hani in front of a client as he ensures exceptional delivery of every program and wins the audience over every time.

Hani has worked with us on a variety of clients within several different industries. I look forward to continuing to engage Hani in a variety of projects – Leadership Coaching/Training, Employee Engagement, Consumer Experience, Emotional Intelligence and Assertiveness Training, and Mindfulness Training.

Nancy Dewar MEd, ACC, CTDP, Director of Coaching, Consumer Experience
BOND BRAND LOYALTY

As a manager, one of the key competencies to continuously improve is that of self-knowledge in order to effectively lead a group of people with different personalities and skills set. I had the privilege of having Hani as a business coach. His approach and style has greatly contributed to further develop this competency. Hani asks questions that have forced me to get out of my “comfort zone” and further develop my leadership skills. Thank you, Hani!

Patrick Corriveau, M.Sc., M.B.A. Regional Business Manager
Immunology / IBD Quebec & Ottawa
JANSSEN INC.

Hani came to us as a coach and a facilitator to assist in growing our Dealership in two areas: employee engagement and the consumer experience. A short 4 years later he left us as a changed company winning multiple awards for Leadership. All my staff looked forward to his visits, relied on his coaching and changed because of it. I personally miss his presence but I gained a friend.

Anthony Norris, Dealer Principle
NORRIS FORD (Alberta)

We worked with Hani for 3 years, and I have nothing but good things to say. He helped us change our focus, change our culture, and ultimately change the way we try to do business. He is an excellent coach and mentor and his introspective approach to “change” worked great for us.

Curtis Vickers, Director of Sales
SUMMIT FORD (Ontario)

As a result of his expertise and his incredible communication talent, Hani knows how to impart judicious coaching and mentoring to our leadership team and help make our staff perform at a higher level. Hani’s presence, over the last four years, allowed our organization to grow!

Dominic Hardy, Dealer Principal
HARDY RINGUETTE FORD (Val-D’Or, Qc)

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My Clients

Some familiar names I’ve helped along the way

Videos

Employee Engagement and the Consumer Experience

Change your mind. Change your life.

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