Dave Gray

David worked closely with our son for almost nine months to assist him in sorting through career choices, identifying his strengths, weaknesses and aptitude. David managed to gain his trust and work in a thoughtful and progressive manner. He was a great sounding board for us as parents too. In a fairly short timeframe, we became comfortable with David's approach. At times gentle, and at times tough, he was able to read when to push and when to encourage. Today, our son has landed a job in his chosen field and taken some significant steps toward financial and personal independence. He is happier than we've seen in a long time, and we're hopeful and grateful.
View Terri's LinkedIn profile
Review provided December 2023

Alan Depencier· 1stFirst degree connection
Chief Marketing Officer RBC - Personal & Commercial Banking and Insurance May 14, 2018, Alan was Dave’s client
Banking, senior executive.
Corporate client.

 Dave has been a leadership coach for several members of my team over the past couple years. Dave has a unique talent in his ability to connect with each individual he works with and then develop a tailored approach for their specific situation. The overall satisfaction with his engagements and positive impact has been outstanding.

Julia Clements
Received · 1stFirst degree connection
Acquisition Marketer | Strategizing customer-centric marComm experiences that drive business growth ? | Digital Marketing Strategy | Former professor of online market research November 22, 2023, Julia was Dave’s client.
 Working with David has been a game-changer for my professional trajectory.
From our initial consultation, David demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to understanding my unique strengths, aspirations, and challenges. His ability to ask incisive questions and actively listen set the stage for a coaching relationship that felt tailor-made for my needs. David's deep knowledge of the current job market and industry trends provided invaluable insights, giving me a clear understanding of where I stood and where I could go.
One of David's standout qualities is his talent for crafting personalized strategies. Instead of offering one-size-fits-all solutions, he meticulously analyzed my skills and goals to create a roadmap that aligned with my aspirations.
What truly sets David apart is his genuine passion for his clients' success. His unwavering support, encouragement, and constructive feedback were instrumental in helping me overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities.
Thanks to David's expertise, I successfully navigated a significant career transition and secured a position that aligns with my long-term goals. I am profoundly grateful for his guidance, and I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone seeking a dedicated, knowledgeable, and results-driven career coach. Working with him is an investment in your professional future that will pay dividends.

Lia Kosic, MBA CPA· 1stFirst degree connection
Director, Settlements at Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) May 15, 2018, Lia was Dave’s client

Accounting profession senior executive, Public Sector.
Corporate client. Transitioned to Personal client.
 Dave is an outstanding coaching resource in developing strategic leadership and executive presence. I have found his advice practical, succinct and highly impactful.

Jared Bettridge
· 1stFirst degree connection
National Head - Franchise Banking - March 20, 2023, Jared was Dave’s client
o I worked with Dave in a focused manner for 6-8 months, and then in a less-focused manner for a while. He was my coach from both a career and management perspective. He held me accountable to me. He brought an external and unbiased view into our sessions. He asked the tough questions. He challenged my responses. He helped me to see different aspects of situations to which I was blind, and helped me see different areas of my leadership approach or decision making style I needed to change. We did assessments I had not been through before, and they gave me insights about my strengths and weaknesses that were profound and which allowed me to reflect on how I interact with and lead the people around me on a daily basis. Dave has a direct approach, both in his coaching and when he assists with career tools. He cuts through the fogginess with direct words which get to the heart of the matter.

Renata Brum· 1stFirst degree connection
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant | Former Senior Citizenship Judge October 16, 2022, Renata was Dave’s client
Last large org position: Canada’s Senior Citizenship Judge. Reported in to Cabinet. 35 Immigration Judges from all over Canada reported in to Renata.
Now runs her own very profitable Immigration consultancy in Ottawa. Earnings in high 6 figures.
Personal client.
 I first met David over 10 years ago when I was at an inflection point in my career. David helped me transition to a new position, and “swim with the sharks”. His insightful observations and prescient vision helped me succeed. Years later, he’s providing invaluable wisdom as I build my business. I’ve referred David to dozens of people over the years, including my five young adult children who are taking their first important steps to build careers of their own. I can’t say enough about David’s unique talents. I highly recommend him.

Colleen Cowman· 1stFirst degree connection
Director of Planned Giving at Kelowna General Hospital Foundation January 11, 2023, Colleen was Dave’s client
Senior executive in Canadian hospital world. Currently with Kelowna GHF.
Corporate client. Transitioned to Personal client.
 How do you bring yourself together to make your next step? How can you design and execute a plan to do what you really want to do with confidence and excellence? I was at a fork in my career path "road". Dave worked closely with me and provided valuable insights into my strengths (and weaknesses) and potential. His guidance through possible and actual opportunities, including job interviews, made a real difference. I obtained the role I wanted most. And when the time came to make a change again, I called Dave to help consolidate my learnings and achievements, and successfully ready myself for my next move. What I most enjoyed with him was being challenged to really understand myself. Working with Dave helps you gain deep job satisfaction plus the strength to make further changes for the right reasons, at the right time.

Jeffrey Shell· 1stFirst degree connection
Head of Alternatives, ESG and Innovation, October 8, 2022, Jeffrey was Dave’s client
Banking, Senior Executive
Corporate client.
 I worked with Dave during an important inflection point in my career. I found Dave to be relatable, insightful, willing to challenge in a constructive way, and always available when I needed support (even though he had a number of other clients).
With Dave’s guidance, I gained increased self-awareness, improved my performance and maybe most importantly, enjoyed my day to day.
Would highly recommend Dave as a career coach / professional

Samantha Roman· 1stFirst degree connection Entrepreneur March 30, 2023, Samantha was Dave’s client
o I met Dave at an inflexion point in my career and was astounded by how quickly and thoroughly he assesses the complexity of situations and helps focus your awareness and hone the right set of skills to get results - FAST! I confidently recommend Dave for career counselling and executive coaching. His expertise in quickly building trusted relationships by being honest, forthright and empathic will not disappoint.

Robert Keast· 1stFirst degree connection
Head, Data & Analytics (DNA) Engagement & Portfolio Management, Technology & Operations at RBC, May 14, 2018, Robert was Dave’s client
Banking, Senior executive.
Corporate client. Occasionally a Personal client.
 I was fortunate to receive development coaching from Dave Gray. Dave has a professional and authentic approach to his coaching and development style which allow learning's to be applied immediately with partners to see effective results. I continue to connect with Dave for coaching and mentorship advice and he is quick to respond and assist with any leadership challenge presented to him.

Jillian Fernandez, MPS, PMP, C.Mgr.· 1stFirst degree connection
Director of Advocacy (Canada), The Institute of Internal Auditors, March 29, 2023, Jillian Fernandez, was Dave’s client
o I had the good fortune of meeting Dave as a young student, just starting out and he saw potential in me which at the time I could not understand nor fathom, but it is due to his belief in me that I have grown to see it in myself. He has consistently supported me through the years in whichever way was needed at the time, whether it was words of advice, encouragement or guidance and he still continues to help me grow professionally. I once heard that there are sometimes people that have a major impact on your life and they will never even know, Dave is one of those people for me. His intuition, knowledge and patience is incredible and I feel lucky to have met him all those years ago. I would highly recommend Dave and his services in a heartbeat because it will be one of the best decisions you ever make and one I am very grateful to have made.

Tim Porter· 1stFirst degree connection
Membership & Stakeholder Expert | Policy & Strategy Aficionado | Social Purpose Integrator | Public Affairs Specialist | Communications Leader | Board Director & Chair | Consulting | Investor Membership & Stakeholder Expert | September 10, 2022, Tim was Dave’s client
Insurance, Senior Executive. Management Consultant.
Corporate client. Transitioned to Personal client.
 Put me in the game coach! David has provided coaching for real world situations, listening, enquiring, challenging, initiating reflective thinking and providing alternative strategies or approaches for the most important and hazardous aspects of executive leadership. David always made me feel like I wanted to say, “Put me in the game coach!”. I have known and used Dave’s services as an executive in a corporate insurance setting as well as personally as a management consultant. I highly recommend Dave as a coach if you are looking for a tune up or to take that next big leadership step.

Glenys A. Babcock, PhD
· 1stFirst degree connection
Compelling Leader. Research Executive. Public Policy Analyst. ESG Specialist. DEI Champion, May 20, 2018, Glenys A. was Dave’s client
Many senior research/think tank roles in Canada and USA. Former RAND Corporation executive for example.
Personal client.
 Dave Gray is an insightful, powerful career coach. He uses evidence-based approaches to assess career compatibility options coupled with an extraordinary ability to distill in conversation what the real client needs are. Best of all, Dave doesn't just give you new insights, he gets results.

Michael Attard· 1stFirst degree connection
Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Sygno, September 7, 2022, Michael was Dave’s client
In lay terms, ‘Rocket Scientist.’ Europe-based.
Personal client.
 I had the pleasure of working with Dave during a tough transition period from academia to industry. Dave's guidance significantly helped me in identifying the transitional skills I could use to market myself to potential employers. At the same time, his advice brought clarity to the types of roles I should be aiming for, and the industries I could target. What could have been a very difficult time period became significantly more straightforward and clear. I highly recommend Dave for anyone looking for assistance in managing their career.

Sharon Nease· 1stFirst degree connection
Marketing Communications Professional, September 10, 2022, Sharon was Dave’s client
Marketing executive.
Corporate client. Transitioned to Personal client.
 David really came in clutch at a particularly transitional time in my professional life. His insight, guidance and support have made him a trusted resource to this day. Anyone given the opportunity to be coached and mentored by him, will also recommend him to their network as I have!

Ben Lirangi, MBA· 1stFirst degree connection
Organizational Marketing & Business Development Leader: Driving Exceptional Results, Growth & Transformation May 16, 2018, Ben was Dave’s client
Mid-level Marketing & Business Development Executive.
Corporate client. Transitioned to Personal client.
 I have been working with Dave for the past decade and he has been an invaluable resource for career consultation. Dave is amazing and really helped me focus on my core competencies and develop strategies to mitigate against my areas of improvement when I encountered various challenges to reinvent my career.
He helped me stay focused on the positive things I could offer and see how much I really could do to improve my career search. Just by taking responsibility for the search activities and calling on resources to guide me (Dave was my greatest and only resource - by the way) in my search strategy, networking, resume creation, interview processes and offer letter negotiation.
I would (and I have) recommended him to many of my business/academic colleagues, friends and family. He is very positive, energetic, creative and supportive all through the career search process. How many people get the opportunity to work with someone possessing those characteristics? Not many.
It was truly my pleasure to work with Dave in a very important time in my professional life that also impacted my personal life. Reinventing a career is not the easiest thing to do and with Dave's guidance and support I was able to transition into the next phase of my career successfully. If someone is in a similar situation of their career path, and you are looking to work with a career consultant to help through your transition or search, I would strongly recommend you contact Dave Gray immediately. You will not regret it!


Emma Marshall· 1stFirst degree connection
Communications and media relations strategist specializing in relationship management, strategy development, project management and executive communications. September 8, 2022, Emma was Dave’s client
Communications professional.
Personal client.
 Dave’s coaching changed my entire outlook, both personally and professionally. He helped me understand my competencies and value allowing me to transition to the next phase of my career. I can honestly say Dave changed the course of my life. He is supportive, results-driven and an extraordinary coach and advocate. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him.

Ahsan Zaman· 1stFirst degree connection
Account Management and Client Success Professional adept at forging client relationships based on mutual trust Ahsan was Dave’s client September 13, 2022, ent
Marketing. Transitioned to career in Analytics.
Personal client.
 I worked with Dave to explore career options beyond marketing. Dave was supportive and insightful and helped me find a new career in data and analytics. I highly recommend Dave’s services.

Lori Van Leeuwen· 1stFirst degree connection
Realtor at EXIT Realty Twin Bridges - October 11, 2022, Lori was Dave’s client
Realtor.
Personal client.
 David helped me almost 10 years ago when I was very lost and unsure of what to do for a career. He took the time to talk with me, listen to me, and help me believe in myself and helped guide me in the right direction. He is the reason I got into real estate almost ten years ago, something I had wanted to get into for years but didn’t believe in myself and didn’t have the support I needed. We did a series of aptitude tests and all my strengths and weaknesses pointed to becoming a realtor. He helped me believe in myself. He was an integral part of my career. I am forever grateful and indebted to Dave. If it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure how things would have turned out. I am so thankful he took the time to work with me and helped me in so many ways

Kylie Plante· 1stFirst degree connection
Licensed Paralegal | BComm Business and Law | CHRP Licensed Paralegal | April 23, 2023, Kylie was Dave’s client
o Dave and I first met when I was at a pivot in choosing my professional career path many years ago. After working with Dave off and on for a number of years, both focused and unfocused, I found my path toward a career that is both meaningful, and most importantly, where I feel I fit best. I highly recommend working with Dave wherever you find yourself along the career search spectrum because doing so will elevate you to be able to reach job performance peaks you didn’t realize were within your grasp. More...