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Shakeel Bharmal
Adjunct Faculty
Expertise:
Leadership Development • Organizational Transformation • Strategy • Change Management • Executive Coaching • Non-Profit Management
Shakeel Bharmal is an accomplished leadership coach and business consultant, currently serving as an Executive Coach at the Ivey Academy. With a career spanning over 25 years, he has built a reputation for his expertise in guiding leaders through complex challenges like organizational transformations, product launches, and business turnarounds. His leadership roles have included serving as Chief Operating Officer at the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), and as a general manager in logistics and sales effectiveness at Purolator.
As a coach, Shakeel is deeply invested in leadership development and strategy execution, often working across diverse sectors, including non-profits, healthcare, e-commerce, and energy. He is also the founder of OceanBlue Strategic, a firm dedicated to improving leadership competency and aligning customer-focused strategies with operational goals. Shakeel holds an MBA from Ivey Business School, where he was Valedictorian, and is accredited as a Certified Leadership Coach by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
His coaching philosophy emphasizes continuous learning, character development, and helping leaders navigate disruption and change. Based in Ottawa, Canada, Shakeel continues to inspire both executives and emerging leaders through his impactful coaching and facilitation work at Ivey and beyond.
Programs
Foster collaboration and performance by deepening awareness of team dynamics and practicing decentered, empowering leadership.
Starts March 3, 2025
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.
