Bring the Big Picture to your next Retreat

Over the past decade, Ken Steele has presented and facilitated at scores of college and university board retreats, academic retreats, and senior leadership retreats.  As Canada’s best-known higher education monitor and futurist, Ken is often asked to provide broader context for governors, an environmental scan for strategic planning processes or branding exercises, or thought-provoking ideas to spark discussion based on his experience with more than a hundred institutions, and decades of comprehensive research data.

Ken will work with you to design an effective agenda to achieve your objectives, whether focused on emerging trends affecting higher education, strategic planning, enrolment management, marketing and communications, information technology, or teaching and learning. (Click on specific topics and themes at right, for more information).

Ken’s presentations are always up-to-the-moment fresh and just controversial enough, with dynamic visuals, video clips, fast-paced delivery and tasteful humour.  The most demanding audiences report that even after 90 minutes, they could listen to more, and many campuses bring him back year after year for fresh ideas and the latest developments. Ken’s workshops are highly interactive, making use of online polling tools, small group discussion, and a variety of activities to keep participants engaged and focused on the key issues at hand.

Ken can be booked to facilitate a one- or two-day retreat, or to provide a keynote or mini-keynotes to contribute to a larger agenda. While Ken is on your campus, consider scheduling an interview or site visit to be featured in a future episode of Ten with Ken.  (A free value-added bonus for our paying clients!)

If you’re interested in pursuing the possibilities further:

1) Consider Ken’s most popular topics that could be customized for you.

2) Confirm details of Ken’s speaking fees and technical requirements.

3) Contact Ken at your convenience to confirm availability and start the discussion.

“Thank you for a great session. It was a very enjoyable, informative and reflective morning, and a good day for our leadership teams. I know they look forward to engaging their employees in a broader conversation, trying to remove the COVID noise and have people take the opportunity that we did today to think about the future – whatever it might look like.”

Don Lovisa, President, Durham College

“Effective strategic planning demands both a deep understanding of where you come from and a long-range perspective on the many potential disruptions and innovations that lie ahead. Ken engaged our board and leadership team with a dynamic, thought-provoking overview of the challenges and opportunities facing higher education between now and 2050 that added a lot of value and set the tone for an impactful and enjoyable day.”

Benoit-Antoine Bacon, President & Vice-Chancellor, UBC

“Thank you for your excellent presentation at my annual Board of Governors’ retreat. I wanted the Governors to hear about what’s happening in our higher education world today, what are the external forces and influences that can, and will, disrupt our relatively slow moving sector. You did a great job of very clearly identifying the trends, challenges and issues from various perspectives; students specifically and society in general. I, along with the members of the Board, very much enjoyed it and learned from it. It was educating, insightful and to my personal liking, even provocative.”

Feridun Hamdullahpur, President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Waterloo

“Ken Steele was instrumental in supporting the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Senior Management Team in orientation of our newly appointed Members of the Board of Directors regarding trends and issues affecting the post-secondary sector.  With his engaging style and extensive knowledge of higher education, Ken was informative and thought-provoking.  The Board and Senior Leadership Team were inspired by Ken’s energizing presentation, and the effective manner in which it was delivered.”

Dr Larry Rosia, President & CEO, Saskatchewan Polytechnic

“Our Board ended up having one of the best retreats it has ever had, and many connections were made back to Ken’s presentation…  Ken is filling a large void in the Canadian system through his work!”

Alan Davis, President & Vice-Chancellor, Kwantlen Polytechnic University