Karen Switzer-Howse       

B.Sc., PC III, MBC

Karen Switzer-Howse is Founder and Principal of Quest’Ar Pathways.  Her company offers executive and professional effectiveness coaching in leadership development, communication effectiveness, workplace relationships, dealing with change, stress management and work/life balance. She specializes in helping people thrive by creating the “vital connections” necessary for getting ‘unstuck’ and creating more meaningful success in their personal and professional lives.  She uses the insight she has gained to help leaders re-vitalize their workplaces and re-energize their people by re-igniting their passion for their work. She helps them integrate their knowing with their doing so that they can be the leaders they want to be, and develop successful, productive, collaborative working relationships with others.  And have fun doing it!

Karen’s Background …

Karen received a B.Sc. Honours Science (Hon. Chem., Biol., Minor Physics) from the University of Guelph and has taken extensive training in communication, influence and persuasion skills, leadership development, facilitation and coaching for increased effectiveness. Originally an environmental biologist, her communication and interpersonal skills helped her evolve through many multi-faceted career opportunities, working in England, Canada and the U.S.. Her career encompasses work in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, including research, adult education, public advocacy, policy development, facilitation, fundraising, organizational and Board development, public relations, seminar and workshop development and presentation, as well as business and alliance development and marketing. She uses the knowledge gained from on-going learning and working  with a wide variety of professional and technical people to help people increase their personal and professional effectiveness with others, building the relationships that create synergy working with and through others and leveraging greater results.
 
Karen’s “In the Trenches” Experience …

Karen brings with her a wealth of experience from the private, public and not for profit sectors which helps her draw out what’s really important to people so that they can align what they know with what they do so that they can be the leaders they want to be, while developing successful, productive, collaborative, synergistic relationships with others. And as they move forward with confidence and ease, they find that they also experience less stress and more fun and freedom in their life.As a researcher working at the interface of land use and environmental issues she developed the skills necessary to navigate the often emotional challenges in finding common ground and bringing people together to develop workable solutions.
As Executive Director of a national not-for-profit, she worked with senior executives and government leaders and understands how both business and government operates. She has extensive experience working with industry and governments in developing working alliances and collaborations. A key initiative resulted in increased corporate participation as well as increasing sponsorship and membership by 30% in one year.
As a “Business Development Specialist” in the Federal government she was instrumental in the development of research collaborations between government labs, private industry and others, including one project worth more than $3 million over 2 years.
Since 1998 she has operated her own consulting business and coached business owners on how to improve their bottom line by creating great work environments. She has successfully coached senior professionals in transition to leadership roles and professionals and business owners creating highly productive workplaces. One rapidly growing business redesigned itself from the ground up with Karen’s help and implemented a participatory management style which has resulted in additional hires and a 48% increase in business, with much improved employee morale.
 
What Karen Does…

Karen has brought together a wide variety of tools and processes to help professionals from the scientific fields understand the unseen logic behind the often emotionally loaded challenges that arise when dealing with people outside their own discipline.  A better understanding of what underlies one’s own responses increases one’s ability to effectively understand what lies beneath people’s attitudes, behaviour and responses.  This new ability to recognize and respond to other perspectives will allow you to take your leadership effectiveness to a whole new level.

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