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  1. Home
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  3. Charles Achampong
Charles Achampong's picture
He/Him

Charles Achampong

MBA
Executive in Residence
Capacity Canada
Country or state 
Canada (Ontario)
Available to 
Global
City 
Toronto
Fee 
Ask for pricing
Languages 
English
Timezone 
America/Toronto

Personal Details

Bio

Charles Achampong is a bestselling author and award-winning keynote speaker who teaches leaders and teams how to harness the power of pause, not just as a wellness tool, but as a performance strategy. With over 20 years of leadership experience across business, government, and philanthropy, he’s led initiatives with organizations like the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Committee, Scotiabank, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

His bestselling book, Around the World in Family Days, was inspired by a year-long global sabbatical with his wife and daughters. Through that journey, Charles uncovered how intentional pauses fuel clarity, resilience, and what he calls failure immunity—the ability to recover faster and stronger from setbacks.

Known for his humour, heart, and practical wisdom, Charles helps ambitious professionals stop running on empty and start working, leading, and living with more impact and purpose.

Current position (1)

Executive in Residence

Capacity Canada

Degrees (2)
Master of Business Adminstration
Simon Fraser University
2004 to 2005
Bachelor of Commerce (Management Information Systems)
University of Ottawa
1998 to 2002

Presentations

Presentations (4)
The Power of Pausing: What If the Fastest Way Forward Is a Pause?

In leadership, “stopping” feels impossible, the emails don’t stop, the crises don’t stop, the expectations don’t stop. But pausing is different. Pausing is the art of creating a moment inside the madness, not to escape the work, but to sustain yourself and do it better.

Charles Achampong learned this the hard way. At the height of his career, he pressed pause, not stop, and took his family on a global sabbatical. What looked reckless on paper became the most clarifying leadership decision of his life.

In this conversation, Charles shares what pausing makes possible for leaders and their teams:

Space to make decisions with clarity instead of reactivity.

Presence to connect with people, not just manage problems.

Perspective to see beyond the urgent and act on what’s truly important.

Pausing isn’t just a wellness strategy, it’s a performance one. It sharpens thinking, steadies leadership, and fuels resilience in a world that won’t stop moving.

Beyond the Sting: Building Your Failure Immunity

Everyone talks about failing fast, failing forward, failing often, but almost no one talks about the recovery. Yet it’s the recovery that determines whether failure becomes a dead end or a turning point.

Charles Achampong knows this firsthand. Through candid stories and practical tools, he introduces failure immunity: the ability to absorb setbacks, process the sting, and come back stronger. It’s not about avoiding mistakes, it’s about creating the conditions where leaders and teams can recover quickly, learn deeply, and keep moving.

This shift is critical for anyone in leadership. Recovery builds resilience, fuels innovation, and creates teams that don’t just survive disruption, they grow because of it.

Lead Like You Mean It: Unlock Boldness and Ditch the Doubt

Confidence isn’t about swagger, volume, or pretending you have all the answers. Real confidence is conviction, the quiet certainty that lets you speak up, take the risk, and lead even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

In this dynamic session, Charles Achampong takes audiences inside the real science of self-doubt and shows how to outsmart it before it hijacks opportunities. With a mix of memorable stories and practical tools, he introduces the concept of healthy arrogance: a grounded form of self-belief that doesn’t inflate egos but strengthens resolve.

Participants leave with a blueprint for building confidence that sticks, the kind that changes how you walk into rooms, how you make decisions under pressure, and how you lead when others hesitate.

What I Want My Children to Know: Lessons from a Life Less Scripted

What began as a family sabbatical across four continents became a wake-up call: a chance to unlearn the script of busyness and rediscover what truly matters.

In this heartfelt keynote, Charles shares the moments, mistakes, and quiet breakthroughs that reshaped how he lives, leads, and parents. Through honest storytelling and reflection, he challenges audiences to pause, examine what they’re modelling, and rewrite the parts of their life that no longer fit.

This isn’t just about parenting. It’s about presence and the courage to live less scripted.

Upcoming events (2)
Lead Like You Mean It: Unlock Boldness and Ditch the Doubt
Promotable at Work
New York
February 5, 2026
Stronger Than The Setback: Building Your Failure Immunity
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
Ottawa
February 5, 2026
Past talks (10)
A Pencil's Pointed Truth
Speak Slam Competition
Toronto
March 25, 2025
Building Your Failure Immunity
Department of National Defence - Government of Canada
Virtual
May 1, 2025
Stronger Than the Setback: Building Your Failure Immunity
Bank of Montreal (BMO) Professional Development Day
Toronto
June 26, 2025
The Unexpected Power of Pausing
McKay CEO Forum
Toronto
September 11, 2025
The Power of Pausing
Wellbeing at Work Conference
Toronto
October 22, 2025
Lead Like You Mean It: Unlock Boldness and Ditch the Doubt
Black Talent Initiative
Toronto
November 7, 2025
The Power of Pausing
Accenture Canada - IT Townhall
Toronto
November 20, 2025
What If The Fastest Way Forward Is A Pause?
Conference Board of Canada
Toronto
November 26, 2025
Stronger Than the Setback: Building Your Failure Immunity
Black Executive Network - Government of Canada
Virtual
June 17, 2025
What I Want My Children to Know: Lessons from a Life Less Scripted
National Alliance of Black School Educators
Chicago
December 11, 2025
  • All (3)
  • Videos
  • Photos (1)
  • One sheet (1)
  • Press information (1)
This speaker hasn't uploaded any videos yet.
This speaker hasn't uploaded any slides yet.
CBC -

Books & Articles (1)

Around the World in Family Days
Lucky Book Publishing,
2025

Expertise (18)

Health & Well-being
Travel & Adventure
Education
Leadership
Business
Employee Well-being Personal Growth & Development Building Resilience and Grit Rethinking Failure stress managment Mindfulness Family Travel Power of Pause Building Self Confidence Building Resilience Workplace wellbeing Change Management Personal Growth

Clients

Government of Canada
Bank of Montreal - BMO
Conference Board of Canada
McKay CEO Forum
Department of National Defence
National Alliance of Black School Educators
Accenture
Wellbeing at Work
Black Talent Initiative

HRPA competencies

Core Competencies (Primary)
Health, Wellness & Safe Workplace
Core Competencies (Secondary)
Strategy
Enabling Competencies
Relationship Management
Negotiation and Influencing
Emotional Intelligence
Recommendations
Why choose me? 

I transform audiences by blending corporate wisdom from a life-changing journey around the world.

Affiliations
HRPA
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