Dan Pontefract

As Head of Learning & Collaboration at TELUS, Dan is responsible for the overarching learning, collaboration & leadership development strategy for the company. Dan championed the introduction of the TELUS Leadership Philosophy (TLP), an open and collaborative-based leadership framework for all 40,000+ TELUS team members. In parallel to these actions, he has driven a philosophical and cultural shift in the way TELUS views and experiences learning called “Learning 2.0”; the shift to a social, informal and formal learning and collaboration model bringing TELUS to the forefront of connected learning and leading. He further championed the use and deployment of collaborative technologies to complement both the learning and leadership frameworks.

Dan is a passionate leader in the learning, leadership and collaboration technology spaces and is uniquely skilled to ensure an organization can move from traditional models and cultures to those that embrace participative, connected and collaborative frameworks.

His career is interwoven with both corporate and academic experience, coupled with an MBA, B.Ed and multiple industry certifications and accreditations. Dan is also a renowned speaker and has been invited to deliver over 40 external keynotes and presentations since 2009. In 2012 he appeared on the covers of T+D Magazine and Chief Learning Officer Magazine.

In 2010, Dan was acknowledged by CLO as a “Vanguard Award” winner and is a 2-time winner by the Corporate University Best in Class Awards of the “Leader of the Year” in both 2010 and 2011. In 2012, SkillSoft awarded Dan the “Learning Leader of the Year” for his work at TELUS and CLO Magazine bestowed the “Learning in Practice Innovation Award” as well. He is also the recipient of the 2012 Brandon-Hall “Gold Award in Strategy & Governance”.In 2012, his team became a 7-time winner of the prestigious “ASTD BEST” award.

He was recruited to TELUS in Q4 of 2008, previously holding senior positions with SAP, Business Objects, Crystal Decisions and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).