Meet our Coaches and Facilitators

The Institute for Health and Human Potential is a research and learning organization that uses Emotional Intelligence (EI) to leverage performance and leadership. We do this based on a blended learning approach which includes inspirational keynotes, development tools to help you identify and select potential leaders, leadership development training programs, EI coaching and e-learning to create lasting behavior change. Our expertise is sought by Fortune 500 companies, the world’s top business schools, professional athletes and Olympic medalists.

Businesses around the world look to IHHP and our EI management training programs to help them with numerous issues: providing greater leadership and management skills, improving teamwork and individual relationships, retaining key employees, and fostering an environment of greater motivation and inspiration. Our customers also find our Emotional Intelligence programs bring them greater fulfillment and a stronger sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

In 1998, Dr. JP and Elizabeth Pawliw-Fry decided to leave their previous academic and clinical careers and start the Institute for Health & Human Potential. While the first few years were difficult as they focused on putting together some of the early research, training and coaching programs, today they are proud of what the IHHP team has accomplished. With offices in Canada, US, Australia and Switzerland, IHHP is recognized as a world leader in developing and delivering unique training programs in Emotional Intelligence to increase performance and leadership. It was recently named by Profit Magazine, as one of the ‘Fast 100‘, 100 fastest growing companies.

JP is acting President of IHHP and is responsible for turning its research and development work into new ideas and models that can help individuals and organizations find an edge in a competitive world. Formerly, he taught at two of North America’s most prestigious business schools executive education programs: the Kellogg Graduate School of Management in the US (rated number one worldwide) and Queens’s University in Canada. He is a highly sought after speaker on leadership and performance and has received acclaim for his work in personal leadership with sales organizations, leadership retreats, and motivational seminars across the world – last year he reached audiences in places such as England, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Venezuela, India and Australia.

His diverse training includes: Queen’s University, Harvard Medical School’s Mind Body Medical Institute and the University of Massachusetts Medical Center stress clinic.

Olympic and elite athletes have sought out JP to help them find an edge in performance. JP has worked as a performance coach to the Canadian Olympic men’s volleyball team at 3 Olympic Games.  He has also worked with the Orlando Magic, as well as executives of the NHL, NBA, NFL and the US Olympic committee.

Along with his busy speaking schedule around the world, he now spends his time researching and writing about the variables that drive performance and leadership. His forthcoming book, Leadership Rewired, the New Science of Sustainable Performance, will be published in 2011.

Bill Benjamin is the CEO of IHHP, contributing to its status as a world leader in the exciting field of Emotional Intelligence. Bill is a seasoned business executive with over 14 years of experience and is responsible for the sales, marketing, financial and business development areas of IHHP.

Bill is also a highly acclaimed and award-winning professional speaker. His passion and enthusiasm for EI and its impact on leadership development, combined with his talent as a motivational keynote speaker, leave audiences inspired and wanting to hear more.

Prior to joining IHHP, Bill was Vice President of a large computer software firm, leading the sales, consulting, and marketing divisions. He was also responsible for customer relations and helped the company build a large and successful business partner network.

He is highly sought after as an executive coach for Fortune 500 companies, whose senior leaders look to him to help them understand how to measure Emotional Quotient (EQ) and apply Emotional Intelligence to improve their leadership skills and get to the next level in their careers.

Bill has a degree in Mathematics with a major in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo in Canada. In addition to leveraging his background in sales to motivate and inspire more extroverted groups (e.g. sales and marketing), Bill's Mathematics degree and technical background give him credibility and shared experience when he speaks to groups that are more analytical in nature (Financial, IT, Engineering, etc).

Elizabeth is the co-founder and VP of Research and Development at the Institute for Health and Human Potential. For the past 15 years, Elizabeth has researched, developed and delivered leadership training programs to a wide range of audiences including educators, business organizations and young women. Her humor, warmth, intelligence and compassion make her an engaging and enlightening motivational speaker. Prior to her work at IHHP, Elizabeth researched and managed projects for the federal and provincial governments, the University of Toronto and other nongovernmental agencies. Her training includes the University of Waterloo and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

As the Director of Innovation for IHHP, Blair maintains the quality and integrity of the Emotional Intelligence programs delivered by IHHP facilitators throughout the world.  Blair, as IHHP’s most senior facilitator, works exclusively with many long-standing global clients, including Pfizer, US Navy, Shell Oil, Eli Lilly, CIBC, and The Federal Reserve.

Over a period of more than two decades, Blair has spun his particular brand of magic, bringing leadership effectiveness training to senior executives around the globe in countries such as Australia, Turkey, England, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Jamaica, Brazil and, of course North, America.

Blair is gifted at the art of designing, creating and implementing powerful leadership development programs, and his passion for facilitating these programs and helping others to achieve greater success through Emotional Intelligence truly showcases his brilliance and intuition.

IHHP’s Executive Director of Youth Programs, Matt Tod, first learned about emotional intelligence in 2004 while attending the University of Guelph. Experiencing the relevance of EI in his own life, Matt chose to focus on how it relates to leadership — particularly youth leadership.

Using his previous experience and education, as well as numerous surveys and discussions with both educators and youth, Matt developed IHHP’s Youth Leadership program—Leadership Rewired—which is now being integrated into school systems in both Canada and the U.S.

Before joining IHHP in 2008, Matt travelled North America as a speaker and facilitator for an international youth leadership organization, where he blended personal experience and intellect in order to share the challenges surrounding today’s youth, as well as offer practical and tangible solutions to these issues.

With his trademark high energy level, humor and positivity, Matt has an exceptional ability to connect personally with young people in his presentations and workshops. He relates his teachings to what is happening in the world today – in the media, pop culture, and at home – understanding this helps youth better retain the information and apply EI skills to their personal lives. His passion for the science of emotional intelligence has allowed him to apply these theories in his personal life with great success. This clearly translates into his work with youth and their everyday issues.

Meet our Coaches and Facilitators