Melanie Hazell, ACC, Executive Coaching Managing Partner
Wrangling passion
melanie@hazell.com
When a new client suggested she would be happy with incremental change as a result of coaching, Melanie inquired what transformative change might mean for her. She ended up taking this inquiry on as her coaching challenge with this to say about the process, “Melanie, you really helped me turn a corner in my life. I realize my personal and professional lives are so intertwined that change was more about me making a dramatic shift internally and rediscovering where my passion resides. I saw a future me that was happy, more balanced and healthier.” In all her roles at Hazell & Associates/Career Partners (H&A/CP) as internal and external coach, managing partner, and account developer, Melanie consistently strives to tease the passion out of everyone she works with. For her, this is both about keeping the inspiring legacy of her father, the founder of the firm, alive and about creating a longing in each of us to live passionate lives. Pragmatic in terms of ensuring coaching positively impacts organizations, Melanie is unwavering in promoting the link between passion and results to her clients.
The themes of potential, purpose and passion are interwoven throughout Melanie’s career. She spent numerous years in education working with gifted students helping them grow their passion for learning. Her integrated, holistic approach to teaching subjects through the arts was relatively unprecedented at the time and allowed her students to discover their potential for right and left brain learning. In shifting her focus from youth to adults, Melanie remained committed to working with the whole person. She joined H &A/CP in the early nineties. She and her brother took on the ownership and operation of the company in 2000 and have evolved it significantly from a predominantly outplacement boutique to a full talent management firm with international coverage. Melanie works in all sectors with a particular emphasis on not for profit and private sector organizations in industries such as media, retail, financial services and education.
Melanie has a double degree in Education and Honours English from York University. She received the inaugural Michael Ondaatje award for her consistent high standing in her major over 5 years. Melanie is currently a certified career coach through Career Partners International, a certified “New Horizons” retirement coach through Life Options, a certified executive coach from CTI and an Associate Certified Coach from the International Federation of Coaches.
Melanie’s key areas of expertise include: executive and team development; career and retirement coaching; Manager as Coach facilitation and training; leadership coaching and transition consulting. She has worked with executives during their onboarding, as they are groomed, after they are promoted and when they wind down their full time careers. She and one of her partners have recently co-created a unique leadership program for women, capitalizing on the success of book clubs, with a view to creating a strong learning community for women leaders to read and lead.
Three of Melanie’s key passions are children, literacy and wellness. She has integrated all three in her volunteer pursuits. She is eagerly awaiting her first trip having been accepted as a Traveling Volunteer for Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) during which she will distribute up to 4000 bed kits with a SCAW team in an underdeveloped country. A huge believer in the power of books and literacy, Melanie is a literacy tutor with Frontier College’s Beat the Street program targeting homeless 16-29 year olds.
