John Johnston is a seasoned executive advisor and consultant, with extensive experience in the private sector and military supporting leaders from executive level to the front line.  An accomplished leader, advisor, and educator in organizational behavior, his experience in organizations extends across an array of settings, including oil and gas, heavy construction, mining, service, and tourism.  After an extensive military career and over a decade in consulting, John has more than 3 decades of experience advising senior staff on leadership, selection and assessment, employee well-being, and performance improvement. His expertise includes:

• Improving and maintaining safety, employee well-being and performance using Applied Behavioral Science (ABS) techniques.
• Helping leaders understand how leadership behavior affects business results, safety, employee well-being, and performance.
• Developing and maintaining leadership skills and effectiveness at all levels.
• Advising and supporting executives and other senior leaders through complex leadership challenges.

Major Career Accomplishments

Coaching and advising senior leadership teams—including operations, maintenance, safety, human resources, and finance (site general manager, area managers, and superintendents). Significantly improved safety and production over one year. 

Advising and support to senior and extended leadership teams—In a regional headquarters for a global Oil and Gas company

Support and Advisory role for a senior leadership team during a major expansion and COVID-19 pandemic—John worked with the operations leadership team to gain alignment and improve leader effectiveness during a major expansion project.

Education, Certifications, and Professional Activities

John earned his M.Sc., and Ph.D. (Industrial and Organizational Psychology) St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His award-winning Ph.D. dissertation focused on the impact of supervisor leadership styles on the psychological well-being of employees.

John has held memberships with the Canadian Psychological Association, Canadian Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, the (American) Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the Academy of Management. He represented Canada on several international committees studying and sharing knowledge on Military Aircrew Human Factors, Survival psychology, and Human Resources issues with other members from the Five Eyes Nations.