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Stephan Maighan

Inspiration and Transformation Expert

Over the years, Stephan has been inspired by those who distinguish themselves and who master  the art of excellence. His drive and his ‘zero-excuse’ attitude have helped him lead some of North  America’s most successful sales teams. A true entrepreneur, Stephan is the founder of a Canadian  distribution company that sells products and apparel in over 400 retail outlets nationwide. He is  the author of a French book on taking charge of your life, which is a hit with readers and Québec media outlets alike.

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Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Available in French

Presentations

Motivation: Upping Your Game
This Signature Keynote Conference is geared towards motivating and challenging participants to reach their full potential in both their personal and professional lives.  Designed for employees, entrepreneurs, and managers, this conference explores the importance of a positive outlook and accountability at work and at home. What would our personal and professional lives look like if we were able to up our game and perform to our fullest? The answer to this question and many others are given in this signature keynote presentation, along with the tools and strategies needed to mobilize employees and inspire a winning attitude. Participant interaction and personal narratives from Stephan drive this acclaimed keynote.

Change Management: Thriving Through Change
The world is always changing, learn how to react and how to seize the opportunity! It can be difficult to implement organizational change. Employees that are unable or unwilling to make transitions and adopt new methods can pose a serious challenge. So how do employees tackle change? Whether it is before or after the organizational change, this conference keynote will impart the practical strategies and tools needed to respond quickly to change in order to reap the benefits.   

Sales: Selling Redefined
This interactive keynote addresses new sales realities and will teach participants new sales concepts and strategies that are effective in terms of achieving sales goals and developing new business. Stephan Maighan has built and managed many large and successful teams in business-to-business sales (B2B) and business-to-consumer sales (B2C) across Canada. Throughout his sales career, Stephan has known how to set himself apart. Hard work and excellent results helped position him within the elite of his field. His drive and ‘zero-excuse’ attitude have made him a successful team leader at the helm of many of North America’s most successful sales teams.   

Teambuilding: All for One
Competitive markets make team collaboration essential. Organizations need teams that comprise employees with shared objectives and who are also willing to surmount shared obstacles. A corporate culture of collaboration and teamwork is therefore an essential building block for any organization. This conference is designed to show your staff how to translate individual human talent and competencies into an effective team strategy. Effective teams who know how to maximize each member’s skills into results are teams that will succeed far more than individuals who work in silos.

Platform Plus

Facilitator, Moderator & Event Host

In a neutral, non-threatening and mutually respectful environment, Stephan facilitates collaboration and effectiveness during your employee and management meetings. By creating the necessary conditions, Stephan ensures that everyone is able to participate equally and in a respectful manner. Current group atmosphere, key players, points of discussion, topics to avoid, and professional context are all taken into account before Stephan facilitates an employee or business meeting. Extensive preparation is key to playing a successful role in the meetings and to helping participants explore all stakes, challenges, and solutions.

Performance & Productivity
Business & Workplace
Event Theme Ideas
  • Your business keynote presentation was without a doubt one of the best (I dare say the best) we have ever heard at the plant, and believe me, we have heard many over the years.In my 34 years of service with IBM, I had never seen a speaker receive a standing ovation at our corporate event, and here our staff and the management team gave you 3 in the same day, at each of your 3 speeches. 

    - Assistant to the Bromont Manufacturing Director, IBM
  • Your speech went beyond my own expectations and those of the management team. The audience remained attentive for the duration of the meeting, which is quite the feat within our corporation. We received a lot of positive feedback and a few of the managers told me that it was the best speech they had heard in five years.

    - HR Director, Bombardier Aerospace
  • Your message was undeniably compelling and certainly motivated the entire team of soldiers and leaders…Your positive energy is contagious and your stage presence, engaging. Participants felt inspired to be better workers, but they also felt compelled to be better people

    - The Department of National Defence, Canadian Armed Forces
  • We very much appreciated the fact that you adapted the content of your keynote to the challenges and reality of our industry—it made your presentation resonate with the audience. Our members gave excellent reviews in their evaluations, in turn making this event a success. As the organizer for this event, I was grateful for your professionalism, which I noted from our initial contact. 

    - Regional Coordinator, Canadian Payroll Association
  • We appreciate the fact that you adapted the content of your talk and provided a tailored event for our conference. You were able to find the right words and appropriate anecdotes to engage our actuaries from across the country. Your energy was great, as was your stage presence. On the whole, this was an inspiring talk!

    - Vice-President –Pricing and Underwriting, intact Insurance

Summary Profile

Stephan was born in Anjou, Québec  (Canada) in 1971. His father was originally from English-speaking Guyana (South America) and his mother was a Caucasian francophone from Québec. Stephan is inherently the product of a bi-racial heritage. Stephan’s father was no stranger to illegal activities, making him well-known to local law enforcement.  Stephan’s father was physically abusive towards his son and his wife, eventually landing him in prison. Stephan was two years old when he permanently lost contact with his father, and, ultimately, his paternal family members as well. The lack of a father figure and siblings made Stephan see his mother as the centre of his universe. But, at the tender age of seven, Stephan faced a turning point:

“I was seven years old. I was sitting in the car, listening to my mother talking. The engine was on, but the car was idling. All of a sudden, my mother stopped talking. I asked her what was wrong, but she couldn’t…wouldn’t…answer. Her eyes were telling me not to worry, protecting me in a way. It was as though she was saying “It’s nothing; it’ll pass.” It took years for me to understand that my mother had suffered a stroke and that she had been in a coma for weeks. Sadly, that was the start of our woes to come. When my mother came out from her coma, and during the entire year that followed, she had no idea who I was. Despite numerous therapeutic interventions, my mother’s right side was completely paralyzed. She was also diagnosed with aphasia due to cerebral lesions, or, in laymen’s terms, she couldn’t speak”

Stephan had very little coping strategies to deal with certain challenges and setbacks: racism, his father’s abandonment, his mother’s stroke and the sense that he didn’t quite have a home. Today, Stephan would say that his reactions to these events were anything but exemplary. Rather than taking a positive outlook, and instead of choosing courage and determination, the way his mother would have, Stephan isolated himself and chose to rebel against authority.

Drawing on his experience, Stephan effectively illustrates the impact that one’s attitude can have on the final outcome when faced with change and uncertainty. He then makes parallels between his professional and personal experiences to help participants remember the importance of being adaptable in the workplace. He reminds participants that challenges at work and at home should not translate into a negative outlook.

As Stephan astutely observes: “It’s not what has happened to you that matters—it’s what you make of it.” Stephan is the author of Devenez maître de votre viepublished by Quebecor (Note: translation forthcoming; tentative title translation: ‘Take Charge of Your Life’). The book is informative and seeks to transform the attitude of individuals in order to get them where they really want to be. His strategies are powerful and effective. Stephan accepted the role of spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada in order to contribute positively to the work that is being done. He also wanted to do his part in creating awareness about heart disease prevention and about the impact of heart disease on society.

Links

Tourism Montreal | 10 savvy speakers to bring a local connection to your event

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