Greg Martin

Greg Martin
ACE Instructor

Where the Head Goes Performance Systems, Mind Body Leadership & Integrity Arts

If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.
– Bruce Lee

You may be wondering why this quote is included at the top of the page. It is interpreted in many different ways, but in terms of its relation to entrepreneurship, it signifies the responsiveness, the resilience and the continuous growth in relation to both internal and external pressures that is necessary to continue to bring prosperity to the community. When finding our place as an entrepreneur, we face many challenges. From the unexpected challenges and needs that arise each day of operating a business, to the continuous challenge of coming up with the next idea and innovating on an ongoing basis. However, by practicing discipline and self-leadership, we can manage and find prosperity in the constant flow of change faced in entrepreneurship that requires us to, as Bruce Lee notes, “be water,” throughout each day. Greg Martin, ACE Program Educator, business executive, performance coach, community leader, martial arts practitioner and author, lives with a mission to inspire and empower others. Through his dedication as a coach and mentor, Greg inspires and empowers those he works with through the development and discovery of self-awareness, self-control, and self-leadership so they continue to experience growth in the face of different pressures.

Greg began his education by studying food science at the University of Manitoba. Greg went on to study management at McMaster University, and in 2005, he achieved his MBA from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC. Beyond Greg’s education, he built his professional career from the ground-up, as a part-time student working on the shop floor, progressing to increased leadership responsibilities over time. His professional business career includes senior executive roles spanning experience in multiple industries and organizations.

Greg began his professional career working in progressive roles as a union employee and a manager with Silverwood Industries in 1979, where he would spend ten years working with the manufacturer of food products supplying markets across North America. In 1989, Greg went on to work as Manager of Operations for the Becker Milk Company, a leading manufacturer of dairy products – supplying to more than 160 retail stores in Eastern Canada and doing annual sales of $400 Million. In 1994, Greg became Director of Operations for Island Farms, and he spent ten years in this role before moving into his role as CEO and General Manager just before Island Farms was sold to Agropur in early 2005.

In his role as CEO and General Manager, Greg reported to the president and Board of Directors, and was responsible for many key facets of the business, including strategic planning, implementation, leadership, board governance, and all other operational aspects. After working with Island Farms and Agropur, Greg went on to work as Chief Operating Officer for Procura and Progresa Health Systems, a point of care, clinical and back office software solution for regional health authorities, home care, and community care organizations in Canada, the United States, and Australia. Procura and Progresa Health Systems employs over 60,000 people and also delivers over $1.4 billion in health care every year. Greg also spent time as Chief Operating Officer of WildPlay Element Parks, an organization working to engage members of the community in active adventure experiences to get outside their comfort zone and overcome their fears.

Currently, Greg is still very active in the business community as an executive and entrepreneur. Greg is Chief Performance Officer who is currently serving as the interim CEO of Macdonald & Lawrence, a specialist construction company focused on providing customers with a range of specialist design services in building and conserving sustainable timber structures in the heritage, adventure, residential, and commercial markets. Moreover, Greg is the Chief Performance Officer of Where The Head Goes Solutions Inc., which provides individual and team coaching in addition to consulting services regarding business performance, re-engineering, strategic planning and executing strategic initiatives. Greg is also an active program instructor for Mind Body Leadership, which is an organization focused on sharing personalized training to equip people to discover their unique ability to lead and influence others and also actively contribute in their community through increased individual growth.

In addition to leading through coaching and consulting, Greg is a respected community leader through martial arts. Greg has been a student and instructor of martial arts for over 20 years, and has black belt rankings in Aikido and Okinawan Karate. In 2014, Greg co-founded Integrity Arts, a Martial Leadership school that works with students to develop emotional, physical, and strategic intelligence for leadership. Currently, Greg acts as chief instructor, where he focuses on developing students into being future teachers and coaches for the development of self-awareness, self-control and self-leadership in others.

Greg’s focus on providing others with the tools to leverage their unique skills to make an impact is also shown through his work as an author. Greg is both an author and co-author, with experience writing articles and working on multiple book projects, including a book and web-based franchise to help youth realize the unique value and importance of individuality, life, compassion, and unconditional love. This is a project that is close to Greg’s heart, and reinforces his commitment to contributing to the community.

Through work as a business owner, executive, consultant, coach, teacher, and a student with a life long commitment to learning, Greg is passionate about sharing his expertise with the next generation of entrepreneurs, and began working with the ACE Program in 2013. We at ACE are grateful for the opportunity to work with Greg in helping coach students during their entrepreneurial journey. To learn more about Greg and his work, make sure to visit these links.

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Greg Martin is an educator of the Aboriginal Canadian Entrepreneurs Program. Many Aboriginal Entrepreneurs have graduated from the award winning ACE Program, which focuses on bridging Aboriginal culture with the key elements of entrepreneurship and business creation.  The ACE program made possible through the collective efforts of our partnering regions, communities, institutions, and faculties.

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