Kevin Cottam | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Current position (1)

CEO

Creative Performance Master International Pte Ltd

Achievements (3)

Best Editing Gemini Award for Sola

Sola is a 30 minute Dance production where I directed and edited the film

Choreographer for World Figure Skating Champion Kurt Brownin

Choreographer for his first two World Championships

Director of 1988 Olympic Games Closing Ceremonies

Director, Choreographer and conceptulist of the Closing Ceremony

Degrees (1)

Biology

University of Victoria, Canada

1974 to 1978

Bio

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Kevin Cottam _ Short Bio

I am a Global Nomad Keynote Speaker, who speaks on a fresh new topic – ‘The Nomadic Mindset’. I am also the author of the leadership book, The Nomadic Mindset: Never Settle…for Too Long and Aha, Mother’s Pearls.

From my early beginnings as a champion figure skater, a former elite figure skating choreographer for world and Olympic champions, and a director of large-scale productions such as the 1988 Olympic Closing Ceremonies, I have naturally sought to expand my students’ and audiences’ creativity and flexibility by presenting story-rich visual experiences. Today, I continue my mission by inspiring leaders in multinational enterprises (e.g., Thales, Givaudan, Nestle) and public sector (European Union).

He is author of the leadership book, The Nomadic Mindset: Never Settle…for Too Long and Aha, Mother’s Pearls.

Kevin Cottam _ Long Bio

Kevin is a man on a mission – The Nomadic Mindset. As the world becomes narrower in its thinking patterns, we must move towards more expansive flexible adaptive thinking patterns. This where the nomadic mindset thrives.

From starting his humble beginnings in a logging camp of 300 people in Canada; to the ice rinks of the world choreographing for World and Olympic figure skating champions; to directing and choreographing multi-million dollar touring skating shows; to directing award-winning short dance film; to researching pastoral nomadic cultures in Mongolia, Kenya and Morocco; to authoring two intriguing books; to coaching executives and training in multinational enterprises; to speaking on the stages of the world; and to having lived in 12 major cities, worked in 25 countries and visited over 200 cities, towns and villages in 58 countries; expansive movement is where Kevin flourishes.

His audiences and clients say, Kevin is a “passionate, not business-as-usual speaker, who takes you on an inspirational journey” and “leaves you wanting a bit of that peaceful, elegant grace he has.” His quiet authentic authority, powerful dynamic presence, and unique global-living experience incites clients to curiously seek him out, listen to him, and work with him.

Kevin, a proud Canadian and Global Nomad is the first person to speak specifically on The Nomadic Mindset and how this ancient wisdom can create an expansive, agile, adaptive, resilient, creative sustainable workplace and life. His colorful speeches draw from his research with executives and nomadic cultures and the fresh, story-driven, case-study-framed leadership book, The Nomadic Mindset: Never Settle…for Too Long. The image-filled stories and concrete teachings transport you on an inspirational and transformative journey.

Formerly an elite figure skating choreographer of world and Olympic champions, director and choreographer of the 1988 Olympic Closing Ceremonies, Holiday on Ice, and Disney on Ice, he leverages this success and life experiences to build, grow, and encourage leaders to lead with an expansive awareness of their dominant mindset – either nomadic, builder or settler mindset.

Using the nomadic mindset as the umbrella brand and basis for his speeches, he can weave and change focus discovering and flexibly including topics such as leadership, mindset, change, mobility, mindfulness, resilience, creativity, inclusion, engagement, and even sales.

Some companies he has spoken at are Club Med, UBS, Givaudan, Alcon, Mediacorp, L’Oreal, Nestle, Thales, and Prulia, and he spent 13 years with the European Union (Commission, Council, Parliament) as a coach and trainer.

An avid sportsman, creator, and global nomad who loves, swimming, kayaking, working out, yoga, meditation, travelling, and great conversations. Kevin greatest passion is meeting new people of different cultures. He sponsors Maasai children in Kenya to early education.

Presentations

Presentations (3)

The Nomadic Mindset: Signposts of Opportunity

Said Zaki, a proud Berber nomad from the Southern Sahara Desert says Berbers see “everything as an opportunity.” Would you be able to see an opportunity if it was starring you in the face? Signposts are everywhere. One of the signposts of opportunity for you and your organization is to discover your dominant mindset.

Kevin takes you on a colorful, image-rich, story-driven journey to Mongolia, Kenya and Morocco to discover and unearth what nomads have known for centuries, that we may have forgotten - the nomadic mindset that moves within all of us. He shares the qualities and behaviours that typify a nomadic mindset beneficial for leadership today such as adaptability, agility, freedom, creativity and more. He discovered many valuable signposts of opportunities along the way and one was the revelation that we all have three broad mindsets, the nomadic, builder and settler mindsets, that live not only within each of us, but also within our organizations.

The Nomadic Mindset: You are Never not Moving

As a former sportsmen, contemporary dancer and filmmaker you realize very early on that you are never not moving – everything is in constant movement. For leaders, organizations and all humans you need to embrace the fact that migration or mobility or growth is all about movement and movement is about constant human change – which leads to never settling for too long. This is a necessity for survival. Whether that change or migration be a new job, or location, or family member or innovation or thought … this is what leads to vibrancy, fluidity and abundance to life and work.

During my nomadic cultures and executive research for my book, The Nomadic Mindset: Never Settle…for Too Long, I was told the meaning of nomad is ‘the movement of the mind’. This is the driver of existence.

This colorful image filled, story-driven keynote, helps you become more comfortable with change, migration or mobility from a nomadic lens adapted to today’s organizational environment.

The Nomadic Mindset: Leadership is Raw

There is definitely something missing in leadership today. There are perhaps as many leadership books and processes, techniques, tips as there are cheerios in a Cheerios box of cereal … or more. There is a new lens needed to traverse our complex society. A simpler answer is possible. That is to explore and focus your leadership lens on nomadic wisdom. Ancient nomadic wisdom has many simple behaviours and paths that can adapted to clarify and inspire a rich modern leadership path forward.

In this colorful image filled, story-driven keynote, Kevin takes you on a metaphoric journey to discover ‘the intelligence of a nomad’ or behaviours that are necessary for leadership success in Industry 4.0. You will come to understand the value of communication and rapport through the Moroccan tea ceremony; discover your dominant mindset; learn the importance of following the rain in the Sahara desert (intuition); become aware of the truth about building trust and lead like a Maasai warrior.