/ 01
Executive coaching
One-to-one, client-led coaching. You set the agenda every session, and the work follows what matters most to you now.
Ask about coaching →
Executive Coaching · HR Advisory
Steadier leaders. Sounder workplaces.
Executive coaching for the people at the top, and practical HR advisory for the organizations around them — grounded in years of doing both jobs from the inside.
Ontario-based, working across CanadaPublic, private and non-profitPlain proposals, fixed fees
Executive Coaching/ 01
Coaching and development for senior leaders
For CEOs and senior executives carrying decisions no one else can carry — and the relationships that shift when you take the top job.
- One-to-one coaching
- Narrative 360
- Succession readiness
- Keynotes and workshops
HR Advisory/ 02
HR advisory for organizations in transition
Senior HR help without the full-time seat — for a vacancy, a merger, a labour file, or a policy manual that’s overdue.
- Policy and procedures
- Labour relations
- HR function design
- Monthly retainer
Executive Coaching
Support for the top job
Coaching, assessment and speaking, all grounded in what actually happens to people when they take on real authority.
/ 02
Leadership assessments
Custom tools for senior roles, always paired with real conversation — never an instrument on its own.
Ask about assessments →
/ 03
Keynotes and workshops
Talks drawn from original research and client work, for leadership conferences, retreats and boards.
Speaking details →When did you last say exactly what you were thinking — to anyone?
If that question landed, a conversation is a good place to start.
HR Advisory
See HR Advisory
Senior HR help, right when you need it
For public-sector and mission-driven organizations working through a merger, a vacancy or a heavy labour file. Practical work your own team can run long after we’re done.
/ 01
Policy and procedures
One difficult policy or a full post-merger harmonization.
/ 02
Labour relations
Grievance processes, bargaining readiness, manager support.
/ 03
HR function design
Structure, roles and job descriptions for the team you need.
/ 04
Ongoing HR support
A steady senior voice for managers on a monthly retainer.
The book · Available now
CEO Cadence
What happens to leaders psychologically when they take the top job — and what they can do about it. Written for the CEO who suspects something has shifted and hasn’t yet had the language for it.
“One CEO described this as ‘living behind glass.’ She could see people. People could see her. But there was an invisible barrier that prevented full connection…”Read Chapter 10: The CEO and Isolation →
How it starts
Simple, and at your pace
A conversation
Thirty minutes, free. You share what’s going on, we share how we work, and you decide together whether it’s a fit.
A clear proposal
If it makes sense to go ahead, you get a short, plain proposal: what you’ll receive, when, and the fee.
The work
Coaching sessions or project work begin, with regular check-ins so progress is visible and nothing drifts.
In their words
What clients say
David’s balanced approach of both “support” and “constructively challenge” allows his clients to reframe their current thinking and perspectives. David’s tranquil ability to listen and observe intuitively builds trust and understanding. Working with David will be a transformative experience on your leadership journey.Jody Y.Senior Public Service Leader
The HCD Narrative 360 process was simple and powerful. Within a couple weeks I went from thinking I understood how to support my team to actually understanding what would be helpful. I have an action plan and the results are already showing.Mark J.Executive Leader
David is an exceptional listener who created a trusting environment where I felt comfortable and at ease. He helped me set goals and clear pathways to success. Every time I left the coaching space I felt renewed, excited and confident about how to better navigate issues.Mike M.Executive Coaching Client
About the principal
A practitioner who has sat at the executive table
David Johnston founded Human Capital Development after more than twenty years leading people inside complex organizations. He spent nearly a decade in Ontario public health, leading HR and then corporate services through the pandemic, two union relationships and a merger. Before that he led leadership development at an engineering firm and was general manager of a manufacturing company.
That mix is the point. He coaches senior leaders with an insider’s sense of what the role really asks of them, and he helps organizations with HR work he has done himself. Clients describe him as direct without being blunt, and rigorous without being academic.
His first book, CEO Cadence (October 2026), explores the “structural isolation” of executive leadership and what leaders can do about it.
Credentials
CEC — Certified Executive CoachICF ACCMBA, Leadership · Royal RoadsCHE — Certified Health ExecutiveCCMP — ProsciCTMPMyers-Briggs and DISC
Where the work has been
Healthcare and public healthGovernmentEngineering and infrastructureMilitary and uniformed servicesManufacturingNon-profit
Start here
Thirty minutes, no cost, no pressure
Tell us what you’re working through. You’ll get an honest answer about whether, and how, we can help — and if someone else would serve you better, we’ll say so.
Book a time on Calendly
Prefer to talk? 1-519-500-3953
Or email david@humancapitaldevelopment.ca
Or send a short note
Thank you. Every message is read personally and you’ll hear back within one to two business days.