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Stéphane Grenier

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired), Canadian Forces | Mental Health Innovator

stephane grenier_2024 headshot
Mental Health Innovator - Stéphane Grenier
Stephane Grenier
Mental Health in the Workplace
Stéphane
Stephane Grenier
stephane grenier_2024 headshot
Mental Health Innovator - Stéphane Grenier
Stephane Grenier
Mental Health in the Workplace

Stéphane Grenier is a field-tested leader with over 40 years of experience, beginning with his first regimental appointment as a troop leader and spanning his career as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces. His leadership journey has taken him through peacetime, humanitarian missions, and operational deployments in conflict zones around the world, including Lebanon, Haiti, Kuwait, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Afghanistan, to driving transformational change as CEO of Mental Health Innovations (MHI). Grenier’s practical and inspirational keynotes show audiences how to elevate their leadership to an artform and build resilient, high performing teams that drive breakthrough results and lasting impact.

During his distinguished military career, Grenier is best known for his groundbreaking work that transformed the military’s approach to mental health in a systemic way. He pioneered the integration of large-scale peer support services as a complement to clinical care. This led to Grenier creating the National Standards of Practice for Peer Support in Canada as requested by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Department of National Defence. In the aftermath, Grenier founded Peer Support Canada, a charitable organization to oversee certification for peer support, which continues to grow and serve the country today.

After retiring from the military, Grenier transitioned into the role of CEO of MHI, a consultancy that focuses on transforming mental health supports in the workplace across Canada. It places an emphasis on peer support as a key component of mental health care. Under his leadership, it has grown from a solo venture to an organization with 50+ employees and associates.

Throughout his career, Grenier has faced numerous leadership challenges, from managing teams in extreme and austere conditions to leading through loss and tragedy. These experiences have shaped his leadership philosophy — that it is an artform requiring a deep understanding of human behaviour, the ability to influence, and an unwavering commitment to fostering resilient, high-performing teams. For Grenier, true leadership is about guiding and inspiring others, not simply managing, while also driving innovation and transformational change that challenges the status quo. He inspires leaders across sectors to reflect on their approach and refine their leadership strategies for maximum impact.

Grenier’s expertise has been sought by numerous organizations, including CEO roundtables, YPO, and TEC Canada. He’s also been awarded the Order of Canada and the Meritorious Service Cross in recognition of his strategic leadership that drove systemic change in workplace mental health. His memoir, After the War: Surviving PTSD and Changing Mental Health Culture, narrates his riveting journey from his military career to reshaping workplace culture.

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

  • Sharpening Leadership: From Skillset to Artform

    Leadership is not merely a skill — it’s an art, rooted in the ability to inspire, motivate, and influence human behaviour.

    Drawing on over 40 years of leadership experience — including military peacekeeping missions, operational deployments, and post-conflict humanitarian efforts — Stéphane Grenier offers a grounded and practical leadership blueprint. His experiences have tested leadership in its rawest form: from operating in extreme and austere environments to guiding teams through the aftermath of tragedy.

    While forged in high-stress, trauma-exposed settings, the leadership lessons Grenier shares transcend these environments. The challenges that leaders face — whether in corporate, healthcare, government, or non-profit sectors — share common threads. Leadership is fundamentally about people: influencing, guiding, and empowering them to work collectively toward shared goals.

    In this keynote, Grenier explores deeply rooted leadership principles shaped by his military background, yet applicable across all sectors. Military leadership, far from being about command-and-control, taught him the power of trust, empowerment, and collaboration. Effective leadership is about creating environments where others feel inspired to lead at their level — a culture where leadership is shared, nurtured, and continuously refined.

    This keynote is not a prescriptive “how-to.” Grenier shares leadership insights forged through lived experience, not invention — and offers them as an opportunity for reflection and growth. Attendees will leave with new perspectives and practical ideas they can integrate into their personal leadership blueprint, sharpening their practice of leadership from skill to an artform.

    Grenier’s message is clear: effective leadership is not about titles, but about fostering a culture that genuinely supports and values its people. Key takeaways include:

    • Elevate leadership from skill to art: Learn how to refine leadership as a human-centered practice — rooted not in authority or technical skills, but in the ability to inspire, influence, and empower others.
    • Lead with courage, integrity, and presence: Understand the principles of “Leaders Don’t Run” and “Eating Last” — and why effective leaders face challenges head-on, earn trust through action, and lead with emotional steadiness and moral clarity.
    • Build cultures of shared leadership and resilience: Discover how to foster environments where leadership is distributed, dialogue is valued — even in disagreement — and where fairness is practiced not as sameness, but as adaptive, principled decision-making.

  • Unlocking the Potential of Your Greatest Mental Health Resource: Your People

    In today’s dynamic and demanding work environments, the impact of leadership on employee well-being cannot be understated. Discover how effective leadership can be the linchpin for improved mental health outcomes in organizations.

    Stéphane Grenier, a distinguished leader with more than four decades of experience in the field, unravels the leadership blueprint for nurturing positive mental health. Drawing from his extensive journey, he delves into the specific attributes, habits, and leadership styles that set the stage for better outcomes for employees.

    This keynote transcends the usual rhetoric, as Grenier seamlessly blends his personal experiences and professional insights. His message is clear: effective leadership is not about titles, but about fostering a culture that genuinely supports and values its people. Through compelling narratives, real-world examples, and data-backed insights, Grenier showcases the key behaviours that unlock better mental health within teams and organizations.

    Attendees will leave this keynote with a deep understanding of the critical role leadership plays in shaping the mental health landscape. They will be equipped with a toolkit of strategies and best practices to instill within their organizations to ensure healthier and more productive workplaces.

  • Taboo Unveiled: Exploring Suicide as a Mirror of Our Society's Shortcomings

    In today’s complex world, mental health challenges have assumed a position of prominence, affecting workplaces and individuals alike. Among the most delicate and taboo subjects is suicide, the ultimate consequence of our collective inability to provide adequate support.

    Enter Stéphane Grenier, a trailblazer in the realm of mental health, and a seasoned leader with more than four decades of experience. His keynote doesn’t shy away from addressing the elephant in the room. Instead, it unapologetically dives deep into the intricacies of this often-avoided subject.

    Sharing from his personal journey, Grenier offers a fresh perspective, one that goes beyond traditional paradigms of mental health. He has traversed the darkest corners of despair, finding himself on the precipice of suicide four times. Drawing from these harrowing experiences, he compels the audience to re-evaluate their preconceived notions about this critical issue.

    Through powerful narratives, compelling case studies, and unearthing the most recent research, Grenier prompts us to acknowledge the stark truth — suicide is a reflection of our collective failures to support those who are suffering. It’s not merely an individual’s struggle; it’s a systemic problem that necessitates a collective response.

    This keynote is not for the faint of heart. It is for individuals, leaders, and communities ready to confront the uncomfortable reality and spark a change. It empowers attendees with the knowledge and insights they need to better understand, support, and address suicide in the workplace, their communities, and society as a whole.

    This keynote presentation is a call to action, a journey towards creating a more compassionate and empathetic world. It challenges us to acknowledge the pain and suffering that often remains hidden in the shadows and inspires us to step into the light, embrace the discomfort, and collectively transform the way we approach mental health and suicide.

  • Workshop: Breaking Down Mental Health Strategy for Senior Leaders

    This workshop includes 2.5 hours of highly interactive strategy-building conversations. It was developed to help senior leaders and managers demystify the complexity of mental health strategies into tangible, meaningful thinking.

    Participants will leave empowered to make informed decisions when shaping the mental health culture of their organizations.

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Related Content

More great information and resources.

Books

  • After The War by Stephane Grenier
    After the War: Surviving PTSD and Changing Mental Health Culture

    After serving in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide and civil war, Lieutenant Colonel Stéphane...

    → Read More

Articles

Client reviews

  • Sky Works Charitable Foundation

    Stéphane Grenier spoke to our donors and advisors at a celebration of our charitable organization’s 30th anniversary Because we are about to launch a  project that explores the experiences of military children experiencing their parents’ PTSD, Stéphane  spoke to his and his family’s experiences of military life. He spoke powerfully, compassionately and with great clarity—all from his heart. He was able to describe his personal experience in a manner that included context and possible solutions. He had a great effect on the members of the audience- many of who commented and sent notes to acknowledge Stéphane’s effect on their thinking and their understanding of the issues. Stéphane Grenier’s  contribution was very substantial and we were proud to include him in this memorable event.

  • Buzz Hargrove, Executive Director, Centre for Labour Management Relations, Ryerson University

    To say that LCol Stephane Grenier (now retired) helped make our event a great success is an understatement. He is a superb speaker who delivered a powerful and enlightening message at what was a significant national event.

  • Comments from attendees at 1st Annual Labour Law Conference, Ottawa, ON

    “Very entertaining as well as informative.”

    “Incredible presentation.”

    “An excellent speaker would like his contact information as I would like to recommend him for our international ATU conference he is an excellent speaker who fosters a sincere understanding of mental health challenges. A true inspiration! Thank you!”

  • Comments from The Foundation for Medical Excellence, Portland, OR

    “Excellent; raised my awareness of the issues and the need to think about the process of supporting my team.”

    “Outstanding; human, humane and very inspiring.”

    “Excellent depth of knowledge and experience; entertaining and well organized.”

    “Great to learn perspective from outside of the medical field.”

    “Very Entertaining; love the narrative.”

    “Charismatic speaker- heartfelt presentation that got me thinking about new ways to help my patients and colleagues.”

  • Canadian Mental Health Association Durham

    Stephane Grenier has done a lot of work with trying to redefine how we address mental health in general….because he’s a great speaker and because of his experience with a mental health issue, his lived experience brings a real sincerity and candour to the topic itself.

  • Clintar

    Stéphane was the most inspiring speaker that my employees have ever had the pleasure of listening to. He was incredible and well worth the wait. I am already looking forward to next year’s event!

  • Bullfrog Power

    Now more than ever, the mental health of our people is a critical responsibility for all leaders. Stéphane is a powerful speaker who brings personal experience and academic rigour to the why and the how of promoting mental health. His presentation was among the most impactful I have seen in recent memory.

  • CEO Global Network

    At one of our recent CEO Roundtable Discussions, Stéphane Grenier shared practical ways in which we can help those silently struggling among us; ways by which we can improve not just our companies, but our society at large. I encourage every CEO — every leader — to take the time to learn more from Stéphane and his team at MHI. To do so may be both life-changing and life-saving.

  • City of Windsor

    The energy that was given to the audience was amazing!  It was personal, not just a clinical talk.  Absolutely FANTASTIC message. You kept a HUGE topic simple. And what you talked about made sense. It just made sense! Thank you!!

  • Canadian Association for Supported Employment Annual Conference

    I have great respect for Stéphane who is taking an active role in helping the world understand where we, as a society, fall down when it comes to looking out for each other and providing connections that support recovery. I especially love how he normalized mental health. He certainly has devoted a lot of time to understanding his experiences and I greatly admire him for speaking out and doing something to spare others. Amazing, really!!

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