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Anthony McLean

Mental Health | Inclusivity | Education

Anthony McLean
On Microaggressions
Diversity: The Secret to High Performing Teams
Are We Anti-Racist Yet?
Mental Health in Times of Change
The Intersection of Mental Health and Anti-Racism
In Celebration of Educators
Unconscious Bias
Anthony
Anthony McLean
On Microaggressions
Diversity: The Secret to High Performing Teams
Are We Anti-Racist Yet?
Mental Health in Times of Change
The Intersection of Mental Health and Anti-Racism
In Celebration of Educators
Unconscious Bias

With a background in theatre, Anthony McLean delivers lively presentations on mental health, diversity and inclusion, and education. He has delivered hundreds of inspiring talks across the world, rocking the stage at conferences, colleges, and corporate events. As a respected voice in his field, McLean has been featured in The Globe and Mail and on CBC News and Breakfast Television. Delivering research-backed tools and actionable strategies, McLean always leaves audiences inspired to bring their best every day.

McLean works actively in the film and television industry. He hosted the CBC Television show The X and was featured in the documentary films Colour Me, SOAR, and Rising Above. He also has a passion for inspiring educators, crediting teachers for making the biggest difference in his life and inspiring him to be his best. McLean is currently writing his first book, Fire Up Your Mental Health.

Speaking topics

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

  • Diversity: The Secret Power Behind High Performing Teams

    Diverse teams are two times more likely to meet financial targets, three times more likely to be high-performing, and six times more likely to be innovative and agile. Diversity is a competitive advantage! But barriers to career advancement have limited underrepresented communities in significant ways.

    In this lively and interactive presentation, Anthony McLean challenges participants to think critically about unconscious bias, microaggressions, and other hindrances to creating an inclusive workplace culture. Finally, he offers actionable strategies to hire, promote, and protect under-represented people and groups within our organizations.

    Learning outcomes:

    • Learn how to move from being “non-racist” to becoming “anti-racist”.
    • Understand the difference between “cancel culture” and “accountability”.
    • Harness the power of being an ally in your circle of influence.

  • Fire Up Your Mental Health!

    Low energy, quiet quitting, burnout… It seems everyone is struggling these days. How can we regain our enthusiasm, recapture our joy, and get the pep back in our step at work and at home? Many people assume mental health is a topic of interest only for those who struggle with anxiety, depression, or mental illness. But your energy levels, your mood, your ability to think clearly and pursue goals — these are all a reflection of your mental health.

    In this upbeat and inspiring presentation, Anthony McLean offers actionable tools to optimize energy levels, stimulate creative thinking, and approach every day with enthusiasm and joy.

    Learning outcomes:

    • Understand the difference between everyday ups and downs, temporary mental health problems, and mental illnesses.
    • Learn healthy coping skills to deal with stress and anxiety.
    • See the role exercise, sleep, hydration, and nutrition play in overall wellness.
    • Adopt a supportive mental health routine.

  • Belonging: The Intersection of Mental Health and Anti-Racism

    One of the outcomes of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is to ensure people have a sense of belonging within our organizations. There is a considerable amount of overlap between mental wellness and racial equity. In this inspiring presentation, Anthony McLean contends that empathy is at the heart of both DEI work and mental health awareness, and psychological safety and creating a sense of belonging are central to both pursuits. This interactive presentation helps participants bring more compassion and courage to the work of anti-racism and mental wellness.

    Learning outcomes:

    • Learn how to approach mental health and DEI through the lens of empathy.
    • Understand the impact systemic racism has on mental health.
    • See how microaggressions are the “death by a thousand papercuts” to a sense of belonging.

  • In Celebration of Educators

    This is an encouraging, morale-boosting talk to inspire educators who give their best every day. Teachers and administrators are often overwhelmed and sometimes feel burnt out by the end of the week. It’s easy to forget that the daily interactions we have with students are sometimes the most valuable moments of our day.

    In this laugh-out-loud presentation, Anthony McLean tells funny and inspiring stories about the teachers and administrators who changed his life by acknowledging his effort, encouraging his strengths, and pushing him to give his best. Every educator needs this reminder — the reward for not giving up on our students is the ability to make a difference and change the world one student at a time.

  • Black History: Then and Now

    This is an inspiring Black History Month presentation that surveys where we were and where we’re going when it comes to racial equity. In looking at where we were, Anthony McLean celebrates civil rights pioneers like Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Martin Luther King Jr. (USA), and Viola Desmond (Canada). In looking at where we are, McLean shares the powerful story of marching peacefully with thousands of others in the wake of the George Floyd protest. Lastly, in looking at where we’re going, McLean encourages participants to be allies to the Black community in creating a world where everyone belongs. This is an upbeat and uplifting presentation that celebrates the progress we’ve made while encouraging the audience to continue the journey toward racial equity.

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Client reviews

  • Danone North America

    Anthony was just the keynote Danone needed during our weeklong Development Days in September. His high energy, entertaining antics and positive reflection on life is a perfect fit for energy management within the corporate world. We wanted to show the organization we are continuing to listen and prioritize mental health and Anthony provided easy steps to prioritize putting your own mask on first. We look forward to welcoming Anthony back for a third time in 2022!

  • Chief People Officer, Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited

    Anthony is a master story teller! He’s got the gift of entertaining while educating on such important matters as understanding unconscious bias and how to be “anti-racist”. Anthony was a pleasure to work with, he seamlessly incorporated our company’s Mission, Vision, Values into his presentations, making them all the more relevant to our audience. If you want have a meaningful conversation about Diversity & Inclusion with your employees, I’d highly recommend you bring Anthony in.

  • Ontario Risk & Insurance Management Society (ORIMS)

    Anthony McLean is an energetic, charismatic, and engaging speaker. As industry leaders and professionals, his message is one we need to hear, digest, and propagate to the highest levels possible.

  • Director of Employee Experience, Real Matters/Solidifi

    Anthony’s virtual presentations have been so helpful to us as we work to create a culture that fosters caring, wellness, diversity and inclusion. He is incredibly gifted at connecting with people in a way that reaches them at their level and lifts them higher — which is especially hard to do virtually! He navigates difficult subjects with respect, grace, and humour. Feedback from our team has been overwhelmingly positive!

  • McMaster University

    I just wanted to let you know that Anthony was absolutely FANTASTIC on Saturday night!! Our student leaders absolutely loved him and the messages he shared with us. As organizers, we were so impressed with his enthusiasm and professionalism. He did such an amazing job at connecting with the audience, despite being in a virtual setting. He struck the perfect chord with our attendees and set them up for a challenging and yet rewarding coming year for our first year students. Perfect speaker for a challenging time in society.

    Thank you so much for your support over the past few months in bringing this event to fruition!

  • Sir John A. MacDonald Secondary School

    Our event with Anthony was outstanding. We had many comments from staff and students regarding his ability to connect with everyone. He provided an important message, effective tools for participants and strong level of engagement and entertainment for a difficult topic in Mental Health. Anthony demonstrated that he was invested in and cared about making a difference in our school community. He is a genuine and caring individual that made everyone feel valued in our school community.

  • SERV Foundation

    On behalf of everyone at SERV, I wanted to extend a resounding THANK YOU for your presentation yesterday afternoon. We are so grateful for the sheer joy you brought to our organization. You commanded an amazing amount of engagement from our staff, and the post-presentation buzz around our offices and residential group homes has been overwhelming positive.

    As you know, our staff have been experiencing compounded stress from the pandemic due to their positions as frontline workers. However, your compassion and understanding of SERV staff’s unique situation conveyed your sincere empathy and resonated heavily with our attendees during this difficult time. I am confident that the support and advice you shared with us will create a lasting impact on our organization.

  • Vice President, Human Resources, PepsiCo Canada

    We recently held an event with 300+ leaders at PepsiCo Canada on the topic of Diversity and Inclusion. Anthony delivered a powerful presentation for us and the feedback has been outstanding. One thing I appreciated was how he was able to weave in our core values throughout the talk. Most importantly, Anthony gave our leaders real-world actions to do the work of anti-racism. An all-around excellent presentation!

  • College Sector Committee for Adult Upgrading

    You truly have a gift for reaching through the screen and connecting with people. You listened so carefully to what we shared in our briefing and applied it in the most personal, inspirational, and moving way. You literally brought us to tears. It was, by far, the best keynote we have ever had the pleasure to share with our group.

  • Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

    Anthony is an incredibly engaging speaker, and he addressed important issues around anti-Black racism in such an approachable way. We would not hesitate to have him back to the firm to speak again.

  • Coaching Association of Canada

    Anthony was an excellent speaker, and I am happy you recommended him! He was professional and prepared throughout the whole process, and our AV team appreciated his attention to detail for his lighting, camera work, and presentation.

    His speaking points seemed to really resonate with our delegates, as they were very engaged in the chat during his presentation. Many of them also commented on the analogies and examples he used to strengthen his message. For example, his description of GPS technology to demonstrate the benefit of looking at a situation or idea from multiple perspectives was one that many delegates felt was very insightful.

    I personally appreciated his balance of humour and serious moments, as I felt this was a great way to engage the audience in a virtual environment while providing opportunities for learning and reflection.

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