Stephen Hammond

Stephen Hammond is a keynote speaker, author, and educator in the field of workplace and community human rights. Since 1992 Stephen has rescued organizations from human rights disasters and enhanced businesses by encouraging them to change with the times. While Stephen is a lawyer by trade and still a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, he no longer practices law. He holds a professional designation with the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and is past president of the Vancouver chapter. Stephen's goal is to support welcoming workplaces.

At a relatively young age, Stephen's life experiences shaped his views and passions regarding human rights. Yes, his Bachelor of Arts in political studies from the University of Manitoba, and his Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall, gave him a good base. However, his education of “hard knocks” likely came from intense discussions with his feminist and politician mother Gerrie Hammond, as well as his experience of being arrested in communist Poland before being thrown out of the country for being a “spy”.  Stephen was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1988 and proceeded to work in the field of labour and employee relations both in the private and public sectors.

 Stephen regularly appears on radio and television programs to discuss Harassment and human rights issues. He doesn't shy away from issues just because they are sensationally reported or misunderstood. Instead, Stephen tries to get to the heart of complex and often difficult cases.  Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Stephen has called Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia home since 1990. His volunteer time has included Big Brothers, the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Clean Air Coalition, Amnesty International, and the West End Residents Association. In his spare time, Stephen is on the steep and deep slopes of winter, while in the summer (in his words) he makes futile attempts to get a decent handicap on British Columbia's beautiful golf courses.

Keynotes Titles:

  • READY OR NOT, HERE THEY COME: OVERCOMING FEAR BY ADAPTING TO CANADA’S CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS 

  • IF YOU WANT RESPECT, YOU'LL HAVE TO ASK FOR IT: ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO STICK OUT THEIR NECKS TO MAKE REAL CHANGE 

  • DANCING BACKWARDS AND IN HIGH HEELS: OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES WOMEN FACE AT WORK 

  • MILLION DOLLAR MISTAKE: HOW TO PREVENT EXPENSIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DISASTERS AT WORK

Testimonials

It is very rare to find someone with the right combination of knowledge and experience and that something extra that makes people want to listen, learn and participate. We feel very lucky to have found Stephen, who makes Harassment Awareness training informative, useful, and yes...fun!  Stephen consistently gets rave reviews from all of the participants and is a pleasure to work with. We wouldn’t think of using anyone else.

Anna Grolle BA, CGA, Director of Corporate Operations & HR, Cactus Club Cafe

  

Thank you for doing a great job!  Your presentation style and skills ensured the audience was engaged and your message was powerful, relevant and contemporary. Using current and provocative examples, you were able to address issues of stereotyping and discrimination that left people realizing there is so much to do. You also succeeded in taking the complexities of human rights and making them understandable. What was especially enjoyable was your humour. Using humour and irony, you were able to make points that are sometimes hard to make; yet when it came to the tough issues, you didn’t sugar coat your message. Conference participants truly appreciated your message.

David Reid, Chairman, Saskatoon Chapter, Interprovincial Association on Native Employment

Website

www.stephenhammond.ca