Speaker
Christopher Stevenson

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Bio
Christopher Stevenson is Principal Partner of CityGate, LLC, which provides leadership development, coaching, and consulting on learning and development to credit unions, associations, and small businesses. A certified coach, Stevenson has over 20 years of experience in leadership development and adult learning, and helps leaders accurately assess their strengths and development needs and create specific, realistic action plans to meet their career goals.
Prior to founding CityGate, Stevenson served as Chief Learning Officer of CUES, developing industry-leading education for credit union board members, executives, and future leaders. He was also responsible for leading research into the trends that shape the credit union industry.
A lifelong learner, Stevenson earned his Executive MBA from University of Wisconsin Business School and has earned numerous professional certificates from Stanford Graduate School of Business, Wharton at Penn, Cornell University, Darden Graduate School of Business at UVA, and others. He earned undergraduate degree from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin.
Speaking Topics
You’re Doing Leadership Development Wrong
Too often, organizations rely heavily on their HR and Talent Development teams to develop leaders. But spend just a short period of time with these experts, and you’ll learn that much of their time is spent managing attrition, onboarding new employees, and conducting compliance training. Leadership development gets short shrift. This is especially true at lower levels of the org chart, where first-time managers and leaders of leaders get little coaching on how to best lead their people.
The best-kept secret in leadership development is that it starts with these early-stage leaders, not a training program. If you properly develop first-time managers and leaders of leaders, you create a foundation of leadership development that bubbles up throughout the entire organization.
Join Stevenson as he discusses the best way to jump start leadership development in your organization, engage your employees, and free up your resources for mission-critical work.
You’re Doing Leadership Development Wrong: The Secret that Allows Boards of Directors to Ensure a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline
Too often, organizations rely solely on HR and Talent Development teams to build leaders—while those teams are consumed with managing attrition, onboarding, and compliance training. As a result, leadership development—especially for first-time managers and leaders of leaders—gets overlooked. But the best-kept secret in leadership development is that it’s not just about training programs; it’s about creating a structured, strategic approach to leadership growth at every level.
In this session, Stevenson will challenge traditional leadership development approaches and reveal how boards of directors can help ensure a sustainable leadership pipeline in their organizations. Join Stevenson as he explores the questions board members must ask to ensure their organizations have a structured framework for developing leaders at every level of the organization, ensuring clear leadership transitions, effective succession planning, and effective leadership pipelines. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies to engage employees, accelerate leadership growth, and free up resources for mission-critical work.
You’re Thinking About Leadership Development Wrong: How to Own Your Leadership Development as a Young Professional
Leadership development doesn’t start when you a promotion or senior title—it starts now—and it doesn’t need to include a conference or training session. Here’s the secret: real leadership development isn’t just about training programs; it’s about building skills, mindset, and habits that create opportunities for advancement.
In this session, Stevenson will break down what high-potential employees and young professionals need to know to take charge of their own leadership growth. You’ll learn how to navigate leadership transitions, develop key skills that set you apart, and position yourself for long-term success. Whether you're leading a team now or preparing for your first leadership role, this session will give you the insights and strategies to accelerate your career.
Speaking Topics
- You’re Doing Leadership Development Wrong
- You’re Doing Leadership Development Wrong: The Secret that Allows Boards of Directors to Ensure a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline
- You’re Thinking About Leadership Development Wrong: How to Own Your Leadership Development as a Young Professional