Bio:

Christopher Stevenson is Executive Director of IPM Institute, where he drives the organization’s mission to transform agriculture and communities through market-based sustainability solutions. With over 20 years leading nonprofits and developing high-impact strategies, he brings proven expertise in organizational transformation and mission-driven growth.

As Principal Partner of CityGate, LLC, Christopher coaches executives and teams at credit unions, associations, and small businesses to unlock their leadership potential. A certified coach specializing in adult learning, he helps leaders cut through the noise—identifying their true strengths, addressing development gaps, and building actionable plans that deliver real career results.

Previously, as Chief Learning Officer of CUES (Credit Union Executives Society), Christopher created award-winning education programs for board members and executives while leading critical research on industry trends. His work has shaped how thousands of leaders develop and perform.

Christopher holds an Executive MBA from University of Wisconsin Business School and professional certificates from Stanford, Wharton, Cornell, and UVA Darden. When he’s not speaking or coaching, you’ll find him fly fishing Wisconsin’s driftless region or walking with his golden retriever Daisy.

What makes Christopher valuable to your audience:

• Translates complex leadership concepts into immediately applicable strategies
• Draws from dual expertise in nonprofit mission work and business performance
• Delivers research-backed insights with practical, real-world application

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.