About Heidi
Keep your head up, and look where you want to go.
That’s the first lesson you learn on a motorcycle, and it’s how I’ve lived my life. I’m Heidi Klotz, founder of Heidi Klotz Coaching & Leadership, an HR strategist and executive coach based in Montréal. I’ve spent a lifetime setting big goals and reaching them, and now I help leaders, business owners and HR professionals do the same, in English or French.
20+
years in HR leadership
VP
level experience
40,000
employees in the largest organization I’ve worked in
5
professional certifications
EN · FR
fully bilingual
My story
Childhood
It started with my mom’s advice
I’m an only child, and the only grandchild on both sides of my family. I always say I wasn’t spoiled with things, but I was blessed with the love of so many people from a very young age.
My mom gave me the advice that has shaped my whole life: don’t be afraid to do anything alone. If you want to do something, don’t wait for someone to come with you. Make it happen for yourself. Thanks to her, being an only child never defined me, and it’s why so many of my biggest adventures have been solo.
Little me, ready for anything.
From age 5
Learning to lead since I was five
I joined Girl Guides at five and stayed for almost 20 years. As a teenager, I became a Brownie leader, and my leader name was Sunshine. I’ve kept that spirit: I laugh easily, I love to have fun, and my dimples make frequent appearances.
I was always reaching for the top. I earned the All Round Cord in Guides, then the Canada Cord in Pathfinders, the first in my group to do it.
Guiding taught me that leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about bringing out the best in everyone, building on each person’s strengths and helping a group achieve more together than anyone could alone. It’s how I’ve led ever since.
International Guide camp, Guelph, 1993.
Ages 21 to 23
Big goals, then the next one
Goals have always motivated me. I earned a place in an honours program in college, then graduated from McGill with a Bachelor of Commerce at 21.
At 23, I dreamed of spending a year in Australia on my own, so I went. I stayed the full 12 months, travelled to every state, including Tasmania, and spent a month in New Zealand. That year taught me that a big dream becomes real the moment you decide to go.
In 2022, I went back on my own for a month to mark 20 years since that first adventure.
20+ years
A career I built on purpose
Over more than 20 years in human resources, every move was a step up, toward more responsibility and more strategic work, all the way to the vice president level. I’ve worked in pharmaceuticals, toy design and manufacturing, fashion retail and engineering services, in organizations of up to 40,000 employees across Quebec, Canada and the United States. In my most recent role, I designed and led pay, benefits and retirement programs for about 20,000 employees across the Americas.
I never stopped learning, and at 40, I went back to school for a master’s in management analytics. I graduated second in my class.
I never waited for someone to hand me the next step. I went after it, and that’s exactly what I help my clients do.
“Her positive leadership, energy, and enthusiasm, combined with genuine attention to the wellbeing of her team, made a lasting impression on me. Heidi knows how to inspire confidence through her effectiveness, communication, and attentiveness.”
Since 2008
Finding out what I’m capable of
Sport and training have always been a big part of my life. In 2008, I started running with one goal: a 5 km race. Then a 10 km. Then I started asking myself, and everyone around me, whether I could ever run a half marathon.
In September 2009, I did. The training was tough and I was completely dedicated to it, and I crossed the finish line inside Montréal’s Olympic Stadium. After that, I felt I could conquer anything.
Running led to road cycling: first 70 km, then 100 km, then two-week trips riding 70 to 90 km a day through Piedmont, Italy, and up the west coast of Ireland.
Then, in 2015, I was diagnosed with chronic pain from issues in my spine. It was unlike anything I’d ever faced, and it affected my mood and my ability to do the things I loved. By 2018, the pain had spread to my hips and my leg, and I had trouble walking around the block. Honestly, I thought my life was over. It took years and many different practitioners to find what worked, and through all of it, I kept doing the things that made me happy. In 2022, I started lifting weights, and in 2026, I started CrossFit.
Every finish line taught me the same thing: what seems impossible is often just the next goal you haven’t trained for yet.
Half marathon, September 2009.
2023 to 2026
Dreams are meant to be lived
K-dramas led me to BTS, and in 2022, I became a huge fan. In 2023, I made a dream come true and went to South Korea, for the culture, the food and the peace I found there. Then in 2026, when BTS went back on tour after their military service, I flew to Tampa on my own for the first show of their North American tour, front row.
Passion isn’t a distraction from ambition. It’s what fuels it.
June 26, 2025
Choosing my own road
On June 26, 2025, three days before my birthday, my position was eliminated. I was unemployed from one day to the next, and I wasn’t even allowed to say goodbye to my team. It hurt deeply.
I let myself feel it, and I took the time to grieve. Then I made a plan. I signed up for my coaching certification and for motorcycle lessons, and I went on safari in South Africa for a month with a childhood friend, a dream we shared. I gave myself a summer with no plans, travelled around Quebec and made the most of my freedom. By the end of it, I knew I wanted to do something completely different with my life. That decision became this practice.
Riding taught me the lesson I now share with every client: keep your head up and look where you want to go. Not at the obstacle, and not at what might go wrong. Where you want to go.
My purpose
Why I do this work
I’ve made so many of my own dreams come true, and now I want to help you make yours happen.
I believe people make their best decisions at work when they have someone honest and experienced in their corner. My practice brings strategic HR and executive coaching together, for both the organizational picture and the person behind the role.
One firm rule guides my work: I am on the side of the person in front of me, I am honest with you, and I never advise both sides of the same situation.
A colleague’s view
“Brilliant and a natural high achiever, Heidi has elevated her leadership through a mindful and conscious approach, leading with presence, empathy, and purpose. She inspires her teams to excel while creating an environment where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to do their best.”
What I bring
Over 20 years of HR experience, with a personal touch.
An insider’s view
I have set pay, designed benefits and advised leaders, so I know how people decisions really get made.
Practical advice
You leave with something you can use: a number, the words to say, or a clear next step.
Data-informed thinking
My master’s in management analytics, with a focus on artificial intelligence, helps me bring evidence, not just opinion, to the table.
English and French
I work fully in both languages, with clients across Canada, the United States and internationally.
Credentials
- Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP)
- Senior Certified Professional, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP)
- Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), WorldatWork
- Global Remuneration Professional (GRP), WorldatWork
- Professional Goal-Centric Certified Coach (PGCC), Concordia University
- Master of Management Analytics, Queen’s University
- Organization Development and Leadership programs, Queen’s Executive Education, Smith School of Business
- Bachelor of Commerce, McGill University
Giving back
One complimentary coaching spot, every quarter.
I believe the chance to experience coaching shouldn’t come down to budget or timing alone. So once every quarter, I open one complimentary Focus package, three 60-minute coaching sessions, for someone who is ready to do the work.
I announce each call on LinkedIn. Follow along to apply, or to nominate someone you have in mind.
Each spot is especially for
- Leaders and emerging leaders in the non-profit world
- Someone navigating a career or life transition
- Students or recent graduates looking for clarity and direction
- Professionals facing a temporary financial squeeze
So tell me: where do you want to go?
Start with a free 20-minute clarity call. You’ll leave knowing your next step, whether or not we work together. And if your first session isn’t worth it, you don’t pay.
See how I help: Leaders · Business owners · HR professionals
Book a free clarity callPrefer to write? info@heidiklotz.com