Strategies that turn vision into action
Joanne Turner is a strategic planner who focuses on clarity, inspires bold decisions and builds unity through collaboration.
Joanne Turner is a strategic planner who focuses on clarity, inspires bold decisions and builds unity through collaboration.
Drawing upon over thirty years of strategic planning experience, Joanne works in a spirit of innovation and passion for organizations striving to achieve people, planet and profit goals. She started her independent consultancy in 2008 to provide high-impact strategic guidance using her unique process that stems from creating competitive advantage for some of the world’s most legendary brands.
Joanne started her career in advertising in top-ranking agencies in Toronto, Australia and Vancouver, most recently as a partner of Canada’s #1 awarded agency, Rethink. She has helped position iconic brands such as A&W, Betty Crocker, Cheerios, Coca-Cola, Heinz, Kleenex, PowerAde and Sprite for optimal growth within each of their markets.
Joanne is proud to apply her skillset as a force for good to many local BC and national organizations in a diverse range of categories including education, equal access, healthcare, nature conservation, outdoor recreation, social justice, sport, the arts and youth leadership. Her work has fueled multimillion-dollar fundraising campaigns, doubled participation numbers, elevated brand reputations, and inspired stronger internal & external community engagement.
Joanne’s future-forward planning process blends deep research, courageous decision-making and real action. She develops strategies to live at all levels of the organization, not simply within the senior management team. Joanne consistently brings a fresh lens, encourages tough choices and never loses sight of the end goal in day-to-day operations.
As a dedicated faculty member at the UBC Sauder School of Business for almost a decade, Joanne helps shape the next generation of changemakers — ensuring her impact extends from boardrooms to classrooms to communities worldwide. She teaches courses in purpose-driven strategy in the undergraduate, graduate and executive education programs and is extremely passionate about equipping tomorrow’s leaders to tackle pressing global issues and create sustainable futures for all.
Clear strategies, measurable outcomes
Clients
Joanne is proud to support organizations across the nonprofit, corporate, and government sectors.
Process
Most importantly, Joanne ensures that no strategy sits on a shelf with the senior management team. Throughout the life of the plan, she regularly partners with staff to shape everyday decisions, fuel progress, create lasting change and inspire meaningful work for all.
Research: Listening Deeply
- Engages key interest groups through thoughtful interviews, focus groups, and online surveys to capture diverse perspectives and priorities.
- Conducts comprehensive scans of organizational history, market dynamics, competitors, and the broader landscape to uncover opportunities and challenges.
- Translates findings into powerful insights that form the foundation for bold, informed strategic choices.
Strategy: Setting Bold Direction
- Creates focus and alignment around shared values that will propel the organization forward.
- Distills purpose, mission, and vision into clear statements that inspire, unify, and guide decision-making.
- Uncovers the organization’s greatest strengths and challenges, while highlighting opportunities for growth.
- Empowers leaders to make bold, disciplined choices that direct resources to where they matter most.
- Encourages future-focused thinking that embraces change while building on existing assets.
- Defines clear measures of success that are aligned with strategic priorities.
- Ensures simplicity and clarity at every step so the strategy is understood, embraced, and actionable.
Implementation: Turning Plans Into Action
- Builds alignment and commitment between senior management and the board so priorities and resources are crystal clear.
- Defines roles and responsibilities with actionable plans that drive accountability at every level of leadership.
- Leads quarterly check-ins to track progress, address challenges, and recalibrate as needed.
- Partners with staff across the organization to ensure the plan is fully executed and supported with the right resources.
Impact: Measuring What Matters
- Measures success through clear, agreed-upon benchmarks that track both short and long-term progress.
- Adapts definitions of success as conditions shift, ensuring the strategy remains relevant and resilient.
- Celebrates wins at every stage to build momentum and inspire continued commitment to the long-term vision.
- Delivers meaningful impact that benefits staff, board, partners, other key interest groups, community and the planet.