Eli Lawrence Sopow, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty
Industrial + Organisational Psychology
Vancouver
“You can never step into the same river twice” – Heraclitus
OVERVIEW
Dr. Sopow is driven by a lifelong habit of asking “why” and “why not” — posing wicked questions and connecting invisible dots. Over the course of his decades-long career, he has led communication workshops for a territorial government beneath the Arctic’s Northern Lights; advised a major corporation in Venezuela as part of an international team navigating political regime change; and helped train American public order officers on crowd psychology during international protests.
His work has also included involvement in the world’s first use of the internet during a hostile corporate takeover, the development of communication strategy for Canada’s first virtual bank, and participation on the issues management and communications team for Canada’s largest investigation into a serial killer.
Dr. Sopow has received multiple professional awards in political and social journalism as well as university teaching. His senior leadership experience includes serving as an associate deputy minister and cabinet Adviser; vice president and partner in an international issues management consultancy; director of a federal government research and analysis unit focused on employee well-being, community service analysis, and environmental scanning; and associate professor of change management and leadership within an MBA faculty.
MEMBERSHIPS + ASSOCIATIONS
- Association of Change Management Professionals.
- International Issues Management Association.
Publications + Presentations
Publications
Vital factors of change in a time of dramatic change PDGIA
Communication of mission, vision, and goals: The key to successful change management in changing times.
The forgotten few: A Research Study of the Workplace Cultures and Lived Experiences of Civilian Employees in British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police Detachments and the E-Comm Emergency Response Centres.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Sworn Officers and Civilians in the Victoria, British Columbia Police Department: Current Issues and a Way Forward.
Resource and Organisational Review of the RCMP and Policing Services, City of Prince George, B.C.
Resource and Organisational Review of the RCMP, Policing Services, Fire and Rescue, Bylaws and Community Safety Officers, and public safety quantitative research. City of Penticton, BC.
Triggers of Public Protest
Aligning workplace wellness with global change: an integrated model.
Communications, ethics, and vision trump experience. (Book chapter).
(Book) The Age of Outrage : The role of emotional and Organisational factors on protest policing and political opportunity frames.
(Book): The Critical Issues Audit
The Impact of culture and climate on change programs.
The impact of culture and climate on change: Distinguishing between culture and climate to change the organization.
Presentations
Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Effective communication of mission, vision, goals critical to success in an era of change; Quantitative analysis.
Aligning Workplace Wellness with Global Change: An Integrated Model.
LEADERSHIP + ENGAGEMENT
- Harbour Cove Co-op, member of community housing co-op committees,
- International Issues Management Council, Board Member.
- Verus Group Management Consulting, Vice President and Partner.
- Public Affairs Bureau, Government of B.C., Associate Deputy Minister and Department Head,