Byline:
Elaine Dundon, Philosopher of Meaning, Author of three international best-selling books on Innovation and Meaning, Founder of the Global Meaning Institute.

Short Bio:
Elaine Dundon is a Philosopher of Meaning, Bestselling Author, and Founder of the Global Meaning Institute. Her unique background bridges business strategy, brand marketing, and innovation management, along with philosophy, meaning, and metaphysics. Elaine has held senior leadership positions, including brand management at Procter & Gamble. In 2000, she designed and taught the groundbreaking course on Innovation Management in the business program at the University of Toronto. This was the first course to integrate creative, strategic, and transformational thinking, with a focus on Meaning and the “human side of innovation" (versus the technical side of innovation). Elaine is the author of three international best-selling books on Innovation and Meaning, available in over 20 languages: Prisoners of Our Thoughts, The OPA! Way, and The Seeds of Innovation. She has shared her wisdom, consulting and speaking in Australia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and across Canada and the USA, as well as has been profiled in media around the world. Now, Elaine is leading the Meaning Movement having founded the Global Meaning Institute and MEANINGology® "to help people discover new meaning in their lives and work, and at a systems level, connect to the deeper meaning in organizations, communities, and societies."

Long Bio:
Elaine Dundon began her career in business and innovation. Following her work in marketing and brand management, including working at Procter & Gamble, Nestle, and Kraft Foods, Elaine founded The Innovation Group in 1996. Elaine led the emerging field of Innovation Management with a breakthrough organizational culture assessment tool (Innovation Systems Architecture), designed and taught the first Innovation Management course in North America (in the business program at the University of Toronto), and wrote a best-selling book, The Seeds of Innovation. Her work was the first to uniquely integrate creative, strategic, and transformational thinking with a focus on Meaning and the "human side of innovation" (versus the technical side of innovation). This represented a paradigm shift in the approach to innovation -- at the individual level as well as for leaders developing the culture and processes for enterprise innovation. Elaine's work has been embraced by many leading organizations, such as ADP, AstraZeneca, Cargill, Carlson Hotels, DuPont, Fidelity, Four Seasons Hotels, Kraft, Mars, Mayo Clinic, Molson Breweries, Oracle, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Timblerland, and many other corporate organizations, government agencies, and nonprofit entities around the world.

Sensing a need to further explore “the human side of innovation,” and the search for deeper meaning in work and life, Elaine travelled many times to Greece. During this second phase of her career, Elaine studied Greek Philosophy, mythology, and culture, capturing her insights in the award-winning book, The OPA! Way: Finding Joy & Meaning in Everyday Life & Work.

With a growing interest in meaning-centric innovation, work, and more broadly, life itself, Elaine’s quest brought her to Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, where she explored the topics of Metaphysics, Meaning, and transformational leadership. During this third phase, Elaine also trained at Harvard Medical School's Mind-Body Institute on Building Resilience and the Mind-Body Revolution in Health & Healing. She also co-authored the expanded third edition of the international best-selling book on existential psychology, Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl’s Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work, available in over 20 languages.

Now blending all three phases of her career (the rational, the philosophical, and the metaphysical), Elaine is leading the Meaning Movement by founding the Global Meaning Institute and the discipline of MEANINGology®. Her research and experience are providing insights into how people, organizations, and communities can realize their full potential through Meaning.

Elaine has shared her wisdom, consulting and speaking in Australia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and across Canada and the USA, as well as has been featured in numerous publications around the world, including The Futurist, Global CEO India, Executive Excellence, HR Innovator, Fast Company magazine, Leadership Excellence, etc.. Elaine also writes for Psychology Today magazine, sharing insights on how people can search for and discover new meaning in their lives and work, especially as they experience life after the age of 50. The journey to deeper meaning continues…

Elaine Dundon, MBA

(Clockwise from upper left) Elaine with: author George R.R. Martin, creator of "Game of Thrones"; author, Agapi Stassinopoulos, sister of Arianna Huffington; Lt. Governor of Ontario, Elizabeth Dowdeswell; Emmy Award-winning composer, Chris Spheeris