Ellen Melis ( She/Her )

Associate Vice-President, (Human Resources) and Chief People Officer

• Certified Executive Coach, Ph.D in Leadership and Change (Antioch University), Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE)

As Associate Vice-President (Human Resources) and Chief People Officer at Carleton, I work closely with leaders across the university to support their teams and help navigate change in thoughtful and practical ways. I’ve spent the past 17 years as an executive coach, working with leaders across healthcare, not-for-profit, community, and university settings.

Ellen’s coaching style

My coaching style is collaborative and grounded in your lived experience. I create space for reflection and perspective-taking, especially when leaders are working through complex challenges. I partner with leaders as they navigate leading themselves, others, and change—asking thoughtful questions, exploring different perspectives, and making sense of situations where the answers aren’t always clear.

The value of coaching

For me, the value of coaching is in creating that space to step back from the day-to-day, reflect, and think more clearly about what’s really going on. In a busy and often complex environment like a university, that pause can make a real difference in how leaders approach decisions, relationships, and change.