Iris Cai

Iris has consulting expertise in executive coaching, assessment, psychometrics, talent development, values and culture, purpose, and leadership resilience. In her practice, Iris is also passionate about helping individuals and organizations refine and express their values and purpose, leading them to become their best selves and in turn, shape a more kind, just, and equitable society. A lover of narratives, she believes in the power of storytelling in building psychological safety and a sense of belonging.

Iris’s work across various industries, including telecommunications, technology, retail, and higher education, has allowed her to foster strong relationships with diverse clients. Her clients consider her to be an intuitive, insightful, and authentic coach.

The wide range of roles Iris has held also informed her multidisciplinary, innovative, pragmatic, and client-centric approach to her work. Before YSC, Iris was a marketing leader who brought many product and services to life for one of the top three Canadian telecoms. Familiar with product management, innovation, entrepreneurship and having started her career in human resources, she also coached hundreds of MBA students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) pursuing those career paths. Iris has developed and facilitated leadership development programs for UBC and other organizational clients.

Growing up in China, Iris began her studies in English literature. She later moved to Vancouver, where she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration at Simon Fraser University. Driven by her interest in the science of human potential, she subsequently completed a Master of Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Iris is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and certified practitioner of the Emotional Capital Report (ECR), Hogan Assessments, and FIRO-B (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior™).

Outside of work, Iris loves music, travelling, reading, and the neuroscience of peak performance. She has a regular mindfulness practice and advocates for mindfulness’ benefits in productivity, mastery, empathy and well-being at an individual, organizational, and community level.