Christopher McFadden

Christopher brings over 25 years of experience in restaurant management and sommelier roles, primarily on Canada’s West Coast, giving him a deep and confident understanding of the hospitality industry's needs. In 2022, he returned to his hometown of Burlington, Ontario, with his wife, Joanne, to be closer to family. This is when The McFadden Group launched. His company is dedicated to empowering hospitality professionals by helping them align personal goals with core values, fostering resilience, and driving career growth within the industry. Christopher previously co-founded Restaurant Leadership 101, a program that bridges the gap between technical expertise and emotional intelligence through the development of critical soft skills for hospitality leaders. He is also in the process of launching, Fully Completely, a recovery program designed to support hospitality professionals dealing with addiction by leveraging their strengths and tapping into their behaviours, by enhancing their Emotional Intelligence. In addition to his coaching work, Christopher was a Professor at Fanshawe Toronto@ILAC and Centennial College their Schools of Hospitality and Tourism. He developed and delivered courses on leadership, ethics, diversity, personal wellness and operations management. To complement his coaching practice, Christopher has earned certifications in Hospitality Leadership (International Hospitality Institute), Addiction & Recovery (World Coach Institute), Emotional Intelligence (Transformation Academy) with Masterclass certifications in Emotional Intelligence and Positive Relationships (Positive Psychology). Christopher has spoken at the RC Show 2023 (Restaurants Canada) in Toronto, Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas 2025, and is thrilled to be speaking at the NEXT Food Expo! Christopher always shares that "To truly be happy, one must achieve a better version of themselves to be better for others” and that is exactly what he has done for himself and now helps others discover this too.