Donna Gillespie

Supporter
DISC Type : s

Chief Executive Officer at Kingston Economic Development Corporation

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Overview

As CEO of Kingston Economic Development, Donna Gillespie drives the citys growth, securing record foreign investment and multiple prestigious awards. Recognized as one of North Americas Top 50 Economic Developers in 2024, she focuses on creating robust innovation ecosystems. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queens University.

Donna is deeply committed to her community, with over 25 years of involvement in local associations and boards, including Tourism Kingston and the Kingston Immigration Partnership. An arts graduate herself, she is a passionate advocate for programs that help retain young, creative talent within the city.

In 2024, she received the Joseph A. Montgomery Award, the highest honor in economic development from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario.

Personality Overview

Thoughtful In Approach

Calm

Risk-averse

They prefer to follow rules and procedures.  They are motivated by the potential impact of their decision on the organization. They maintain good relationships with everyone, internally and externally.

Topics They Care About

Foreign Investment
Secured the highest levels of foreign direct investment in Kingston's history, attracting major international companies like Frulact from Portugal and Feihe (Canada Royal Milk) from China.
Innovation Ecosystems
Drives Kingston's strategy to build innovation clusters, focusing on life sciences and sustainable manufacturing through collaboration between academia, government, and industry.
Talent Retention
Actively supports the Queen's Career Apprenticeship program, which connects new graduates with local employers to keep talent in Kingston, a cause she connects with as an arts alumna.

Media Appearances

We caught up with Donna Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer of Kingston Economic Development Corporation. Featured in Kingston Life (Facebook)

See Now

Work History

6-2017
Chief Executive Officer at Kingston Economic Development Corporation
9-2015 - 6-2017
Interim Chief Executive Officer at Kingston Economic Development Corporation
2-2012 - 8-2015
Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications at Kingston Economic Development Corporation
2-2005 - 6-2007
Manager, Community Programs/Festivals on the St. Lawrence at St. Lawrence College
11-2000 - 2-2005
Project Manager/Consultant at 8020Info Inc.

Education

1991 - 1995
BAH from Queen's University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 20 Location : Kingston, Ontario, Canada Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Executive Officer at Kingston Economic Development Corporation
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Insights For Selling To Donna

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Show willingness to accommodating their needs or requests
  • Use phrases like ‘others say that’, ‘zero risk in’, ‘seen proof of’ etc.
  • Focus your pitch on the impact that you could help them have on their organization

DONT's

  • Don’t use phrases like ‘there might be’, ‘we haven’t yet’, ‘latest technology’ etc.
  • Don’t don the salesperson avatar, be the friendly advisor instead
  • Don’t rush them to make quick decisions

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Donna is

  • Low-risk, go-ahead from other stakeholders and successful evaluation as per process matter the most to them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Donna

  • They don’t say no very often, and can take you around in circles sometimes.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Donna move?

  • They do not like to rush and can be quite slow in their decision making.

  • Can Donna take some risk or not?

  • They have little risk-appetite and prefer to take decisions that others support.

You And Donna

Personality Compatibility


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