Ian Frith

Initiator
DISC Type : Di

Founder and Principal at ForgeWorks Advisory Inc.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Overview

Ian Frith is the Founder of ForgeWorks Advisory, where he acts as a fractional CEO/COO to help founders and investors scale their companies. With over 20 years of experience in global finance and entrepreneurial environments, he specializes in stabilizing operations, preparing for capital events, and unlocking business value.

He is a strong advocate for re-evaluating leadership norms, arguing that what are often called "soft skills" are actually the most difficult and fundamental skills required for business success.

Personality Overview

Friendly Challenger

Conviction Driven

Confident

They respond well to objective pitches but also attach some value to relationships.  They measure a product on its merit but can be influenced by strong testimonials. They don’t mind taking a stand if they believe in something.

Topics They Care About

Human-Centric Leadership
Believes success hinges on "getting the human bit right" and building high-performing teams based on respect and trust, a topic he recently discussed on a podcast.
Operational Scaling
Focuses on helping companies navigate key inflection points by stabilizing operations and scaling leadership, drawing on experience as a COO in the renewable energy sector.
Organizational Health
Passionate about moving teams beyond "artificial harmony" to address misalignment and solve core challenges, creating resilient and effective systems.

Media Appearances

Ian has no verified media appearances

Work History

8-2025
Founder and Principal at ForgeWorks Advisory Inc.
1-2023 - 8-2025
Chief Operating Officer at Zeno Renewables
1-2021 - 12-2022
VP of Strategic Programs and Future of Work at HSBC
1-2017 - 1-2021
VP Wholesale Operations Canada and US at HSBC
6-2015 - 12-2016
VP Process Reengineering Canada at HSBC

Education

Ian has no verified education history

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 10 Location : Calgary, Alberta, Canada Job Level : Leadership Designation : Founder and Principal at ForgeWorks Advisory Inc.
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Insights For Selling To Ian

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Keep your pitch focused on the impact but insert some anecdotes into it
  • Acknowledge their status and position during the conversation
  • Clearly address the competitive aspects

DONT's

  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly
  • Don’t keep repeating the same information, it could make them impatient
  • Don’t be very informal even if they are being so themselves

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ian is

  • Confidence in the product’s value is critical, followed by relationship and a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ian

  • They will not hesitate to say no if they do not develop conviction.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ian move?

  • They can take fast decisions if they develop conviction in the product and find you trustworthy.
  • Can Ian take some risk or not?

  • They have the capability of taking risky decisions if necessary.

You And Ian

Personality Compatibility


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