Dr. Richard (Rick) J. Goossen, Chairman
Rick Goossen, BA (Hons), JD, LLM, PhD
Global Leadership Educator. Founder. Architect of Meaning-Driven Leadership.
Rick Goossen is a global leadership educator, author, and founder of the Entrepreneurial Leaders Organization (ELO), committed to developing meaning-driven leaders who integrate faith, purpose, and excellence to build organizations of enduring impact.
For more than two decades, Rick has worked with senior executives, entrepreneurs, and leadership teams across North America, Europe, and the UK—helping leaders clarify what truly matters, lead with conviction, and align their work with long-term purpose.
Leadership Impact at a Glance
- Founder & Chairman, Entrepreneurial Leaders Organization (ELO)
- 20+ years focused on meaning-driven leadership development
- 10,000+ leaders engaged through ELO Forums (Christian business conferences), workshops, Oxford Leadership Programs, and Peer Advisory Groups
- 100+ leadership events delivered internationally
- 200+ speakers and strategic partners, including CEOs, Oxford scholars, and global thought leaders
- Founder of the ELO Oxford Leadership Program, now in its sixth cohort
- ELO website attracts over 100,000 unique visitors annually, reflecting growing global engagement with meaning-driven leadership
Rick’s work consistently operates at the intersection of leadership, entrepreneurship, faith, and meaning—equipping leaders to navigate complexity with wisdom and clarity.
A Leadership Journey Rooted in Practice and Purpose
Rick built his leadership journey alongside business leaders, witnessing how pressure, success, and unresolved purpose shape—and sometimes undermine—effective leadership. These experiences led Rick to pursue doctoral research in leadership and adult learning at Middlesex University (London, UK), where his focus was not on abstract theory but on how leaders learn while leading—through reflection, experience, and community.
Out of this work emerged a lifelong commitment to meaning-driven leadership development: helping leaders make sense of their lived experience and integrate faith, vocation, and responsibility in coherent, sustainable ways.
From this conviction came ELO, not as a platform for quick fixes, but as a community designed for long-term formation and faithful leadership.
A Distinct Philosophy of Meaning-Driven Leadership
Rick’s work is grounded in a simple, demanding belief:
Leadership deepens when leaders reflect honestly on experience, in the presence of trusted peers, over time.
This practitioner-based approach—often described as developing the reflective practitioner—is foundational to elite executive education and sits at the core of ELO’s Peer Advisory Groups, Forums, and Oxford Leadership Program.
Key pillars of Rick’s approach include:
- Meaning-driven reflection rooted in lived experience
- Long-term thinking across faith, work, family, and leadership
- Community as a catalyst for clarity, courage, and accountability
- Integration of business excellence and biblical wisdom
The outcome is not simply improved performance, but leaders who lead with coherence, humility, and purpose.
Speaking, Teaching & Global Engagement
Rick is a trusted voice for organizations and audiences seeking depth, not slogans.
He regularly speaks at:
- Leadership conferences and executive retreats
- Christian business and entrepreneurial forums
- Universities, graduate programs, and executive cohorts
Rick has shared platforms with internationally respected thinkers and business leaders, and teaches in collaboration with Oxford-affiliated faculty and global practitioners.
His sessions are known for being thought-provoking, grounded, and deeply practical, inviting leaders to wrestle with meaning, responsibility, and calling in real time.
What Others Say
“This is the only conference around that caters to Christians in the business world, helping them to exercise their God-given gifts and know that they are really worshipping and glorifying God Monday to Saturday in their marketplace mission field. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn, share and network.” ~ Mike Reinders, President, Maple Reinders Constructors
"The 1:1 coaching sessions provided within the context of the Peer Advisory Group are a valuable component of the program. As a business leader, it can be difficult to press “pause” and take time for introspection. These sessions both encourage and challenge by guiding personal development, providing accountability, and creating a safe space from which to assess current challenges and strengths within the business." ~ Family Owner/Senior Executive of a Canada-wide retail business with over 30 locations and 350 staff
“[The Oxford Leadership Program] has exceeded my expectations by 500%! The cohort of people were wonderful, we had great discussions together. I would encourage anyone to come to this course that’s looing to really deepen their experience with Christ and in the leadership they’re involved in.” ~ Rod Bergen, Director, Damascus Road Foundation
“[Richard Goossen] represents both a practicing businessperson and academic professor. He is himself an entrepreneur; he knows what he is talking about from experience. Yet he is also a careful student, well-read in a variety of areas including marketplace theology….We need individuals who can straddle the two worlds, who can speak the language both of the boardroom and the classroom. Such people are rare, but Richard Goossen is one of them.” ~ Dr. Richard Higginson, Ridley Hall Foundation, Cambridge, UK
"Our guest speaker this year was Dr. Rick Goossen, who contributed to our tradition in a wonderful way. In a presentation that exuded passion for thinking about and doing business in ways shaped by his Christian faith, he challenged and stimulated those of us who had the privilege of attending. Dr. Goossen is a valuable resource for the church as it deals with what it means to be followers of Christ in our daily work, including the field of business." ~ Gerald Gerbrandt, Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, CA
“Reading this book [Public Speaking Laws of Success: For Everyone and Every Occasion] has made me realize what an honour it has been for me to participate in several ELO events, and I wish to heartily recommend it to all who aspire to public speaking, no matter how competent they think they are. It makes for compulsive reading, being a delightful distillation of years of experience that is full of (sometimes hilarious) illustrative stories of what can go right, and, more importantly, what can go wrong with attempts to communicate to an audience. Its practical wisdom rings true to experience to such an extent that if I had read it fifty years ago, it would have saved me from having to learn many things the hard way. Reading it now may well save me from many more!“ ~ John C. Lennox, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics & Associate Fellow, Said Business School, University of Oxford
Engage Further
Rick welcomes meaningful engagement with leaders and organizations committed to long-term impact and meaning-driven leadership.
Opportunities include:
- Speaking engagements and leadership events
- Executive and peer-based leadership development
- ELO Peer Advisory Groups and Oxford Leadership Program
- Strategic partnerships and collaborations
Explore leadership development through ELO or connect directly with Rick:
To learn more about Rick Goossen, watch the two-minute video below.