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Geoff Schoenberg Oct 09, 2025
How to Spot and Shift Challenging Director HabitsDirector behaviour shapes board effectiveness. It shapes whether conversations are candid or closed, whether people are curious or defensive, and
Geoff Schoenberg
ConsultantGeoff’s purpose is to help boards and directors implement the systems required and navigate their group dynamics to fulfil their roles in a meaningful and effective way. Geoff’s diverse governance experience, accumulated over 15 years of focus on the topic, has included working as a consultant, for government, an academic (he actually has a PhD on governance!), and serving as a director himself.
What I Wish More Boards Knew
"Defining your roles and responsibilities is not the silver bullet you think it is."
Best Question
"Should we be talking about this?"
Favourite Agenda Item
"The consent agenda! A good consent agenda means more time for strategic discussions."
Experience and Credentials
- Joined Watson Board Advisors in 2024.
- Over 15 years of governance experience as a consultant and advisor to a diverse range of clients and industries, including government agencies, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and national sporting organizations.
- As a post-doctoral research fellow and sport management lecturer, Geoff conducted and published research on sport governance in India, developed and delivered governance workshops, and successfully applied for grant funding from the Australian government.
- Board positions with Water Polo Canada (2020-2022), Squash and Raquetball Victoria (2018-2019), Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand (2012-2014)
- Honorary Fellow, University of Melbourne (2019-2020); Deakin University (2016-2019)
- Awards
- Australia Day Medallion for Outstanding Performance in the Public Sector (2020)
- Mount Royal University Young Alumni of the Year (2018)
- European Association of Sport Management New Researcher Award (2018)
- Griffith Business School Three Minute Thesis competition (2015)
- Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand Student Research Award (2012)
- Publications:
- Schoenberg, G., Cuskelly, G., & Auld, C. (2021). Examining individual board member behaviors in nonprofit sport governing bodies. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 50(2), 458-472.
- Schoenberg, G. (2019). Intragroup board dynamics. In Routledge Handbook of Sport Governance (pp. 276-284). Routledge.
- Schoenberg, G. (2019). Improving sport governance in India. Australia India Institute, Jun, 25.
- Schoenberg, G., Cuskelly, G., & Auld, C. (2016). The role of intragroup dynamics in nonprofit governance models: A systematic quantitative literature review. Managing Sport and Leisure, 21(1), 1-22.
- Corkery, K., & Schoenberg, G. (2021). Towards ‘good’ good governance policies in sport: Lessons from Australia. In Good Governance in Sport (pp. 101-114). Routledge.
- Sam, M. P., & Schoenberg, G. (2019). Government policy and sport governance: Canada, New Zealand and Australia. In Routledge handbook of sport governance (pp. 65-78). Routledge.
Geoff Schoenberg's Areas of Focus
Contact Geoff Schoenberg
Toronto 647 515 1598