Tim's story: Building a championship team through coaching

When Tim Petersen became President and CEO of WorkSafeNB in 2022, he knew technical expertise alone wouldn't transform the organization. 

With more than 30 years at WorkSafeNB under his belt, Tim had a clear ambition: "I didn't want us to be just one of the strong executive leadership teams. I wanted us to be the strongest."

Tim's introduction to one-to-one leadership coaching through Vision came in early 2020. Like many leaders, he was skeptical – until COVID-19 hit and he found himself navigating the pandemic response under challenging circumstances. 

Coaching became essential: a safe space to process, recalibrate, and find clarity.

"Initially for me, executive coaching was more like executive counselling," Tim admits. "But sometimes you need that outlet before you can get to the deeper work."

When Tim became CEO, he offered coaching to his entire leadership team. Today, all eight members work with coaches. 

But recognizing that exceptional results required exceptional teamwork, Tim challenged Vision CEO Dave Veale to take the team to the next level through high-performance team coaching.

The quarterly sessions became transformative. One exercise – where each member sat in the centre while colleagues identified their greatest strength and area for improvement – created breakthrough vulnerability.

"Seeing how people were invested, I knew we had something special," Tim says.

The results speak volumes. WorkSafeNB achieved the lowest injury frequency rate in New Brunswick history – and the lowest in Canada. Assessment rates dropped to historic lows, the organization issued its first-ever $180.6-million performance refund to employers in 2024. Engagement scores for the executive leadership team hit 100 per cent. 

WorkSafeNB was also named one of Atlantic Canada's Top Employers for 2025, and Tim was recognized as one of Atlantic Business Magazine's Top 50 CEOs. Premium refunds totalling more than $53 million will be going back to employers in 2025.

Tim's commitment extends beyond the executive team. WorkSafeNB has now embedded coaching as a core leadership competency across the organization, by leveraging Vision’s Using the Coach Approach™ program. More than 75 directors and managers have received coaching skills training, fundamentally shifting the organization's leadership model.

"The biggest part of our success is our culture," Tim says. "And coaching has played a significant role in reinforcing our people-first approach."

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