Don Thompson is the founder of Idea Matrix. He specializes in building individual and organizational expertise in the fields of negotiation, conflict resolution and the management of critical relationships. His practice includes negotiation training for corporate and public sector organizations, executive coaching and consulting services. Mr. Thompson works with leading companies across a range of industries including financial services, pharmaceutical, information technology and mining. In his consulting capacity, he advises clients on the development and implementation of strategies to maximize value both from internal collaboration and externally in their long-term relationships with partners, key customers and suppliers. Mr. Thompson has worked with a wide range of organizations including AstraZeneca, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Tire Corporation, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, CIBC, Hewlett Packard, Honda, Indian & Northern Affairs Canada, Maple Leaf Foods, Motorola, Ontario Power Generation (Nuclear Division), The Woodbridge Group, Vale, Veterans Affairs Canada, and Xstrata.

Before becoming involved in the field of negotiation, Mr. Thompson worked for The Molson Companies Limited as the Vice President of Public Affairs and the Vice President of Marketing. He was also Senior Vice President and General Manager of Molson’s sports and entertainment division, Molstar, where he was responsible for negotiating and managing the sports and broadcast rights agreements with the National Hockey League, the Canadian NHL clubs and Canadian broadcasters. Mr. Thompson has also served as the Marketing Vice-President for the Niagara Institute, a non-profit organization that offers leadership and training programs for corporate executives. Mr. Thompson has instructed in the annual Summer Negotiation Workshop at the Harvard Law School. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a Master’s degree in History.