Sarita Bhatla

Career

Sarita held executive level positions in a variety of departments within the Government of Canada, including the Privy Council Office, Global Affairs, the Treasury Board Secretariat, Canadian Heritage, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.  Throughout her career, she successfully steered politically sensitive domestic and international files such as:  gun control, the Syrian refugee crisis, human rights, international development, and major immigration and refugee reforms.  

She concluded her Public Service career as the Director General of the Accessibility Office at Canadian Heritage, successfully integrating accessibility policies and legislation into broader diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.  Since her departure from the Public Service, Sarita has supported the government in running competitive hiring processes for executives to improve the inclusion of under-represented communities. 

Coaching

Sarita’s approach to coaching is informed by her experience as a compassionate, inclusive and practical leader. While her focus is on coaching in support of her clients’ careers, she offers an approach that enables full integration of their professional roles with their personal lives.  Her commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility is evident throughout her work.  A strong advocate for mental health initiatives, she brings a deep appreciation of the challenges faced by both employees and managers.

Qualifications/Certifications

Sarita holds an Professional Coach Certification from Integral Coaching Canada.  Throughout her career, she has also benefitted from significant training in leadership, mental health, and diversity and inclusion. She holds a master’s degree from the “Institut des hautes études éuropéennes” in Strasbourg, France and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies and French Language and Literature from Queen’s University.