Scott Krueger (1963-2022)
I first met Scott in 2020 when we were both training to be coaches at the Hudson Institute, along with Tom, Sharon, Abigail and Kara. A firm favorite in the class, he was in the middle of a one year trip around the world with his wife Julie, but diligently studying to become certified as a coach. I will never forget seeing him in action, during a simulated coaching role play. He was simply brilliant, someone who even our instructors recognised as having a vocation. He was extraordinarily gifted at ‘leading from behind’ and being the very epitome of a supporting guide as he helped clients delve into their innermost thoughts. He was famous for saying that he was comfortable living in the grey, and this was his ultimate wish for all his clients. Shrewdly, he recognised that life is never black and white.
When I started Mind Canopy in 2021, it was a no – brainer that he would be a founding coach on the team. By that stage, Sian had also joined us along with Tom, Sharon and Abigail, while Costanza and Kara would come on board later in the year. From the get-go, Scott was a keen and insightful contributor at our biweekly get-togethers and had a lively email rapport with Henning in all admin issues. Having trained as a lawyer, he asked great questions of clarification and was particularly good at detail. He laid the foundations around our offerings and prepared materials which explained in detail what clients could expect from coaching. Not only was he a good coach, but he also intrinsically understood the inner mechanics and boundaries of coaching. He had buckets of life experience and was always amused at anecdotes of Gen-Z, perhaps as a nod to his three sons, who he was immensely proud of.
For most of 2022, Scott continued with his coaching while receiving treatment in Chicago. He never complained or let on if he was suffering. He loved coaching so much and was keen to maintain his appointments and be of service to his clients. When Scott was unable to make it to our offsite in Kenmare, I don’t think any of us realized how truly ill he was. The day he died, it was like a light went out for all of us. We will miss him so much as a member of our team. We have received many emails from clients about the impact he had and we feel very honored to have known him and worked alongside him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Julie, Colin, Grant and Andrew.