Jon Robison holds a doctorate in health education/exercise physiology and a master of science in human nutrition from Michigan State University. He has spent his career working to shift health promotion away from its traditional, biomedical, control-oriented focus, with a particular interest in why people do what they do and don’t do what they don’t do.
Jon has authored numerous articles and book chapters and is a frequent presenter at conferences throughout North America. He is coauthor of The Spirit and Science of Holistic Health: More Than Broccoli, Jogging, and Bottled Water, More Than Yoga, Herbs, and Meditation, a college textbook and a guidebook for practitioners who wish to incorporate holistic principles and practices into their work. This book provided the foundation for Kailo, one of the first truly holistic employee wellness programs. Kailo won prestigious awards in both Canada and the United States, and the creators lovingly claim Jon as its father.
Jon has been a national leader in the Health at Every Size® movement for more than two decades. He has implemented Health for Every Body®—a unique alternative to weight-loss programs at the worksite in over twenty cities across the United States in the past five years. His 2015 book, How to Build a Thriving Culture at Work: Featuring The 7 Points of Transformation, written with coconspirator Dr. Rosie Ward, gives organizations a realistic, step-by-step blueprint for transforming their cultures—“from the inside out.” The book was selected by Employee Benefit News as one of the top reads for 2016.
Dr. Robison is cofounder of Salveo Partners—an expert consulting and professional development firm that guides organizations to create thriving workplace cultures, enhance organizational performance, and cultivate employee well-being. As a certified Intrinsic Coach®, Jon understands that behavior is the outward manifestation of thinking and feeling—and that behavior modification approaches that focus on extrinsic motivation rarely result in sustained change and, in fact, often inhibit intrinsic motivation.
Aside from his work, Jon’s passions include his wife, Jerilyn; their son, Joshua; music; humor; and a twelve-pound living teddy bear named Ginger.