About
Awtar Singh Koonar
Awtar Singh Koonar, a Resilience seeker and writer, transforms his remarkable trek from the colourful villages of Punjab, India, into the mosaic landscape of Canada into a powerful work of literature, Unbreakable Spirit: From Darkness to Light. Awtar’s life experience includes extensive difficulties – wrongful identity, a traumatic accident, lawyers, the death of a beloved family member, and a knee injury, which blends his vulnerability, strength, and spiritual knowledge.
Awtar’s discovery of faith, meditation, and desire as tools for recovery resonates with readers and provides a glimmer of hope and a path to alignment. In his memoir, Awtar combines his cultural experiences from his youth in Punjab and a full range of events, circumstances, and opportunities he experienced after moving to Canada, which demonstrates the inseparable nature of our human connections and spiritual consciousness.
Awtar also highlights how the deepest challenges we encounter throughout our lives can trigger significant changes in ourselves and our external world. It takes readers by the hand to find courage in their journeys. His message promotes the insights gained through spirituality, will power, and a positive outlook, while inspiring readers to find peace through life’s obstacles. Finally, Awtar’s reflections on personal and cultural challenges over the years inspire a clear message that in darkness, the human spirit can become radiant through faith and perseverance.
Author’s Biography
Awtar Singh Koonar is a resilience seeker, writer, and visionary whose life journey bridges the vibrant villages of Punjab, India, and the diverse mosaic of Canada. In his acclaimed memoir, Unbreakable Spirit: From Darkness to Light, Awtar transforms real-life adversity-mistaken identity, a traumatic accident, legal battles, and profound personal loss-into a powerful testament to the healing force of faith, meditation, and willpower.
Born in Punjab, India, Awtar Singh Koonar earned his degree in Electrical Engineering before relocating to Canada in 1971. He furthered his education with a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science. Koonar began his professional career as a software engineer for the Canadian Air Traffic Control System, where he gained invaluable experience in critical systems.
He later joined Environment Canada, where he held various positions, including System Analyst, System Manager, Software Development Manager, Project Manager, and Head of the IT Branch. His career culminated as a Senior Projects Portfolio Manager, overseeing significant initiatives that enhanced national capabilities.
After retiring, Koonar embraced his entrepreneurial spirit, engaging in training and the development of adaptive decision support frameworks. He also served as a Senior Project Manager Consultant for various organizations, leveraging his expertise to drive successful project outcomes.
Throughout his career, Koonar has provided consulting services in project management in North America. He co-developed ITIL educational curricula for a major education provider and has taught ITIL and project management courses throughout North America. He is a licensed professional engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario and holds several certifications: Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), ITIL Expert, ITIL Managing Professional (MP), and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe 5). His expertise has enabled him to manage multiple businesses offering project management, geospatial, and IT service management (ITSM) services.
He has published numerous papers in scientific, IT, geospatial, and networking journals. Inspired by friends and his own experiences, Koonar authored his first book, “Unbreakable Spirit: From Shadows to Radiance,” Beyond memoir, Awtar is actively working on a three-volume series, Digital Transformation and Decision Intelligence, with Volume 1 in progress, to help readers thrive in the digital era. He is also authoring The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting and Optimizing Business in Canada and the forthcoming When Hope Endures: A father’s Journey Through Loss & into Light.