2013 Award Finalists

Nilesh Bhagat, CPHR
Rewards Analyst
Best Buy Canada

Nilesh saw a major solution where others saw a minor irritant. Passionate about HR, perpetually positive and professionally driven, Nilesh Bhagat, CPHR is popular at work nonetheless.

He was hired as a rewards coordinator into Best Buy Canada before being asked to cover an analyst role for a maternity leave in late 2011. He has made himself invaluable since and now serves Best Buy Canada in an ongoing rewards analyst capacity—as befits his most recent contributions to the company.

Only two years since graduating from the Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Human Resources Management), Nilesh has made his mark on a major company and found the firm support and appreciation of major shareholders for his efforts.

That those efforts were of his own initiative and carried forth company-wide, speak volumes of the passion and professionalism for which Nilesh has become renown in a short span of time.

Prior to Nilesh’s initiative, Best Buy and Future Shop store employees had been reviewed quarterly on what was coined the “Common Review Date” (CRD) program. Roughly seven years old, it had been given little attention since inception and with limited documentation to support it, was considered something of a black hole program: due scrutiny, not a priority due immediate attention.

Nilesh gave the CRD that attention after hearing mention from management on some of the program’s more common complaints: time-consuming, lack of support
tools, ineffective. Working with two different brands and cultures provided an even higher level of complexity to the challenge which he then embraced.

A week later, after reviewing the limited documentation, researching alternatives and anchoring imperatives, he returned with a new model—and a simple summary that showed both the key recommended changes in the program and the core benefits. He was made project manager and the Performance Review Cycle (PRC) took its first steps on a journey that no one had asked be taken.

From program design to garnering shareholder input and support to the implementation and follow up, Nilesh is credited with all aspects of the PRC that followed—and become a definite object of executive attention. Given no prime directive and lacking written documentation, he created program guidelines guided by one key question, ‘What would best serve the employee experience?’

He took management’s time constraints into consideration as well, and reduced the number of annual reviews from four to two. This has allowed for timelier scheduling of reviews in the retail environment, as well as larger peer review panels providing better feedback and value. The program feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from the floor, management and Best Buy executive alike.

Since then, Nilesh has been closely involved in yet another big picture Best Buy Canada initiative, this time their 2012 Total Rewards Statement. The positive feedback continues unabated.

An active member of CPHR BC & Yukon and possessed of strong written and presentation skills alike, Nilesh has hosted a table for young HR professionals at the HR Cafe, and remains an ongoing contributor to PeopleTalk Magazine, as well as a member of its Editorial Advisory Council.

Sabrina Mowbray, CPHR
Human Resources Advisor
Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd.

“Doing what needs to be done when the unfathomable occurs, when there are no policies or procedures or guidelines to follow, is the ultimate test of leadership and humanity. Sabrina has more than met that test. She has excelled.”

From earliest age, her father instilled a firm belief that has served Sabrina Mowbray, CPHR well since—“If you find something you love to do, you’ll never work another day in your life.”

For Sabrina that love was both clear and relatively broad—people. After working in both the hospitality and aviation industry for a number of years, she discovered her true passion—human resources. She pursued her Human Resources Post Diploma Certificate at the College of New Caledonia and obtained her CPHR designation in 2010.

Eager to begin her new career in HR, Sabrina joined Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd., initially on a part-time basis. On April 16, 2012, she accepted the company’s offer of a full-time HR Coordinator.

One week later, disaster struck and Sabrina faced a crisis few face in a lifetime of HR.

At 9:45 the evening of April 23rd, 2012 an explosion followed by a massive fire destroyed the company’s Lakeland sawmill. Two long-term employees died of their injuries and many others suffered catastrophic injuries. With the HR Director position vacant, Sabrina stepped up and took charge of the HR response to the catastrophe.

That she rose to the occasion is prefaced by her nomination, but the words of the community go to the heart of her ongoing efforts: “Sabrina is an angel.”

Sabrina immediately headed to the Prince George hospital to coordinate and assure everyone was accounted for. While the most serious burn victims evacuated that night by air ambulance to burn units in Vancouver, Victoria and Edmonton, more than 20 others were admitted to hospital in Prince George.

With all accounted for, Sabrina worked through the night, pulling out all the stops to get family members to the bedsides of those air lifted out. Calling on her contacts in the aviation and hotel industries, within hours, families were reunited.

In the days and weeks that followed, Sabrina made herself available on a 24/7 basis to everyone who needed support. She visited employees in hospital and met with family members to respond to their needs. She worked with injured employees and WorkSafe to manage claims, and coordinated with the company’s EFAP provider and others to put the necessary emotional supports in place. To this day, she oversees efforts to assist 160 displaced employees find alternate employment.

Above, beyond and throughout the call of duty, Sabrina’s efforts were both extraordinary and in addition to her many other responsibilities.

Until recently, the Sinclar Group lacked centralized HR which was handled separately by site. Sabrina is one of a group of three HR practitioners now tasked with the responsibility of bringing a strategic, professional and coordinated focus to the human resources function within the Sinclar Group.

As part of a small team, her role encompasses a wide range of functions, including the implementation of successful recruitment, assessment and selection processes, as well as orientation and on-boarding initiatives. She has also implemented turnover metrics to help operations identify and respond to trends.

Sabrina has also taken HR beyond the workplace to create ties between the Sinclar Group and the community. Working with various organizations, she helps them achieve their mandates with bridging various programs and services. Currently working with the Canadian Cancer Society to introduce “Wellness Fits,” she is also exploring how to improve men’s health in collaboration with the Northern Health Authority—and seeking to increase blood donor contributions for Canadian Blood Services with friendly competition among Sinclar Group employees.

As per her father’s words and her own professional passion, Sabrina is an active member of the CPHR BC & Yukon Northern Advisory Council, and most recently helped organize the 8th Annual Northern Symposium. Committed to her own professional development, Sabrina also helps others find their ideal match, coordinating the pairing of mentors and protégé within the CPHR BC & Yukon Professional Mentoring Program.

For Sabrina, the learning is ongoing. Her legacy within the Sinclar Group and the community of Prince George is already firmly established.

Sarina Ram, CPHR
HR Administrator
Western Potash Corp.

For Western Potash Corporation, her arrival paved the way to better futures for all involved. Sarina Ram, CPHR has never been described anything less than a passionate HR professional. In joining Western Potash she found the fullest forum for professional expression imaginable.

Brought aboard to help Western Potash create their HR department from the ground up, Sarina surpassed all expectations. Her initiative and commitment to the profession have been described as undying by Western Potash leaders and her efforts have transformed the business.

From the ground up, while taking into full consideration input from the multiple shareholders, Sarina applied best practices across the board: planning, leading and co-ordinating all HR initiatives within the organization. From creating an employee handbook to crafting a policy and procedure manual, as well as manuals for occupational health and safety and violence in the workplace, to developing an employee and benefits orientation package, Sarina’s touch is on the fine points as well as the bigger picture.

As such, she has also created a performance evaluation system and provides one-on-one coaching sessions to managers to ensure it works for all involved.

As all HR roads lead to Sarina at Western Potash, she serves as the main point of contact for staff, management and directors alike, and has won over all with her positivity, professionalism and best practices.

Moreover, she supports the design, implementation and ongoing delivery of core HR programs and initiatives such as performance management, career planning, learning and development, compensation, employee communication, surveys, and mentoring. Add full cycle recruitment and maintaining the HRIS and electronic employee files, and that is a day in the life for Sarina. She would not have it any other way.

Her employers consider Sarina the embodiment of the CPHR designation she recently attained. They value the standards of the CPHR Canada National Code of Ethics to which she holds herself—almost as much as the programs and tools she creates or finds to fit the company’s culture and needs.

Outside of work, Sarina remains both a passionate HR professional and an active member of the community. Empowered by experience and attitude alike, Sarina has already served as a mentor through the BCIT HR Management program and now volunteers those same energies within the CPHR BC & Yukon Professional Mentoring program.

Volunteering with the MS Society and assisting in food drives with the Vancouver Food Bank throughout the year, she also gives of her time and energies at the Akali Singh Sikh Society Temple—where she cleans and cooks on weekends and has previously volunteered at workshops where she taught English and computer skills to immigrants and elders on week nights.

Driven, balanced and passionate about people in both practice and her daily life, Sarina Ram has done more than bring best practices to work. She has impacted the organization as a whole, increasing workplace retention and encouraging others with her positive HR professionalism.

In short, Sarina Ram has struck HR gold with Western Potash and that wealth was shared company wide.

Rob Cutler, CPHR
Vice President, Human Resources
Land Title and Survey Authority of BC

Rob Cutler can lay claim to building better bonds between HR and core business throughout his career. In terms of scale, his most recent accomplishment has been virtually transformative.

As vice president of human resources for the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC (LTSA), Rob plays a key strategic role which fully acknowledges the executive merits of HR at the table. He works to ensure that the LTSA’s HR function is strategic in its intent and focus, ensuring the operational needs of the business are met while supporting the achievement of corporate strategy—especially during periods of transformation.

Rob’s role took on considerably greater responsibility with the implementation of a 36 month, $20 million business transformation initiative (BTI) that would result in the automation of roughly 60 per cent of the LTSA’s work. While BTI would, and did, bring major process improvements, improved customer service, systems reliability and stability, Rob’s primary focus was leading the change management aspects of the project across the LTSA.

His efforts were multiple and made manifestly evident over the course of the three year project. Listening to and providing leadership to all levels of the organization during the change, Rob targeted engagement as a key metric for communicating the success of BTI; a loss in investment due to drop in engagement was considered major risk to BTI’s success. Due to the diligence of Rob and his team, and regular standardized employee engagement surveys, quite the opposite occurred—engagement is up 22 per cent from three years ago.

As per the LTSA board and executive team, Rob played an integral role in BTI’s success at every juncture. From fostering support for best practices in change management to helping employee’s embrace the new technologies, practices and processes to coaching management and bestowing recognition, Rob turned what could have been a jarring change into a narrative that could unite—the BTI Journey. Another key factor was the development and delivery of a “Change Readiness Survey” which helped measure leadership alignment, as well as employee readiness. All numbers trended significantly upward as the BTI Journey progressed.

As a direct result of Rob’s commitment to communicating the change, BTI met with little opposition from either the union or employees; it also met its overall ROI and significantly changed the employee profile with a 25 per cent reduced headcount and drop in the average age from 58 to 45. With succession in mind, Rob also developed a sequenced hiring plan for new employees to offset the imminent departures of retirees. Furthermore, 40 employees were put into a 20-month formal training and competency assessment program resulting in promotions to more senior roles.

Most importantly, throughout BTI, and thanks largely to the best practices applied, the LTSA’s business continued unabated, processing over three million transactions per year. Business as usual is highly unusual in such circumstances.

Much can be credited to Rob Cutler’s passion for HR which extends well beyond the LTSA. A strong proponent of mentoring, he has served young and aspiring HR professionals throughout his career. He has also spent a near decade advising the HR programs at BCIT.

Actively engaged with the Association for almost 20 years, six of those on the Board and involved with chairing the CPHR Competency Review Committee, the CPHR Complaints and Discipline Committee and the Board Finance Committee—as well as the Emerging Practitioners Roundtable.

Cindy Dopson, CPHR
Director, Human Resources
BC Cancer Foundation

From a business perspective, Cindy Dopson has helped rebuild the BC Cancer Foundation (BCCF) with HR at the heart of its much-improved operations. From an HR perspective, she has made it far better place to be. Since joining BCCF in 2009 as director of human resources, Cindy has defined the merits of HR on the bottom and frontlines alike.

With an MBA in Human Resources Management from Royal Roads University, her efforts are considered an essential part of turning around key aspects of the BC Cancer Foundation (BCCF). As credited by BCCF’s CEO, Cindy’s initiatives have impacted numerous key business metrics, some beyond the considered scope of HR.

That impact is perhaps most readily demonstrated by the revenues per full time hire (FTE), up to $898,395 in 2012 from $271,132 in 2009, and increased engagement scores, up to 86 per cent from 69 per cent over the same time period.

Those types of numbers are credited either largely or entirely to Cindy’s leadership of the HR function, and speak to BCCF’s realization of HR’s true potential. Brought aboard during a time of extensive restructuring and executive change, Cindy’s professionalism and dedication helped both guide the transformation process and firmly align a minimal HR budget with the Foundation’s primary mandate—to raise funds for cancer research.

With no formal HR structure in the 55-person foundation upon her arrival, her full repertoire of best practices, accrued over 15 years of business experience—nine in HR—provided BCCF with unprecedented support. From the outset, she targeted engagement and performance management as primary concerns. Engagement had fallen off even before the transition and absenteeism averaged 6.67 missed days per employee in 2008; performance management was inconsistent and misunderstood.

Focusing on these areas, Cindy worked with her colleagues on the BCCF executive committee to ensure the timing and communication of their efforts. She led the development and implementation of an on-line performance management system, and realigned it to strategy and other programs, such as compensation. Over the years she increased focus on leadership development as well, implementing a program of workshops managers took together with the executive team to create common ground and establish expectations. Most importantly, it provided new managers with the confidence, relationships and resources to smooth the transition and take on significantly larger responsibilities.

Cindy’s commitment to training and mentorship, together with one-on-one coaching sessions, formal training days and external professional development activities, has provided a strong managerial team to support BCCF’s tremendous growth.

As the new online employee performance management system and program support began to drive clear and measurable objectives, results measurably improved; every employee now receives interim performance feedback twice throughout the year in addition to an annual review.

Perhaps as a direct result, employee sick time has been reduced. Over the last three years, the previously concerning absenteeism has steadily dropped to 2.67 days per employee per year. The difference is nearly a full year’s attendance for one person – an FTE at no cost to the organization.

In a world where engagement is increasingly linked to clarity of purpose, perhaps one key measure speaks most loudly to the operational impact of Cindy’s programs and approach. Now 93.2 per cent of BC Cancer Foundation employees answer ‘Agree’ or ‘Strongly Agree’ to the question—’I know what is expected of me at work.’

What distinguishes Cindy is how far her answer to that question extends beyond BCCF to include the bigger picture of industry professionalism. Cindy’s involvement in the betterment of the HR profession has led to a strong history of industry volunteerism, including CPHR BC & Yukon, the Non-Profit Employers Council for the Labour Market Partnership, and the Vancouver Non-Profit HR Roundtable.

By setting a standard of professionalism that both permeates and extends beyond the workplace, Cindy Dopson embodies both the business mind and people best that HR has to offer. Co-leading the Non-Profit HR Roundtable, she ensures her best practices are available across the sector and brings the invaluable experience of other not-for-profits back to BCCF in return.

Deborah Maynard, CPHR
VP, Human Resources and Training
Cascade Aerospace

When Deborah Maynard joined Cascade Aerospace there were only one other HR professional in the company, an expiring collective agreement and a need to hire 200 people within two years.

Two years later, the HR department has grown to 7 people, turnover has dropped by 37 per cent and Cascade’s workforce has grown by 40 per cent to 700 employees—making it the largest private employer in the Fraser Valley. Behind the success of the is a top flight HR team, piloted by Deborah, and grounded in a solid four-pillar HR foundation encompassing recruitment, development, retention and support. A firm believer in ongoing development, she has also taken on the leadership of the company’s training group as well as managing the company’s security programs. Deborah and her team have worked hard and found creative solutions to strength the investment in technical and soft skills training.

A highly regarded, collaborative business leader with outstanding communications skills, the depth and breadth of the HR experience Deborah has helped drive the HR programs to support what Cascade has achieved possible. Without the right people, the business simply would not get off the ground. As a dynamic, high growth company in a highly complex, knowledge-intensive, global industry with world-class competitors and customers, Cascade values its people.

With Deborah’s leadership, that value equation has increased dramatically through a five-point plan grounded by the development and communication of the company’s vision, mission and values. A strong emphasis on leadership, innovation, agility and community connected deeply at all levels within Cascade and set the tone for a series of organizational improvements.

Creating a culture of personal accountability while simultaneously accelerating business performance, Deborah linked performance pay to company, team and individual goals with quarterly progress reporting. She also developed a new, competitive compensation and benefits program and introduced flexibility into the workplace to attract and retain top talent. All while, she was strengthening Cascade’s people practices and programs to support the recruitment and on-boarding of 200 new employees—a challenge ultimately achieved with a nation-wide strategy tapped directly into social media tools.

Well-regarded for an enthusiastic ‘can do’ attitude, Deborah drove initiatives to improve the company’s relationship with its union adopting a problem-solving versus a grievance-resolution approach, creating opportunities for Union Management discussions including a monthly labour management meeting she chairs. She also implemented a new Return-to-Work program, resulting in a 40 per cent decrease in time off due to workplace injuries and a 10 per cent decrease in the number of lost-time accidents.

It’s an attitude and an approach which has proven infectious within the company and Deborah works proactively with colleagues on all levels to help improve their leadership and communication skills.

A strong believer in building community and engagement, she championed investing in employee events—now held every six weeks you can find employees in a pumpkin patch, hockey arena or just enjoying some nachos or ice cream sundaes or supporting the various charities through HR supported corporate events.

Credited with adjusting to a demanding learning curve in a complex industry, Deborah remains committed to lifelong learning, as well as the learning of others. While pursuing her MBA studies to broaden her own skill set, her support of excellence in HR through teaching, coaching and mentoring future practitioners has remained an abiding passion.

A natural coach with a strong commitment to supporting the HR profession at all levels, Deborah guest lectures on HR issues at the University of the Fraser Valley and hosts a monthly roundtable for HR professionals at Cascade’s head office. Through CPHR BC & Yukon’s Professional Mentoring Program, she is currently mentoring two future leaders of HR—much in keeping with a character that has given Cascade Aerospace new wings of their own.

In short, Deborah is living proof of the efficacy of HR as an executive function integral to the strategic development of the business. In her own eyes, she is a business leader with an HR specialty. For Cascade, in a relatively short span of time, she is something of a miracle worker—enabling the company to realize both its vision and ambitious growth targets.

This year the award committee received several nominations under the Innovation category. Each nomination was scrutinized against the award category criteria which included:

• Innovation – something that has fundamentally changed the operating practices of the organization in a unique or innovative way
• Strategic Alignment – aligns with the overall business strategy and creates a new advantage for the organization
• Results & Sustainability – demonstrates positive results across the organization and is shown to be a sustainable and/or growing program

In keeping with the process for all our Awards of Excellence, the first step is review by the awards committee who screen submissions to determine suitability for further consideration. If submissions meet the standards, the awards committee forwards the short list to a panel of judges, made up of senior HR leaders, for review and recommendation. From all the submissions received in the Innovation category this year, the awards committee recommended only one for consideration by the judges.

After review, the judges strongly supported the nomination of one to be worthy of a finalist and recognition as winner for this category.

Kal Tire’s BEST Careers Program and Learning Culture – Global Leadership Development has been awarded the recipient of this year’s Award of Excellence – Innovation.

Please join us in congratulating everyone on the Kal Tire Team.

Other Team Members:
Marion Janssen, CPHR, Associate Consultant – The Karmichael Group
Kathy Obrigewitsch, HR Advisor – Kal Tire
Keri Steele, CPHR, Senior HR Generalist – Kal Tire
Diane Templeton, CPHR, Talent Advisor – Kal Tire

Innovation is best defined in terms of its context. Not everyone partners with Harvard University to create multi-lingual management certification programs or implements a pay for knowledge strategy and profit sharing incentives that foster mentoring and peer support networks for career development—at least not in the tire industry.

Over the course of the past 60 years, Kal Tire has built its reputation on the strength of its customer service, a strength it found challenged as the organization exponentially grew in both numbers and scope. With stores ranging between three and sixty employees, Kal Tire has always been a people-driven business first and foremost. More people over more territory added greater complexity.

With 5,000 employees spread over 240 store locations in 19 countries, the company’s growth had been exponential in the past five years. Adding new stores to the pipeline every year, and acquiring a global mining tire division in 2008, the company faced growing challenges defined by the pressing concerns of management leadership, retention, career opportunity and customer service.

With strong support from the partners, particularly Robert Foord (President), Robert Kehler (Senior VP, Store Operations) and Bob Wallis (Senior VP, Mining Tire Group)—along with a strong leadership development and HR team in place—Marlene Higgins (head of HR), Natalie Michael (Principal the Karmichael Group), and HR Team Members Keri Steele, Kathy Obrigewitsch, and Marion Jannson – the team developed and implemented leadership programs to develop their global and retail needs.

Partnering with Harvard University and The Karmichael Group, Kal Tire developed a series of management certification programs that were launched in 2010 and have served the organization remarkably well since. With 55 graduates in its first year, there are now 50 more managers across the Kal tire network about to start the second cohort.

In addition, the company has implemented a series of management certification programs in their retail division that has led to a pipeline of managers skilled and qualified to run their network of stores. This program combines training with internal mentoring and a peer-driven certification panel, the program has proven both effective and attractive with 296 managers certified and aced in a management role to date.

Coupled with a ‘pay for knowledge’ structure which awards certified managers with compensation increases of up to 20 per cent, the incentive to participate is strong.

Moreover, while the ‘pay for knowledge’ rewards individual career development, each ‘mentoring’ store is rewarded $15,000 for every manager certified and placed in a new role. As this feeds back into Kal Tire’s 50/50 store profit sharing plan, this creates an everybody-wins system that encourages professional development and peer support for managers embarking on the certification journey – a journey that requires a high level of commitment, support, and is rigorous.

Creating a learning culture in the tire industry is innovative, but what defines the excellence of Kal Tire’s innovations are the end result. The vacancy gap has been closed and certified management is in place for 90 per cent of the company’s locations; the remaining 10 per cent have acting managers actively involved in Kal Tire’s management certification process.

In addition, the Mining Tire group now has a baseline of management skills across global operations which is based on best practice concepts from one of the leading universities in the world. Both of these programs have laid the foundation for advanced leadership programs and executive succession planning, the next phase of leadership development at Kal Tire.