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Lifetime Achievement Award
Fiorella Callocchia
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Congratulations to all of the winners
of the 2018 National HR Awards.
Passion to improve work life fuels HR veteran
By Lesley Young
F
iorella Callocchia — a nearly 40-year HR
veteran and consultant — was given the
Lifetime Achievement Award for years of
dedication to excellence in the profession
and helping the profession to excel through her
volunteer work, training and frequent public speaking.
"I'm truly touched and moved. This is beyond
monumental for me," she says, adding that at 61,
she's nowhere near fi nished her lifetime work.
That's no surprise for a go-getter who, in 1987,
was awarded the Ross A. Hennigar Award for
outstanding contribution to the HR profession.
Not only had Callocchia obtained her CHRM
(Certifi cate in Human Resource Management)
and PIR (Partners in Injury Reduction) designations
through part-time studies after graduating from the
University of Toronto in 1979, she'd accelerated up
the corporate HR ladder at the same time.
Starting as a personnel assistant at Lever Brothers
(Unilever Canada), Callocchia took on increasing
responsibility at companies such as General
Instruments as HR manager, Avery International as
HR director, and fi nally Citigroup Canada as assistant
vice-president of HR — a major coup.
After that transition, Callocchia learned two key
things that would infl uence the rest of her career,
she says.
The fi rst was at a conference where she was asked
last-minute to do a presentation.
Before going ahead, she popped
into the washroom — not realizing
her microphone was still on.
"I thought, 'I can either get in
my car and drive far away or walk
into the room and face these
400 people.' It was a do-or-die
moment and I thought, 'Fiorella,
are you a woman or a mouse?'"
She walked back in. And
received a standing ovation from
HONESTLY > pg. 33
HR AWARDS
NATIONAL
2018
WINNER
