Canadian HR Reporter

15 Zabeen Hirji RBC Zabeen Hirji is a name well-known to Canada's HR community. As RBC's CHRO, she is part of an eight-member group executive responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of RBC. Zabeen joined the bank in 1977, holding progressively senior roles in British Columbia and Toronto, and eventually moving into HR in 1997. She was appointed CHRO in 2007. Hirji has won several awards, including Canada's Meritorious Service Medal for advancing diversity and inclusion, and has been inducted into Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame by the Women's Executive Network. Gabriella Fermo Raising the Bar As a Certi ed Human Resources Leader (CHRL), Gabriella Fermo has been practising HR for more than 20 years. She is now managing partner at her learning and development business Raising the Bar in Mississauga, Ont. And while Gabriella has worked across all of the HR functional areas, she never actually was an HR generalist — instead, she took on specialist roles and immersed herself in learning as much as possible about a particular function. Recently, in collaboration with the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs and Humber College, Gabriella delivered an inaugural leadership development course as part of an accredited Fire Service Executive Management Certi cate. Grieg Seafood is proud to congratulate Alina Constantin on being named one of Canada's Top 25 HR Professionals www.griegseafood.com Alana Free GoodLife Fitness Clubs Alana Free has been at GoodLife Fitness Clubs in Toronto for 20 years, starting off as executive director of people development and going on to become vice-president of people and culture in 2010. The years have kept her occupied, most recently when personal trainers voted to join a union — despite the company's best efforts. The tness chain held town halls to hear about people's concerns, explain its position and manage expectations. Weekly communication also went out from management to talk about the changes being made based on feedback, and the company worked to make the compensation system around commissions more straightforward. Anthea Gomez Express Scripts Canada Anthea Gomez, director of HR and corporate services, has spearheaded signi cant advancements around Express Scripts Canada's of ce culture in Mississauga, Ont., leading several initiatives focused on enhancing workplace diversity and employee engagement. She introduced a work-at-home pilot project and advocated for a stronger focus on diversity and cultural awareness. Anthea believes in maintaining a culture that supports both individual and corporate goals, and has the ability to recognize top talent. She is a Certi ed Human Resources Executive (CHRE) and serves on several volunteer boards in her spare time. Jerry Gratton O2E Brands Jerry Gratton is an integral member of the O2E Brands leadership team in Vancouver as vice-president of people and culture. Under his guidance, the company has been recognized for a number of people- and culture-related awards. Over the past year, Jerry guided the company towards a signi cant increase in overall employee engagement, thanks in large part to a reorganization of the sales department. Other accomplishments include an overhaul of the A-Player Development Program, leading a major of ce renovation, and relaunching the company's 101 Life Goals Program. Jerry has more than 20 years' experience in HR. Helen Kosa Calgary Public Library This fall, Helen Kosa, safety and wellness of cer at Calgary Public Library, will unveil a new "Stay Safe" safety program for 820 employees at 18 public libraries in the city. Helen built the foundation for the program, including a redesign of existing print and online documentation. A skilled presenter, she is passionate about safety and has the ability to make bland material relevant and exciting, and readily shares her expertise to aid staff in crisis. Helen also manages wellness initiatives within the Calgary library system and promotes support services available through Shepell FGI. She holds an HR management diploma, amongst other certi cations. Tanya Martin Jazz Aviation Tanya Martin began working for Jazz Aviation 21 years ago as a customer service ticketing agent. A Certi ed Human Resources Leader (CHRL), Tanya recently became manager of Jazz's central and west regions, representing 2,500 employees. During the Fort McMurray wild re disaster, she successfully organized a relief fund. Other achievements include moderating a "Women in Aviation" panellist discussion, implementing online workplace complaint and accommodation forms, and navigating through a series of dif cult layoffs in the central and western regions last year.

• Cover