Spotlighting bold HR leadership at the Canadian HR Awards matters, says ADP Canada’s VP of People
Canada’s top HR leaders have a powerful opportunity to spotlight transformative work, celebrate their teams and help set the standard for the profession by entering the 2026 Canadian HR Awards, according to Andrea Wynter.
Wynter, the Vice-President People at ADP Canada, says the awards align directly with her company’s focus on enabling strong, forward-thinking HR leadership across the country.
“The Canadian HR Awards aligns closely with ADP Canada’s core focus: enabling strong, forward-thinking HR leadership and supporting high performing HR teams through innovative HR and payroll solutions that help make work easy, smart, and human,” says Wynter.
That focus is key to why ADP Canada is continuing its long-standing support of the Canadian HR Awards, she says. For the 2026 awards, the company is a Silver Award Partner, backing the ADP Canada Award for Excellence in Emerging HR Leadership.
Nominations for the Canadian HR Awards are open now and run until June 19, 2026.
Building visibility for great HR
Wynter says that the Canadian HR Awards stand out as one of the most recognized HR awards programs in the country, offering “broad and meaningful visibility across the HR community” — for senior leaders and those who who drive impact every day.
“These awards matter to the [HR management] industry where ADP Canada is so deeply ingrained with our longstanding commitment as a trusted leader of HR and payroll solutions,” she says. That credibility is strengthened, she adds, by the program’s transparent, fair and consistent evaluation of nominees.
In a crowded landscape of business recognition programs, Wynter believes that combination of reach and integrity makes the Canadian HR Awards a meaningful platform for employers that want to showcase their people strategies, culture and leadership.
“Displaying ‘what great looks like’ motivates employers, inspires innovation, and catalyzes creative approaches to supporting the Canadian workplace,” she says.
Why celebrating HR leadership matters
For Wynter, being involved with the Canadian HR Awards is about more than brand alignment — it’s about elevating a profession that’s central to creating a better world of work.
“ADP Canada is committed to making a better world of work for everyone, and a huge part of making that happen is through our HR practitioners and executives who are advancing the HR profession through bold thinking, disciplined execution, and impactful results by showcasing what exemplary, transformative HR leadership looks like in practice,” says Wynter. “They also inspire others across the HR community to raise the standard, helping the world of work see what truly special, needle-moving HR leadership looks like that helps other organizations implement similar HR strategies.
Essentially, the awards “help define and elevate the bar of the HR profession,” she adds.
A rising tide of innovation
The awards program is also a catalyst for continuous improvement in the field, according to Wynter: “A rising tide lifts all boats,” she says. “When greatness in the HR profession is recognized, it helps set a model for what cutting-edge, first-class HR strategy needs to look like, which makes it easier to follow.”
Looking ahead to the 2026 finalists and winners, Wynter is particularly interested in how organizations are tackling the rapid pace of change — especially around skills and technology.
“Innovation, innovation, innovation! The world of work is changing fast with AI, and it’s imperative our workforces keep pace,” she says.
According to ADP Research’s Today at Work report, only 21 per cent of workers in Canada strongly agree they have the skills for the future of work. That gap, says Wynter, creates both a challenge and an opportunity for HR.
“I’m excited to see how HR teams are proactively preparing their workforces for the future of work, namely in the form of thoughtful skills development initiatives, structured mentorship programs, and purposeful stretch opportunities that enable employees to grow, contribute and build agility across the organization,” she says. “This is something we’re locked in on here at ADP Canada to help create a future of work that’s always human at its core but supported by innovative technology to make for a more productive, more engaged, more strategic world of work.”
Now is the time to nominate
For HR leaders considering whether to put their teams or colleagues forward this year, Wynter’s message is this: the work happening inside HR deserves to be seen.
The Canadian HR Awards give organizations a chance to benchmark against the best in the country, gain national recognition for innovative people practices and spotlight the HR professionals who are driving transformation in their workplaces.
With the profession under pressure to respond to disruption, demographics and technological change, celebrating those successes sends a powerful signal — to employees, to executives, and to the broader business community — about the strategic value of HR.
“The Canadian HR awards play an important role in showcasing what truly special, great HR leadership looks like in practice, providing tangible examples that Canadian employers can learn from as they strengthen and evolve their own people strategies,” says Wynter.
By sharing stories of bold thinking, disciplined execution, and real impact, the 2026 Canadian HR Awards will once again help define what great HR looks like in Canada. And with partners such as ADP Canada backing that mission, the stage is set for the next generation of HR leaders to step forward.
