Two HR leaders preview a candid session on strategic influence, leading through change and the priorities shaping 2027
Decisions about what gets funded, what gets cut and how HR shapes the business case sit at the centre of "Canada's HR Reset: The Decisions Defining 2026," a session at HRFest Canada 2026 on Nov. 10 and 11 in Toronto.
Casey Woods, Senior People Business Partner at Lyft in Toronto, and Martine Lamoureux, Head of Talent and Culture at Ardene, are among the HR leaders on the panel. Asked why "reset" feels like the right word for where HR is right now, Lamoureux pointed to what happens if the function doesn't change.
"If we continue to do things the way we have for many years, we won't be supporting our business and we won't be relevant to the business anymore," she said.
Woods pointed to a big shift happening in the economy and in the technology industry.
"I see it as a reset but also a rebalance," Woods said. "I think leaders are trying to learn and understand where we can grow and scale with technology and where we need to reinvest in our people and the competencies and qualities that we really need to focus on."
Resetting how HR is seen
Lamoureux expects the panel discussion to include AI, labour shortages, generational differences and technology efficiencies, along with HR's shift from administrative work toward a more strategic role.
"I think that as an HR function, we've moved away from that administrative task-oriented function and we're shifting towards strategy and being at the table and being part of the decision," Lamoureux said. "It's always very interesting to see how leaders are creating that in a culture that does not operate this way, and how they shift that perception of HR."
Influence is a recurring theme for Canadian HR leaders. In a survey of 260 CHROs by International Workplace Group, 86 per cent said their influence is at an all-time high, and HRD Canada has reported on how HR leaders can turn visibility at the executive table into real decision-making power.
Woods said the reset also reaches how organizations evaluate people and define growth for employees.
"I think the traditional lanes of career pathways will be blurred in a good way now that we can leverage more technology and people can be upskilled quicker," she said.
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects that, on average, 39 per cent of workers' existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated between 2025 and 2030.
Leading through change into 2027
Looking ahead to 2027, Woods said HR's priorities will centre on how it works with business leaders.
"I think it'll be enabling leaders to help lead through change," Woods said. "Help them lead through ambiguity."
She said that includes executives and middle managers. A July 2025 Gartner survey of 140 CHROs found 64 per cent believe their leaders and managers don't have the mindset to lead change effectively, and HRD Canada has reported on how senior leaders and middle managers view AI readiness very differently.
"What that will mean is being a trusted partner," Woods said. "It will be coming up with creative ideas and solutions and workshops and initiatives that maybe don't look the same way that we have approached problem solving historically, because we're solving four different problems."
Lamoureux said HR is well placed to play out scenarios for business leaders before decisions are made.
"If we do take this decision, what are the potential impacts? Let's play it out. Let's look at different scenarios, the good, the bad, and the ugly, so we can be better prepared," she said.
As for what they hope attendees take from the session, both want them to leave feeling more confident in their roles.
"I want HR leaders to feel like they can look around corners, be creative, and will need to really build up their muscle on being able to influence," Woods said.
Lamoureux hopes to offer some courage.
"I hope that I'm going to be able to send a little bit of inspiration and courage to the HR function," Lamoureux said. "It's not easy, especially if you're working in a culture that does not look at HR as a strategic partner, to build that."
Finding peers who understand the job
HRFest is also a chance to connect with peers, something Woods said matters a great deal to people working in HR.
"Oh my gosh, because we feel like we're on an island," Woods said. "I think it can be a very isolating job for a lot of people. Depending on the size of your team, you could be doing a lot of critical thinking on your own without people to brainstorm."
"It's hard to have a safe space to talk to other people within the company because you are a trusted partner," she added. "You can't disclose information, you can't share the scenarios and difficult projects and initiatives that you're working on because it's highly confidential."
Lamoureux said events like HRFest can also help HR leaders reassess their own priorities.
"If we attend an event like that and we realize that one topic is very big, but it's not even on our agenda, we should do something about it, right? Or the opposite, if we're spending a lot of effort on something that is no longer that relevant for employees and the culture of the work environment, maybe we can shift those efforts somewhere else," she said.
More than 750 HR leaders are expected at the festival. Details on the full HRFest Canada 2026 program and registration are available on the event website.
