"This is what I’ve worked for throughout my whole career"
Last week saw the much-anticipated return of our Canadian HR Awards – celebrated in front of 950 of the country’s top HR leaders at the Beanfield Centre in Toronto.
Twenty-five high-profile awards were presented throughout the night to the most outstanding HR professionals, companies and teams from across the nation.
The night was also a massive hit on Twitter, with our hashtag #HRAwardsCA the third top trending hashtag in Canada. #HRAwardsCA had 838,000 potential impressions and nearly 300 tweets posted during the event itself.
Comedic media personality Jessi Cruickshank returned as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, while string quartet Devah and Ascension Groove Band provided live music entertainment.
Computer networking leader BlueCat took home the prestigious Ultimate Software Award for Best Workplace Culture, while Canada’s largest regional carrier Jazz Aviation won the Mercer Award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion.
“This is what I’ve worked for throughout my whole career,” explained Cheryl Kerrigan, VP of people at BlueCat – winner of The Ultimate Software Award for Best Workplace Culture.
“When you can change a culture and make it great it’s a game-changer in being able to attract and retain the best talent out there. I am beyond delighted – and I’m super proud of my team who worked hard every single day to achieve this.”
Another major highlight was Kin Choi, the Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian) of the Department of National Defence, being awarded the Queen’s University IRC Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Other major individual prizes such as the KPMG in Canada Award for HR Champion (CEO) was awarded to Lynn Oldfield of AIG Canada, while the Leadership Agency Award for HR Leader of the Year was awarded to Cathie Brow of Revera.
“It feels amazing to have won!” added Jamie Hoobanoff, founder of The Leadership Agency and winner of HRD Readers’ Choice Award for Best Service Provider (fewer than 100 staff).
“The truth is that this category means so much in Canada right now. Small service providers are so important in North America – and so having the voice in HR, providing amazing service within this line of business, is crucial. To be recognized as being great in this way means a lot to us at The Leadership Agency.”
HRD would like to congratulate all the winners and finalists, as well as thank event partner Ultimate Software and the award sponsors for their support.
Once again, those winners are…
The Queen's University IRC Award for Lifetime Achievement in the HR Industry
Kin Choi - Department of National Defence
The Accompass Award for Canadian HR Team of the Year (500 Employees or More)
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
The ADP Canada Award for HR Rising Star of the Year
Jenn Rooney - Stackpole International
The Dentsu Aegis Network Award for Best HR Communication Strategy
Mattamy Homes
The HRPA Award for Woman of Distinction
Megan Paterson – Kinaxis
The KPMG in Canada Award for Canadian HR Champion (CEO)
Lynn Oldfield - AIG Canada
The Leadership Agency Award for HR Leader of the Year
Cathie Brow – Revera
The MaxSys Staffing & Consulting Award for Most Effective Recruitment Strategy
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)
The Mercer Award for Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion
Jazz Aviation LP
The Seneca Award for Best Learning & Development Strategy
CAA Club Group of Companies
The TalentEgg Award for Best Employer Branding
Left
The Ultimate Software Award for Best Workplace Culture
BlueCat
The University of Waterloo Award for Best Next Generation Employment Innovation
IBM Canada
The Venngo Award of Excellence for Financial, Physical & Mental Wellness
Stikeman Elliott
The Workhuman Award for Best Reward & Recognition Strategy
AstraZeneca Canada
Canadian HR Team of the Year (Fewer Than 500 Employees)
Carfax Canada
Canadian HR Team of the Year (Finance or Insurance)
HSBC Bank Canada
Canadian HR Team of the Year (Retail or Hospitality)
Best Buy Canada
Best Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy
Cisco Systems Canada Co.
Most Innovative Use of HR Technology
Hydro Ottawa
Best Talent Management Strategy
Purolator Inc.
Labour & Employment Law Boutique of the Year
Rubin Thomlinson LLP
The Canadian HR Reporter Award for Best Labour & Employment Lawyer (Within a Practice)
Tim Lawson - McCarthy Tetrault LLP
The HRD Readers’ Choice Award for Best Service Provider (100 Employees or More)
League Inc.
The HRD Readers’ Choice Award for Best Service Provider (Fewer Than 100 Employees)
The Leadership Agency
To read more from the winning individuals, companies and sponsors who made this year’s HRD Awards possible, stay tuned for our upcoming commemorative guide – available this autumn.
