Barb Conway, Canadian HR Reporter
Bob Hepburn, Toronto Star
Dr. Dan Ondrack, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
Jennifer Lynn, Diversity Advantage International
Kathy Lockwood, Manulife Financial
Kay Blair, Community MicroSkills Development Centre
Kim Clark, CBC Toronto
Niranjan Brahmbhatt, American Express Canada
Norma Tombari, RBC
Sue Skawinski, Thales Canada
The IS Awards selection committee is sponsored by Steam Whistle Brewing.
Barb Conway – Canadian HR Reporter
Barb Conway is the Vice-president of Human Resources at Carswell, a Thomson Reuters business, Canada’s foremost provider of information solutions to Legal, Tax and HR professionals.
A Human Resources professional with several years of experience, Barb has been responsible for developing HR strategies and programs that have supported Carswell’s achievement of being named one of the Top Employers in Canada in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and one of the Best Workplaces in Canada in the past six years.
Barb holds a CHRP (Certified Human Resources Professional) designation through the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO), a Certificate in Human Resource Management through the HRPAO, a business diploma and is currently completing a degree in Organization Development.
Bob Hepburn – Toronto Star
Bob Hepburn is Director, Community Relations and Communications for the Toronto Star. He is an award-winning journalist who has worked as the Star’s bureau chief in Ottawa, Washington and the Middle East. He has reported from more than 30 countries for the Star and has also served as the Star’s editorial page editor, assistant managing editor, national editor and foreign editor. The Toronto Star is a proud media partner and award sponsor for this year’s IS Awards.
Dr. Dan Ondrack – Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
Dan Ondrack is the Academic Director for Executive Programs and the former Associate Dean of the Rotman School of Management. He is currently the Director for the Advanced Program in Human Resource Management, as well as a number of business and government management training programs in China, Europe, and Latin America.
His main research and teaching interests are on the relationship between corporate strategy and alignment of human resource strategy, management of mergers, and international human resource management. Some recent consulting projects have focused on the privatization of major crown corporations, organization re-structuring and alignment of HR to business strategy, and management of merger integration.
At the University of Toronto, Dan has been a member of Council of the School of Graduate Studies and the Academic Appeals Board, the Human Resources Council of the University, the Academic Advisory Council and the Governing Council for Woodsworth College, and the International Committee of the University.
Dan was previously Director of Professional Education, Vice-president, and a member of the Board of the Human Resources Professional Association, and was appointed as a Fellow of the Association. In the USA, he was Vice-president and a member of the Board of the International Division of the Society for Human Resource Management. Dan is an Honorary Professor at the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management in Belgium and co-chair of the Annual European Strategic HRM Conference. He has been a visiting professor at several international universities, including INSEAD in France and the London Business School.
Jennifer Lynn – Diversity Advantage International
Jennifer Lynn is President and CEO of Diversity Advantage International, a marketing communications and diversity-inclusive business solutions firm. A dynamic entrepreneur, prominent communications strategist and pre-eminent voice in the area of diversity and inclusion, her distinguished career in business, education, broadcasting and the media spans several countries and continents.
Previously, Jennifer was a producer and a broadcast executive with Canada’s largest private television network. She also held various positions as an adjunct professor, guest lecturer and instructor in the Canadian university and college system.
Jennifer’s extensive volunteer leadership has focused on organizations dedicated to diversity and inclusion, Aboriginal issues, social services, education, and arts and culture. Her significant pioneering diversity work includes precedent-setting initiatives, such as “The Colour of Your Money” and the “Circle of Champions” mentorship program. She is a founding member of the National Movement for Harmony in Canada. She has received The United Way of Canada’s Chairs Award, the Ontario Volunteer Award and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for significant contribution to Canada, to the community and to fellow Canadians
Kathy Lockwood – Manulife Financial
Kathy Lockwood is the Senior Vice-president of Human Resources (HR) for the Corporate and Investment Divisions of Manulife Financial. She is responsible for providing overall HR leadership globally.
Kathy is a member of the Corporate Finance and Investment Division executive teams, providing strategic HR planning, learning and development and talent management to leaders and business heads.
Prior to Manulife, Kathy was the Senior HR Consultant for Bank of Montreal & Nesbitt Burns providing HR expertise and solutions to clients in North America and the U.K. Prior to that, Kathy was HR and Operations Manager at the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Kathy holds a B.A. (Honours) in Psychology from York University in Toronto. She also holds a Certificate of Human Resources Management and is a Certified Human Resources Professional. She holds a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Windsor, Canadian Securities Course, and is a Certified Compensation Professional.
Kathy is a member of the Human Resources Professionals Association, World at Work, a member of the Society of Human Resources Professionals, and Women in Capital Markets. She is a board member of the Alzheimer Society of Toronto and Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council.
Kay Blair – Community MicroSkills Development Centre
Kay Blair is the Executive Director of Community MicroSkills Development Centre. Proactive, entrepreneurial, and innovative, Kay has grown MicroSkills into a highly-successful community agency serving immigrants, low-income women, and youth that is highly respected by funders, government, business and the community.
As Executive Director, Kay has been highly active in the local community and throughout the GTA. She has served two terms as President of OCASI; in 2002, she was selected to join the United Way Toronto Campaign Cabinet as Chair for Member Agencies; in 2003 she headed a partnership of community agencies that led to the creation of Dixon Neighbourhood Youth Centre, now Dixon Youth Centre; in November 2008, Kay was a member of the delegation accompanying Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, on her state visit to Europe.
In recognition of her contributions to the community, Kay has received many awards, including Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award – Trailblazer (2004), the YWCA Woman of Distinction – Community Leadership (2006), and the Premier’s Award – Community and Social Services (2007).
Kay holds an MBA with a specialization in Leadership from Royal Roads University, and is currently an EdD candidate at OISE/University of Toronto.
Kim Clark – CBC Toronto
Kim Clark is the Director, Inclusion & Diversity for CBC English Services. In this role Kim engages with all areas of CBC’s business to ensure that they are working to reflect all the richness and diversity this country has to offer. Whether it’s in the shows CBC produces, the stories being told, the people who work at CBC, or the personal connections made in communities across the country. Working with teams at CBC and the Inclusion and Diversity Steering Committee at CBC, processes and programs are developed to ensure that inclusion and diversity are built in as important ingredients of a culture and environment that drives innovative, creative and engaging programming – key to the CBC and to Canadians.
Prior to this, Kim worked in Partnership Development and Communications at CBC Toronto where she worked closely with local programs in developing strong links into Toronto and GTA communities. Before moving to CBC, the foundation of Kim’s career was built in roles tied to building relationships in business development, sales and market development.
Niranjan Brahmbhatt – Amercian Express Canada
Niranjan Brahmbhatt is a skilled immigrant who came to Canada with over a decade of international experience at Siemens and Johnson & Johnson. He joined American Express Canada in 2010 where he is currently a Lead Project Manager with American Express Technology Canada.
Prior to joining AMEX Niranjan delivered enterprise solutions through multicultural on-site and off-shore teams at projects in Sweden, Singapore and India. Earlier in his career, backed by an MBA and Master of Science, Niranjan successfully managed extensive new product development in Europe. He has held positions of increasing leadership and technical responsibility across several industries, including manufacturing, life sciences, media, packaging, packaged consumer goods and commodities.
Niranjan enjoys community service, currently as a volunteer at BAPS Charities, and has served as a Joint Secretary of the Indian Association of Ghana in Africa. He plays an active role in the AMEX community, having worked on the Give Together Campaign Diversity forum and many more
Norma Tombari – RBC
Norma Tombari is Director, Global Diversity at RBC and has global responsibility for Diversity and Inclusion strategies and programs that impact talent, marketplace and community.
Ms. Tombari joined RBC in 1978 and has held a series of progressively senior roles. In the 1990s she spearheaded the development and implementation of a suite of work/life, flexibility and strategic human resources and workplace solutions policies and programs throughout the organization. In 2001 her responsibilities expanded to include diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Ms. Tombari is a member of the US Conference Board Council of Global Diversity and Inclusion Executives, the Conference Board of Canada Council on Workplace Effectiveness, the Canadian Women’s Foundation Girls’ Advisory Committee, the Advisory Board for the University of Guelph Centre for Work, Life and Family, and various bodies that support inclusion in the workplace and in our communities.
Ms. Tombari holds a Bachelor Degree in Marketing and Finance from McGill University. She is recognized as a subject matter expert and is often sought out for best practice sharing on diversity and work/life related topics.
Sue Skawinski – Thales Canada
A seasoned human resource professional, Sue Skawinski has spent the past 15 years of her career with the global engineering firm, Thales (formerly Alcatel). During her tenure she has held several positions, most recently as the Manager of Recruiting and formerly Senior HR Generalist. Prior to joining Thales, she spent seven years at AT&T Canada (formerly Unitel) as a Senior HR Generalist, supporting the network operations team. Sue’s broad professional experience extends to international HR management, employee relations, compensation and benefits, and human resources information systems.
Since 2005, Sue has held her Certified Human Resources Professional designation from the Human Resources Professional Association, receiving her human resource management certification from Humber College. A common thread throughout her career, and notable strength for Sue, remains her knack for sourcing and recruiting. While pursuing top talent within the industry, she regularly participates in local career fairs, represents Thales at universities across Ontario, and earlier this year presented at the European Career Fair at MIT in Boston.
