HRPA Leadership

Alana Free

Vice President, People and Culture, GoodLife Fitness

My passion is to live life to the fullest with Energy, Excitement and Enthusiasm and inspire others to their greatness.  Every day I hope that we each choose the great adventure of being brave and afraid at the exact same time.  Applying to be a member of the HRPA board is all about this.  My goal is to help the HRPA continue to support all organizations and employees in Ontario to be stronger, better, and more successful each day.  Over the past 20+ years in HR I have learned from my mistakes as well as my wins.  Recently earning my CHRE was a huge personal accomplishment, but I only achieved it due to interesting situations I have had to deal with over the years.    I feel that I can identify with so many of the HRPA Members being a driven female who can ‘do it all’; full time career with two young children, partner & lots of personal interests outside of work.

If you choose me, I will not only bring my passion for HR and the business world, the learnings from my 20+ years in HR, the experience I have on how to link HR priorities and a for profit business, but I will also bring a fun, joyful and a positive can-do attitude.

Alison Staples

Vice President, People & Culture, March of Dimes Canada

I am a Human Resources Executive and recognized as the champion of talent & culture. I have over twenty years of experience in both the corporate and charity sector developing sustainable and strategic people & culture programs and solutions designed to unleash leadership potential, drive performance, increase organizational effectiveness and steer business results.

I identify as Black and immigrated to Canada from Jamaica.

I currently work at March of Dimes Canada as the Vice President, People and Culture, and prior to that, held executive Human Resources positions in companies such as the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, Kids Help Phone, Eva’s Initiative for Homeless Youth and Deloitte & Touché. I am also a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) and hold a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University and am a certified Diversity and Inclusion professional through the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion.

A determined individual with a growth mindset, I also completed the High Potential Leadership Program at Harvard University in 2013. I enjoy volunteering, have served on the Board of Directors of the Human Resources Professional Association in York Region and the sub-Board Committee at North York General Hospital, and is a Peer Reviewer on the Accreditation Committee at Imagine Canada.

Annette van't Spyker, MBA, LL.M., CHRE

VP, Human Resources Untether.AI

Annette is a senior business leader with experience in all functional areas of human resources. She has worked in both the public and private sector and has partnered with Start-up and established companies to build and retain talent. Annette has led HR teams in Canada, the US, Australia and India. She has supported employees in those same countries as well as employees in the UK and China.

Annette’s HR expertise falls within the areas of strategic HR, building and transforming HR organizations, talent development and employee engagement. She is focused on integrating business strategy with operational requirements and capability and ensuring transparent execution.

Annette has a Bachelor of Public Administration (Carleton University), a Master of Business Administration (McMaster University) and a Master of Laws (Osgoode Law School). She is a Group Benefits Associate through the CEBS Program (Dalhousie University). She is fluent in English and Dutch and has basic working knowledge of French and German.

Ashim Khemani, MBA, MA, ICD.D

Non-Member Director

Ashim is a renowned author and accomplished leader spanning multiple industries. Currently CEO of Stem Capital, some of his prior leadership roles include: CEO, Aon; President, Medcan Health; President, Medavie Blue Cross; CHRO & Chief Development Officer, Sobeys; and SVP, Liberty Health. He serves as a board member of Russell Investments and LEAP | Pecaut Centre for Social Impact.

Ashim has led domestic and global businesses in both privately-held and publicly-traded organizations, while being actively involved in over 40 M&A transactions. He has led organizations in healthcare, financial services, insurance, professional services, and retail industries. Ashim’s focal point has been on shaping and advancing firm-building, culture-focused priorities while retaining a keen competitive and commercial focus.

Ashim earned his MBA (Global) from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and his MA (International Relations) from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is a certified director (ICD.D) and holds several industry designations.

Ashim is the author of Canadian Group Insurance Benefits: A Practitioner’s Guide & Reference Manual and co-authored Global Health Care Systems—A perspective on issues, practices and trends among OECD nations.

Émilie Le Tual

Director, Enterprise Risk Culture and Ethics, Scotiabank

A seasoned people focused change leader with over 15 years of experience, my growth as a professional has resulted from my interest in continuously learning, going out of my comfort zone, and firmly believing that any role can be made better when an HR person is considered for it.

As an HR professional, I have helped our IT team carve a position in the Agile world; I have supported leaders through major restructurings and helped set up an overseas team; I have led cultural changes including setting up a learning organization; I have created scorecards; launched a mentoring program; overseen global surveys for thousands of employees; completed compensation reviews; and supported department operations management.

I leveraged my HR experience to make a foray into the ‘business’ where I joined IT as their Transformation Director and took on Technology Risk. I then used this experience to join Compliance and lead their Risk Culture strategy to build the moral character of our employees, strengthening our Corporate Culture for a sustainable future. This explains my atypical progression which is founded on a passion for the humanities field.

My global mindset comes from growing in Montreal, establishing myself in Toronto and completing internships in California, in Doha and studying in Rotterdam. It also come from my family. I am the proud mother of two girls, and I am in an interracial marriage. I have fully embraced the beauty of multiculturalism and thrive to educate myself, honor, and respect the multiple dimensions of our world.

I am eager to contribute to the human resources association and give back so we can solidify our stance and expand the realm of opportunities for our professionals.  I want to thank the community for their consideration and this opportunity.

John Hannah, CEC, CHRP, CHRL, CHRE

Interim CEO HRPA

Mr. Hannah presently runs an Executive Coaching/Human Resources consulting practice.

He was most recently, until his retirement, Global Head of Human Resources at Northland Power Inc, an independent power producer dedicated to developing, building, owning and operating clean and green energy power projects in Canada, Europe, Latin American, and Asia Pacific. He previously held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Purolator.

Mr. Hannah has also held various senior roles in Canada and globally developing and executing transformative organizational change in leading organizations including LCBO and Brinks. His last appointment with Brinks was as its Vice President of Human Resources, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Mr. Hannah holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from the University of Toronto, Post Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching (CEC) at Royal Roads University and is a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE). He is also a well-versed speaker who has presented at numerous developmental conferences relating to labour relations, competency development and human rights.

John Hardisty, MBA, CHRP, CHRL

Professor, Sheridan College

John Hardisty is a Professor and Coordinator of Human Resources Management programs at Sheridan College and is the principal at Hardisty & Co. HR Consulting. His career began with a focus on training and management in large corporate environments before working his way up to executive HR leadership roles for major financial institutions CIBC and Scotiabank. He has worked in North America, the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

As a professor he has taught a broad range of courses at the degree, diploma and graduate certificate levels, preparing graduates for professional careers in HR. He has designed and delivered courses in Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Learning and Development, Strategic HR Competencies and HR Metrics.

John holds an MBA from York University in Organizational Behaviour. He is a past member of the HRPA Board of Directors (2007-2013) and has contributed to many HRPA communities including the Halton Chapter Board of Directors and the Academic Standards and Appeals Committees. John has a Certified Human Resources Leader designation from HRPA. He is a longstanding member of the Advisory Board of the Greater Toronto Area Rewards Association and is a past member of the Sheridan College Senate.

Lisa Isaac, CHRP, CHRL

Owner and Founder, Lisa Isaac Human Resources

Lisa is a Certified HR Leader and Professional, who is passionate about helping leaders with their people. Her authentic approach to leadership is to work in partnership for sustainable success, with a focus on creating strong communities.

Prior to founding Lisa Isaac Human Resources, Lisa cultivated broad experience and expertise in the manufacturing, energy and banking industries in Alberta, Nunavut and Ontario, including her home community, Moose Deer Point First Nation, on beautiful Georgian Bay.

Lisa is an active member of the entrepreneurial community and volunteers at the local college – she is committed to giving back, not only to those who supported her growth and development, but seeing her community grow as a whole. She values sharing knowledge and continuous learning, finding creative solutions and helping others succeed.

Lisa is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and the University of Lethbridge, holding the designations of Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and Professional (CHRP). When she’s not finding solutions, you can often find Lisa with her dog and kayak, checking out beautiful lakes and rivers.

Louis Kan, FCPA, FCA, CFE

Non-Member Director

An experienced finance and governance executive, Louis Kan is the Director of Issues Management and Legislative Affairs at the Office of the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education of Ontario. Louis was the former Chief Executive Officer of Professional Geoscientists Ontario. His professional experiences also include senior administrative roles at the Chartered Professional Accountants Ontario, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Elections Ontario and the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario

Throughout his professional and private life, Louis has shown a passion for serving the public interest with a focus on public policy, Louis has extensive board experience, including St. John Ambulance – Toronto Chapter and currently serves on the board of Community Living Ontario Foundation and Heritage Toronto, where he is the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. Working in partnership with the former Auditor General of Ontario, Louis participated in a high-profile review of the City of Brampton’s finances at the request of the city council in 2015. His ongoing involvement in electoral finance reform included appearing as an expert witness at committee at Queen’s Park in 2016. A long-time volunteer of CPA Ontario’s tax clinics for low-income Ontarians, Louis is a recipient of the 2015 Government of Canada Volunteer Award.

Louis moved to Toronto from Hong Kong with his family in 1974 and obtained his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and was elected as a Fellow (FCPA, FCA) of Chartered Professional Accountants Ontario in 2018.

Experienced Executive Leader with a demonstrated history of working in the legal and business communities. Skilled in Administrative Law, Negotiation, Governmental Relations and Advocacy, including Regulatory Compliance. Member of the Law Society of Ontario, Juris Doctor from Western University, Faculty of Law.

Selomon Menghsha, RPR

Order in Council Appointee, Sr. Manager, Talent Acquisition and Development , Buckland Customs Broker

Selomon brings over 10 years of talent acquisition experience as an accomplished professional for both recruitment agencies and corporate environments. Highly-skilled in creating effective search strategies for niche roles and sectors, Selomon focuses on creating long-lasting relationships.

Over the years, Selomon has specialized in executive searches for numerous sectors, such as Construction/Infrastructure, International Business and Market Research on a global level. Selomon is currently responsible for the total delivery of Talent Acquisition for J.D. Power, creating processes, policies and managing teams of recruiters to ensure the company’s mission, value and vision are followed from the sourcing stages all the way to offer acceptance, as well ensuring retention of new hires.

Selomon is educated in engineering and holds a Business Administration Diploma from McMaster University specializing in Human Resources. He has earned the Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR) designation.

Sue Haywood is the Business Lead for the Human Resource practice of Business Sherpa Group and an Adjunct Professor at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.  Her years of experience in HR and labour relations with Pepsi, the City of Ottawa, and AECL (now CNL), as well as experience working in Africa and the Middle East, enhance Sue’s ability to partner with clients to develop strategic plans for the people function within their organization.  Serving as an educator allows Sue to mentor and to share her knowledge with students and to learn first-hand what motivates and engages members of the future workforce.

Sue is currently completing her doctorate at Walden University, with research focussed on voluntary absenteeism amongst female employees.  She holds a Master of Arts degree from the Royal Military College (earned while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces), and a Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University.  Sue holds the CHRL designation.  Her previous board experience includes time with the Bernadette McCann House and FETCO (Federally Regulated Employers – Transportation and Communications).

Timothy Lang

President & Chief Executive Officer, YES – Youth Employment Services

Timothy Lang is President & CEO of YES – Canada’s leading youth employment service provider, who annually counsel, train, empower and inspire tens of thousands of youth to become contributing members of society through employment placement.  YES has a close to 90% success rate and focuses on our most vulnerable youth, helping create safer, stronger communities and change lives.

Timothy Lang is an accomplished leader in the private and not for profit sector with a record of inspiring organizations to achieve results and growth. Previously Tim held senior management and executive positions with Xerox, Bell, Energy Savings Income Fund, and St. Francis Xavier University. As Vice President at ES Income fund Tim drove its growth and expansion across Canada and into the U.S. while increasing customers 200% to 400 thousand and to a $2 billion market cap.  As VP External at StFX University he helped raise $120 million for the Brian Mulroney Institute for Government and the Frank McKenna Leadership Centre and developed innovative branding and communications to enhance the reputation of the university. Tim has a B.A. from StFX University and a Master’s degree from the University of Manitoba.  Tim was born in Saskatoon, is bilingual and has lived and worked across Canada, the U.S. and Great Britain.  He sits on several not-for-profit Boards and received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for outstanding contributions to the community in 2012.