I wanted to introduce myself to you as a valued member. It’s tempting to start with aligning my past work history and accomplishments with the role of your new HRPA CEO, but as HR professionals, you know that resumes don’t tell the whole story – or in many cases, the most important story.

So I want to focus on the why. I have always been a leader driven by purpose and challenge. The purpose of HRPA is what first drew me here. The challenge and opportunity energizes me.

The HR profession has proven how integral it is to producing inclusive, equitable, productive and profitable workplaces, a fact underscored by the recent pandemic. HR professionals quickly pivoted and evolved their workplaces to meet a sudden and unexpected crisis. You stood tall and showed why HR should have a place at every executive table. The profession has a spotlight and importance in defining the rapidly evolving future of work as never before.

HRPA’s mandate aligns with my purpose-driven approach. It regulates this important profession. It supports and provides the guidance, tools and skills to succeed. It brings people together to learn and grow, to promote safer and better workplaces. My passion is in connecting people and promoting intersectional inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. I will fiercely promote the HR profession to elevate and evolve, equipping our members to enable their teams and companies to thrive.

What is the energizing challenge? While the HRPA has accomplished a great deal, I know there is a significant opportunity to grow our membership and bring more HR professionals under the HRPA regulatory framework. I know there are partnerships and program offerings HRPA could focus on to better support you and advance the profession. I know that the profile and importance of HR needs to be increased in the eyes of CEOs and business leaders, that there’s work to do to highlight the value of HR as a strategic partner with bottom line importance. To that end, I will work tirelessly.

My promise to you is to listen to you, our members, with a mandate to grow, elevate and evolve HRPA. To figure out what’s working and bring new ideas or approaches to what isn’t. In the coming months, I will be reaching out to listen to the incredible volunteers at HRPA that power our vision and mission, from the chapters to committee members, and connecting with as many members as I can.

My focus will be to:

  • Further entrench HRPA as a regulator in the public interest
  • Increase the profile of HRPA within the industry and with the working public as a trusted institution
  • Increase importance of HR in the minds of CEOs and Business Leaders
  • Improve the value our members receive and provide members with more resources to bring to workplaces across Ontario as we define the future of work.

This is a journey – a purpose and challenge – that I am honoured and energized to accept.

Jodi Kovitz