You’ve described your life as a blend of professional leadership, family, and community involvement. How has that shaped what you understand about leadership?
I’ve never separated leadership from the rest of my life. I often think of it as a Venn diagram where my work, my family, and my community involvement all overlap and shape who I am. My role as a mom, a wife, a daughter, and a volunteer has influenced my leadership just as much as my role as Chief People Officer. Each has taught me something different about how to support people, build trust, and help others succeed.
Parenting my two teenage daughters has probably been my greatest leadership lesson. Parenting teaches patience, resilience, how to encourage someone through difficult moments, and how to bring out the best in them. Those lessons have shaped how I lead my team and how I approach supporting others through growth and change. That focus on people extends beyond my role at work through volunteering and board service, which have broadened my perspective and reinforced the importance of giving back to the communities we serve.
Throughout my career, I’ve also been fortunate to have people who invested in me, opened doors, and created opportunities that helped me grow. That has given me a real sense of responsibility to do the same for others. Whether it’s mentoring, creating opportunities, or simply helping someone build confidence, I believe one of the most meaningful parts of leadership is helping people realize their potential.
When I look across all those experiences, the common thread is trust. People don’t follow you because of the title you hold. They follow you because they trust you, believe in you, and know you’re genuinely invested in helping them succeed.
You started your career in operational and administrative roles that were much closer to the front line. How did those experiences shape your perspective on strategy and change leadership?
Those early roles taught me one of the most important lessons of my career: strategy can look very different depending on where you’re sitting. Working on the front line, I saw that decisions made at head office often landed very differently than they were intended. It reinforced the importance of starting with the why, not just the what. If people understand why something is changing, what it means for them, and what isn’t changing, they’re much more likely to embrace it. That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career and continues to shape how I lead change today.
You also mentioned that early in your career, you often said yes to the hard, unglamorous projects that nobody else wanted. Looking back, how did those experiences shape the leader you are today?
Yes, I did develop a habit of saying yes to the projects that nobody else wanted. They were often ambiguous, under-resourced, or outside my comfort zone, but they gave me opportunities to work with new people, understand different parts of the business, and build relationships I never would have developed otherwise. Looking back, those experiences accelerated my growth far more than any promotion could have.
They also taught me to become comfortable with ambiguity. I still feel that discomfort today, whether it’s navigating AI or another unfamiliar challenge, but I’ve learned that if you’re willing to keep learning and lean on a strong network, uncertainty becomes much easier to navigate.
You’ve been intentional about working for Canadian-headquartered organizations throughout most of your career. What has driven that decision?
That was a very deliberate decision early in my career. I had worked for an American-headquartered organization, and while it was a great experience, I realized I was adapting someone else’s strategy for the Canadian market rather than helping shape it. I wanted to be where those strategic decisions were being made because that’s where you develop executive judgment and gain a deeper understanding of the business.
I’ve continued to seek out Canadian-headquartered organizations because they bring a unique level of complexity. You’re navigating multiple provinces, distinct labour markets, rural communities, bilingual obligations, and different customer needs, all of which need to be considered from the outset rather than treated as an afterthought. Being part of those conversations gave me the opportunity to contribute more meaningfully and broadened my perspective on what it takes to build strategies that work in practice.
Neighbourly Pharmacy has grown into one of Canada’s largest networks of community pharmacies since its founding in 2015, particularly in rural and underserved communities. What’s been key to that growth, and how did you build something shared across so many different pharmacies?
Independent community pharmacies are built on trusted local relationships, and preserving that was incredibly important to us. When I joined Neighbourly Pharmacy, we had roughly 250 pharmacies, each with its own culture, processes, and ways of working. The challenge wasn’t creating a new culture. It was finding a way to connect everyone while respecting what already made each pharmacy successful.
You can’t mandate culture, so instead of defining it from head office, we went to our employees. Through surveys, focus groups, and listening sessions, we asked what made their pharmacies successful, and although every location described it differently, the themes were remarkably consistent. That gave us a shared foundation that already belonged to the organization.
From there, our role was to reinforce those behaviours. We embedded them into leadership development, performance conversations, and recognition programs so they became part of how we worked every day. Because those behaviours came from our people, they felt authentic rather than imposed. As we’ve continued to grow through acquisition, that approach has allowed us to preserve the identity of each pharmacy while building a shared culture across the organization, and I believe that’s one of the reasons Neighbourly was recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures.
You’ve spoken about HR shifting from a purely administrative function into one that shapes business strategy. What drove that shift, and what separates strategic people leaders from more traditional HR executives?
When I started my career, HR was largely viewed as an administrative function. We handled policies, payroll, hiring, and employee relations, but we weren’t always part of the conversations shaping the business. Over time, that began to change as organizations recognized that every strategic priority ultimately depends on people. Whether you’re growing through acquisition, navigating change, or responding to new technologies like AI, success ultimately comes down to whether your people are ready and able to adapt.
I think what separates strategic people leaders today is business acumen. It’s not enough to understand HR. You need to understand how the organization operates, how it creates value, and what challenges leaders are trying to solve. Once you understand that, people decisions become business decisions. You’re no longer reporting turnover or engagement for the sake of reporting. You’re helping leaders understand what those metrics mean for performance, growth, and long-term success.
AI is a good example of that shift. The technology itself is important, but the bigger challenge is helping people adopt it with confidence. That means communicating openly, building capability, and helping teams understand how these tools can enhance their work rather than replace it. I see that as a leadership responsibility just as much as an HR responsibility.
For anyone looking to build that kind of influence, my advice is to spend time where the business happens. Visit the front line, understand the financials, and learn what matters to your operational leaders. The stronger your understanding of the business, the more valuable your perspective becomes.
Level5’s Women In Strategy initiative exists partly to challenge the idea that women are doers rather than strategic thinkers. Have you experienced that bias, and what leadership qualities do you think women often bring as a result?
I have. Early in my career, I noticed that while HR was predominantly made up of women, many of the leadership roles were held by men. Women were often being recognized for being reliable executors, while men were more readily associated with strategic leadership. That observation stayed with me throughout my career.
While these qualities certainly aren’t exclusive to women, I do think many women develop strengths that are increasingly important in today’s leadership environment. The ability to bring people together around a shared vision, influence without formal authority, and navigate complexity with empathy are all qualities I’ve seen make leaders more effective, particularly during periods of change.
I also think many women become skilled at balancing competing priorities and seeing issues from multiple perspectives. Whether those experiences come from work, family, or community, they often strengthen judgment and adaptability. As organizations become more complex, those qualities aren’t just valuable leadership skills, they’re strategic ones.
What advice do you have for women who are working toward executive roles and want to build strategic influence?
Throughout my career, I’ve learned that growth comes from being curious and being willing to step into opportunities that stretch you. Some of the most valuable experiences I’ve had came from saying yes to projects that felt unfamiliar or outside my comfort zone. Those experiences helped me build confidence, broaden my perspective, and prepared me for opportunities I couldn’t have anticipated.
I’d also encourage emerging leaders to spend time understanding the business, not just their own function. Build relationships across the organization, ask questions, and seek out different perspectives. The more you understand how decisions are made and how your work contributes to the bigger picture, the more impact you’ll have as a leader.
Finally, don’t spend your career trying to be liked, focus on being trusted and respected. Trust is built through integrity, consistency, and following through on your commitments. Respect comes from making thoughtful decisions, treating people well, and having the courage to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult.
Every meaningful opportunity I’ve had came because someone trusted me enough to open a door or invest in my potential. As your own career progresses, look for opportunities to do the same for others. Whether it’s mentoring someone, advocating for them, or giving them a chance to take on a stretch opportunity, those moments can shape a career. I think that’s one of the most meaningful responsibilities we have as leaders.
