How I Lead Change

In our newest episode of "How I Lead Change," we sat down with Andrea Wood, the EVP and Chief Legal & Governance Officer at TELUS—a leading Canadian telecommunications company that connects millions of people across Canada and around the world. From law, leadership, telecom to tech, Andrea shares her incredible journey of navigating change with curiosity, courage, and AI.www.pragilis.com

In this episode of the “How I Lead Change” podcast, we are happy to have the Chief People Officer of Wajax, Mark Edgar.  Mark shares his "people-first" leadership approach and insights on driving organizational change. He also highlights the role of HR in fostering cultural transformation, adapting to workplace challenges, and supporting employee well-being.Mark leads with a people-first approach that earned Wajax a Platinum certification in Healthy Workplace and Mental Health from Excellence Canada. Beyond Wajax, he co-founded Future FoHRward, a community advancing innovative HR strategies for impactful work practices.www.pragilis.com

In this episode of the “How I Lead Change” podcast, Shakira Naraine, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)'s Chief People Officer, shares her strategy for leading change by focusing on workforce stability, employee engagement, and strong union partnerships. Her people-first approach has improved organizational communication and cooperation, supporting smoother labor negotiations and a unified culture. She advises leaders to pursue big visions through small, consistent steps, with a focus on listening and clear communication.With over 20 years of HR leadership, Shakira's expertise lies in labor relations, and managing major government transformation initiatives. She trained public servants across Canada in Strategic Leadership and HR management at the Canada School of Public Service for thirteen years. Shakira believes that a healthy workplace, strong labor-management relations, continuous learning, and effective HR practices are essential for long-term organizational success. www.pragilis.com

In this episode of the “How I Lead Change” podcast, Kim Carter, the Chief People Officer for Altus Group, takes us on a discussion about the importance of clear communication during change and why it is important to know your "why" when undergoing change. Kim brings over two decades of executive Human Resources experience that built highly effective teams that support profitable growth in transforming companies. She has proven experience creating inclusive environments that attract and retain top industry talent. In 2023, Kim was recognized by DiversityCan Magazine as one of the Top 10 Chief Human Resources and Chief People Officers for her efforts in implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Under her leadership, Altus Group was named one of Built In's Top 100 Places to Work in 2024.www.pragilis.com

In this episode of the “How I Lead Change” podcast, Gavin Wood, the former Chief Information Officer of Newcrest Mining, shares his experience leading IT and digital transformations at Newcrest. He discusses how he focused on building a strong team culture and delivering valuable projects that enhanced the company's IT and digital capabilities.Gavin is a commercial leader with a proven track record of driving transformational technology change and delivering measurable benefits. With his 11 years at Newcrest, Gavin ensured the efficiency of the company's IT and digital capabilities -- delivering projects that added significant value to the company. www.pragilis.com

We are excited to introduce Eowynne Noble, the Chief People Officer at Fasken, Canada's largest law firm, which has more than 2,000 employees and operates in 10 offices across three continents.Eowynne talks about the important factors driving change in her firm, like employee well-being, AI adoption, sustainable economy and talent competition. She's leading change by prioritizing the development of people within the firm. www.pragilis.com

Get ready to hear from an amazing guest in this episode! We're thrilled to introduce Synthia Kloot, the Chief Operating Officer at Clark Wilson LLP, a Vancouver-based law firm that provides top-notch legal services to clients across various industries such as technology and real estate in British Columbia.Synthia is a true trailblazer who has brought change to many sectors including real estate, banking, distribution and logistics, financial audit and controls, and IT consulting. Her outstanding achievements have earned her a plethora of awards and recognitions, such as being named one of Canada's Best Executives in 2021 by the Globe & Mail's Report on Business magazine. And that's not all! In 2020, she was also bestowed with the prestigious Wendy McDonald Diversity Champion Award by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.Trust us, you won't want to miss this episode!

Our guest is Helen Sheridan, Chief Human Resource Officer at STEMCELL, the largest biotech company in Canada. Helen is renowned for creating human-centered organizational cultures that drive exceptional business results and growth. In this episode, she shares her experience of leading human-centric changes.

Graham Talbot is a seasoned CFO with over 25 years of experience in the energy sector. He has held senior leadership roles in Europe, Australia, and the Middle East, including positions in Abu Dhabi Power Corporation, Maersk Energy, and Maersk Oil. Prior to that, he worked for Shell in senior international finance roles. Most recently, he was the CFO of Seaspan and Atlas Corporation, overseeing the financial performance of a fleet of over 130 containerships.In this episode, Graham shares his change leadership experience and the critical ingredients for leading successful change initiatives.

Kate Parker, Vice President, People at Technical Safety BC, shares successful strategies for leading organizational change and cultivating a proactive, agile, accountable, and integrated workforce of over 400 employees.Technical Safety BC is an independent organization that oversees the safe installation and operation of technical systems and equipment in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. In addition to issuing permits, licenses, and certificates, they work with the industry to reduce safety risks through assessment, education, outreach, enforcement, and research.

In this episode, we're joined by Radha Curpen, Vancouver Managing Partner and National Leader at Bennett Jones. Radha also co-heads the firm's Environmental Law practice, and with over 30 years of legal and advisory experience, she specializes in providing strategic counsel to clients related to the environment, First Nations, wider ESG matters, gender equity issues, and the handling, transportation, and remediation of hazardous materials. Radha has served on numerous corporate, non-profit, and governmental Boards of Directors, co-authored scholarly work on Indigenous Rights for the American Bar Association, and serves on the Board of Governors of the Business Council of British Columbia and as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Radha shares in this episode her strategies for leading change with her clients and stakeholders within the context of the legal profession and the need to address ESG matters. Tune in to hear more about Radha and her tips for leading and adapting to change successfully in a constantly changing business world.  

As SFU's Associate Vice-President, External Relations, Sobhana Jaya-Madhavan liaises with communities to help facilitate inclusion and reconciliation initiatives. Born in Malaysia and raised in India, Sobhana immigrated to Canada in 1995 and has worked in the government, private and non-profit sectors for over two decades. In 2015, Sobhana was nominated for the BC Medal of Good Citizenship award, which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the well-being of their communities.In this episode, Sobhana discusses how she engages with diverse internal and external partners, students, international/national/provincial/local agencies and diverse communities to strengthen strategic relationships and lead systemic change. Tune in to hear Sobhana's inspiring story as a leader in equity, diversity and inclusion.

Bryan Cox is the leading voice and advocate for the LNG industry in Canada. Bryan leads a team actively working with governments, business leaders, Indigenous leaders, communities, and the broader public to realize the opportunity to build a world-leading LNG industry for the benefit of all Canadians. Bryan says, 'I think the pandemic has really driven a lot of people into their corners. And what I think we need to do and where change leaders really need to operate right now is in providing the space for people ... to come out of their corners and engage again as human beings ... We are not rallying around things. We're not uniting around things. And I think we can lament that or we can look for space to find the congruence, the resonance and the harmony that everyone shares.' Tune in to hear more from Bryan and his perspectives on leading change.

Leading an organization of more than 25,000 medical and non-medical staff, Kathy MacNeil at the helm of Island Health shares her perspectives on leading change. Kathy says, 'that change happens through relationships and so sometimes it takes more time than we may believe it needs to take as it takes that time to build trust.' Kathy talks about the power of recognition, building relationships and trust to win the hearts and minds of people.

In this episode, we are honoured to have Dr. Siddall as our guest. Dr. Siddall discusses:How one of the leading art universities in Canada used creativity to transform the university during the pandemic.The university's role in recognizing and addressing systemic racism, social injustice and other social inequities.How to lead change collaboratively in higher education.

In this episode, we're thrilled to be joined by Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR). We know the challenges that the aviation industry has experienced globally and the critical role that airports play in maintaining the supply chains. Tamara took on the challenge of leading YVR just as the pandemic was starting. Tamara shares with us her experiences and story of leading people at YVR through unprecedented changes brought on by the pandemic and climate change.

As Saskatchewan Blue Cross celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, Shelley shares with us how she is leading technological change to take member experience to the next level using empathy, purpose, listening to understand and engaging people.

In this episode, Mayor Nenshi shares how he led Calgary as a mayor over the last ten years. You'll hear about the steps Calgary is taking to improve its resilience—be it economic, environmental, social or otherwise. Mayor Nenshi shares his strategies for helping people (both city staff citizens) adapt to change and what's different about leading change in a government setting. And, you'll hear why he wears purple every single day! 

How I Lead Change: COVID-19 Special EditionIn this episode, you'll hear from Kevin Desmond, CEO at Translink—the statutory authority responsible for the regional transportation network of Metro Vancouver.You'll hear how Kevin's led through the disruption caused by #COVID19, how he galvanized his workforce and external stakeholders around a mission, and his antidote to change inertia in public sector environments.

How I Lead Change: COVID-19 Special EditionIn this special series of the podcast, our guest is Andrew Petter, President and Vice-Chancellor at Simon Fraser University—a university that ranks number one globally for its impact on sustainable cities and communities. Andrew shares how COVID-19 has impacted SFU, how their commitment to their social purpose continues to hold true, and how they use sensemaking (vs command-and-control) to build awareness and understanding of change across the university.

How I Lead Change: COVID-19 Special EditionContinuing with our special series of the podcast, our next guest is Larry Rodo, President and CEO at 4Refuel. The 25-year-old company is no stranger to crisis, having been through the blackouts in Ontario, the wildfires in Fort McMurray and Hurricane Irma in the US.Larry shares how 4Refuel has been impacted by COVID-19, how their contactless service played a particular advantage, and how they remove their employee's anxiety by keeping them informed and aware of developments.

How I Lead Change: COVID-19 Special EditionRoger shares how FortisBC has been impacted as a critical infrastructure service provider, how purpose and pride have played a role in their success, and how they accelerate decision-making by leading with their values.

How I Lead Change: COVID-19 Special Edition. Santa shares how UBC has been impacted by COVID-19, how they quickly transitioned to online learning, and how they look after the health and wellbeing of their faculty, staff and students. One of the most unique ways they're staying connected with their music students is virtual concerts called #SongsofComfort—so inspiring!

How I Lead Change: COVID-19 Special Edition. The first guest of this special series is Ryan Donovan, Chief Technology Officer at Hootsuite. Ryan will share how Hootsuite's global business has been impacted by COVID-19, how they bridge the digital divide in their workforce, and how they help brighten up their online meetings. (hint: it involves farm animals!)

Kelly-Ann shares change leadership insights from SMS Equipment - a heavy equipment dealer and one of the largest Komatsu dealers in the world with a network of business centres across Canada and Alaska. 

Marni shares valuable lessons from leading change at BlueShore Financial. This financial institution offers a wide range of banking, borrowing, wealth management, insurance and business solutions based out of North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Sarah talks about how she leads the people-side of change at Coast Capital Savings. Coast Capital is the largest credit union in Canada by membership, the first from B.C. to be approved to operate as a federal credit union, and only the second in Canada.

How I Lead Change is a global podcast for executives who are excited about change, not afraid. They need no convincing that change is human-centered. They "get it"—that change takes planning, effort and time. Each month you'll hear eye-opening interviews from your peers, as well as smart, actionable advice to implement change smoothly in your organization.