HRP: What was your first HR job?
CJ: I started as a retail management trainee, and in my second year
I was seconded into the area-training department. That’s when I
got my first taste of training and development. A couple of years
later, I moved into management development training, and then
progressed into human resources management.
HRP: Describe your current job.
CJ: I have recently been given the opportunity to step outside
of HR for the second time in my career. I have just taken on the
role of head of operations for the Novozymes Canada location
in Ottawa. My career may still end in consulting (as I approach
retirement), but for now I am leading a team of managers respon-sible
for production operations, process engineering, maintenance
and quality assurance.
HRP: What do you love about your job?
CJ: The job is all about leading a group of talented and very techni-cally
skilled individuals. It is about teamwork and communication
and effective management. I actually enjoy managing and leading
teams to get the most out of them. Finally, it’s about directly im-pacting
the bottom line of the company, and I have always enjoyed
being a business-focused HR partner.
■■ First (full-time) job: Newspaper delivery boy.
■■ Childhood ambition: To learn to fly a plane (I got my private pilot’s licence in 2001).
■■ Best boss: Liam Nagle (now CEO of SISK Group in Ireland). I worked with Liam at Nortel. He
was the first boss to really involve me as a trusted advisor; he taught me the value and importance of
employee communication. He was an inspirational leader who cared about his employees but was
not afraid to make tough decisions.
■■ Best piece of advice I ever got: Not to forget the importance of family (also from Liam).
■■ Favourite music: Pulse (Pink Floyd).
■■ Last book I read: Corky Bonner by John Tomashek ( John is a former employee who signed my copy
with the words…“If you hadn’t fired me, this book may never have been written.” We still keep in
touch.)
■■ Time away from work: Mainly spent cycling (I have done the Rideau Lakes Tour five times), and
travelling back to Europe.
IN A NUTSHELL
ActiveSteve/Flickr
“THE ROAD TO A SUCCESSFUL
CAREER IS NEVER
STRAIGHTFORWARD.”
– CHRIS JUDGE, SHRP
58 ❚ JULY/AUGUST 2014 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL