hr influencer
Tell me about your current job. What
are your main areas of responsibility?
CD: I’m privileged to be the country human
resources officer for Citi in Canada.
I have direct accountability over the organizational
capability of most of our
employees, although we have a separate
HR team for our CitiFinancial division,
with whom we work closely. We administer
all HR programs and our talent and
leadership management agenda, partnering
with the CEO and leadership team
to execute on the business strategy. We
are a department of 22 people, based in
Toronto.
What do you love about your job?
CD: First, leading my team is something I
absolutely love about my job. As my team
has grown over the years, I’ve loved my job
more. They are the reason for my success;
I love building and executing strategies
with them! We’ve gone through some significant
periods of change over the last
few years, and as an HR team we’ve remained
focused on what we need to do.
We are culture carriers – we’re aware of
that. Second, I just love this organization,
otherwise I wouldn’t have stayed here for
25 years. The time has truly flown by, and
I think that’s a reflection of how dynamic
this place is. It’s a fast-paced organization
that suits my personality just fine. It’s been
a great ride for me here.
What are the challenges you
experience in your job?
CD: The business environment has
changed over the past five or six years,
and that means the talent environment
changes as well. There are regulatory
and competitive pressures today – global
economic pressures. It’s a terrific opportunity
to reinvent ourselves and really deliver
on organizational capability. We are singularly
focused on defining our client and
product set. There is also the challenge of
engagement and retention. That’s a reflection
of the evolution of the talent profile,
and the different set of expectations presented
by the next generation. They are
pushing boundaries and challenging our
conventional ways of thinking. We need to
redefine our employee value proposition
and how it relates to our brand.
What’s key to leading HR during a
difficult time for a client organization?
CD: What I’ve tried to do with my team is
focus on our common purpose – keeping
business priorities front and centre, but
ensuring we’re caring for our employees.
We’ve had some very intentional sessions
First job: When I was 15, I worked at Second Cup – and I
remain to this day a French vanilla Second Cup fan! That
was when you didn’t have the barista title and coffee houses
weren’t as sophisticated as they are today.
Childhood ambition: I remember coming to downtown
Toronto with my parents. I’d look up at the towers and I’d say,
“One day, I’m going to be in the corner office of the top floor of
the tallest building in Toronto.” I had no idea what that meant
at the time, but I always used to “play office,” and the notion
of being at a corporate desk, with paper all around, somehow
appealed to me. So, today, I’m on the second-highest floor in
a corner office – it may not be the tallest building in Toronto,
but I’ll take it!
Best boss and why: I’ve been lucky to have great bosses;
I’ve learned from all of them. I really appreciate a boss who
has trust and openness, but is not afraid to challenge me with
new assignments and new ideas.
Current source of inspiration: My current, past and future
inspiration will always be my family – I am inspired and work to
inspire my two amazing kids. Beyond that, it’s my own team. I
feel a huge sense of loyalty to them. Every day, I want to make
this the best place to work for them.
Best piece of advice you ever got: That’s an easy one. I
will never forget it. It came at a pivotal time in my career, when
my mentor had left Citi and I was to assume her role. I felt I
could never fill her shoes. A senior Citi leader I really respected
just looked at me and said, “Jump right in.” Translation: be
fearless, believe in yourself and you can do it!
Favourite music: My kids would be horrified by this, but I
love R&B and I love dancing to it. My dad really likes classical
music, and plays his favourite classics on the piano, and I also
like to relax to that.
Last book you read: I am Malala by Christina Lamb and
Malala Yousafzai. It’s something I’ve since given to my son and
my daughter to read. I found it so extremely powerful. It wasn’t
only about how one child can change the world, but it was also
about her family and everything they went through to see their
daughter suffer and heal, and the eventual pride they felt.
How you spend your time away from work: I love entertaining
and cooking, so I always have family and friends
over. There isn’t one free weekend! I also love to play tennis.
IN A NUTSHELL
44 ❚ JULY/AUGUST 2015 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL