contributors
PETER ISRAEL
With more than 39 years of experience practicing Employment and Labour Law, Peter Israel has acted
as counsel to both employees and public and private sector employers in healthcare, cosmetics, man-ufacturing,
retail, broadcast, high technology, financial services, insurance and transportation matters.
Among his many accolades and credentials, Israel has been repeatedly named one of Canada’s most fre-quently
recommended employment lawyers by The Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory every year
since 1998 and listed in the American Lawyer Media’s Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada.
Israel is the founding partner of Israel Foulon LLP. Read the article he wrote on the ten mistakes medi-ators
should avoid, starting on page 11.
CHRIS BRUCE
Chris Bruce is the co-founder and managing director of Thomsons Online Benefits, a global bene-fits
management and employee engagement software company that also provides consultancy services
related to rewards, workplace pensions and employee benefit programs. He has been in the benefits
industry for more than 20 years. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for all things Darwin,
his main focus is on the development of new markets and engagement with global clients. He loves meet-ing
with CHROs and reward leaders to support them in staying one step ahead of the rapidly changing
benefits landscape. Read his article on how focusing on individual employee needs will boost retention,
starting on page 23.
BILL ROSS
Bill Ross is the founder of Vercerta, a risk-management consulting practice. His clients include provincial
governments, regulatory agencies, engineering organizations and key players in resources, telecommu-nications
and renewable energy. Ross is a former executive of Enbridge, Unilever and Grainger. He sits
on the Board of Directors of Nature Canada – the oldest nature conservation charity in the country –
Dillon Consulting – a leading design and planning consulting organization – and is a member of the
Board of GreenCentre Canada – a research organization that brings emerging green-chemistry tech-nologies
to market. His article on performing a risk assessment and determining how much to invest in
cybersecurity begins on page 25.
VIVIAN FARRIS
Vivian Farris is the VP people at Benevity. Farris is a business-minded people leader who has defined
innovative people programs and shaped compelling company cultures in the stock image, creative agency
and new venture fields. Her work has shepherded companies from their early stages through to growth
and maturity. Farris has also devoted her HR expertise to charities focused on women and children and
has set up workplace team-building events devoted to worthy causes – including Habitat for Humanity,
Ronald McDonald House and the Calgary Food Bank. Her article, with suggestions on how to boost
employee engagement, starts on page 27.
2 ❚ AUGUST 2018 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL