2026 EXCELLENCE AWARDEES

Award Categories

EXCELLENCE IN DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • BDO Canada LLP
  • CIBC Mellon
  • Dentons Canada LLP
  • Horizon Health Network
  • Jazz Aviation LP
  • McCarthy Tetrault
  • Schneider Electric
  • Staples Canada
  • UPP
  • Westland Insurance

EXCELLENCE IN EMPLOYER BRANDING & TALENT ATTRACTION

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • CAE
  • GoodLife Fitness
  • IKEA Canada Limited Partnership
  • KUBRA
  • Miller Thomson LLP
  • Peel Region
  • Refrigerative Supply Limited
  • Siemens Canada Limited

EXCELLENCE IN FLEXIBLE & HYBRID WORK STRATEGY

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • BlueCat
  • iA Financial Group
  • MEC Mountain Equipment Company Ltd.
  • Miovision Technologies
  • Prophix Software
  • Purpose Unlimited
  • Syngenta Canada Inc.
  • University Pension Plan Ontario

EXCELLENCE IN HR COMMUNICATION & CHANGE STRATEGY

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Compass Group Canada
  • Definity
  • GoodLife Fitness
  • MEC Mountain Equipment Company Ltd.
  • Microserve
  • Moneris Internal Communications Team
  • Rexall Pharmacy Group Ltd.
  • Trimac Transportation
  • University Canada West
  • Yoplait Liberté Canada

EXCELLENCE IN HR SERVICE DELIVERY & SOLUTIONS

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • HR4
  • Maximus Canada
  • McLean & Company
  • Pivotal Integrated HR Solutions
  • Queen's University Industrial Relations Centre (IRC)
  • The Roundtable
  • The Talent Company
  • Thrive Career Wellness

EXCELLENCE IN HR TEAM PERFORMANCE
(500 EMPLOYEES OR MORE)

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd
  • Definity
  • Info-Tech Research Group
  • Miller Thomson LLP
  • Niagara Casinos
  • OMERS
  • Peel Region

EXCELLENCE IN HR TEAM PERFORMANCE
(FEWER THAN 500 EMPLOYEES)

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Cascadia Metals
  • Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
  • MCAN Financial
  • Microserve
  • People and Culture Team, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada
  • Peterborough Police Service
  • QM LP
  • The Calgary Airport Authority
  • Town of Grimsby
  • Yoplait Liberté Canada

EXCELLENCE IN HR TEAM PERFORMANCE
(FINANCE/INSURANCE)

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Centurion Asset Management Inc.
  • CI Financial
  • Definity
  • Fidelity Canada
  • MCAN Financial
  • Westland Insurance

EXCELLENCE IN HR TEAM PERFORMANCE
(RETAIL/HOSPITALITY)

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Compass Group Canada
  • Fairmont Royal York
  • IKEA Canada Limited Partnership
  • Lindt & Sprüngli (Canada), Inc
  • Marriott Downtown at CF Toronto Eaton Centre
  • Mississaugua Golf and Country Club
  • Niagara Casinos
  • Redberry Restaurants
  • Rexall Pharmacy Group Ltd.
  • The People team at MEC Mountain Equipment Company Ltd.

EXCELLENCE IN HR TECHNOLOGY & AI INNOVATION

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Assent Inc.
  • Interac
  • Miovision Technologies
  • Purpose Unlimited
  • Seneca Polytechnic Human Resources
  • Siemens Canada Limited
  • Symcor Inc.

EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING & CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Alectra Utilities
  • Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
  • CAA Club Group of Companies (CCG)
  • CIBC Mellon
  • Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
  • iA Financial Group
  • Siemens Canada Limited
  • William Osler Health System
  • Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd.

EXCELLENCE IN SENIOR HR LEADERSHIP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Colleen Falco - Niagara Casinos
  • David Cantagallo - Ford Motor Company
  • Jasmyn Kozlowsky - QM Environmental
  • Keri Fraser - Westland Insurance
  • Laura Salvatore - Centurion Asset Management Inc.
  • Manisha Burman - CI Financial
  • Maria Paquet - Shell Canada
  • Marli Salazar - Cisco Systems
  • Natasha Lakhani - Super.com
  • Nicola Deall - Dentalcorp
  • Tatiana Roque - Scotiabank
  • Valerie Peticca - Toronto Zoo

EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL IMPACT & CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • CAA Club Group of Companies (CCG)
  • Fill it Forward
  • Nuclear Promise X Inc. (NPX)
  • Securiguard Services Limited
  • Skyline
  • Staples Canada
  • Upper Canada Forest Products
  • Westbow Group of Companies

EXCELLENCE IN TALENT ACQUISITION STRATEGY

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Dentalcorp
  • KUBRA
  • MEC Mountain Equipment Company Ltd.
  • Peel Region
  • Prophix Software
  • Refrigerative Supply Limited
  • Salt XC
  • Securiguard Services Limited
  • Staples Canada

EXCELLENCE IN TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Fidelity Canada
  • NRT TECHNOLOGY CORP
  • OMERS
  • PCL
  • Peel Region
  • Redberry Restaurants
  • Tata Consultancy Services Canada Inc.
  • Trimac Transportation

EXCELLENCE IN TOTAL REWARDS & RECOGNITION

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • BASF
  • Bethesda Community Services Inc.
  • CAA Club Group of Companies (CCG)
  • Centurion Asset Management Inc.
  • Compass Group Canada
  • Dejero
  • Hyundai Auto Canada Corp
  • MEC Mountain Equipment Company Ltd.
  • Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
  • Refrigerative Supply Limited
  • Taproot Community Support Services

EXCELLENCE IN WORKPLACE CULTURE & EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • 4Refuel
  • Applauz Inc.
  • Calgary Humane Society
  • CIRA
  • Colliers
  • CWB Group
  • iA Financial Group
  • LifeLabs
  • Northbridge Financial Corporation
  • SaskTel
  • Yoplait Liberté Canada

THE ADP CANADA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EMERGING HR LEADERSHIP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Brendan Schwan - Health Shared Services Saskatchewan (3sHealth)
  • Cylee Wagner-Gasmo - Strategic Group
  • Jaineeka Shah - Salt XC
  • Jimena Torres - Achievers
  • Joseph Fiorino - First Student
  • Kristie Houlahan - Canada Goose
  • Nidhi Chawla - QM LP
  • Sofia Arora - Daily Bread Food Bank
  • Trisha Sharma - OPSEU/SEFPO

THE MEDCAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
IN EMPLOYEE WELLBEING STRATEGY

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Air Canada
  • CAA Club Group of Companies (CCG)
  • Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.
  • iA Financial Group
  • Medavie
  • Metrolinx
  • OMERS
  • Rexall Pharmacy Group Ltd.
  • SAP Canada
  • TransAlta
  • University of Guelph

THE O.C. TANNER AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN HR

The 2026 award recipient will be announced at the gala ceremony on October 1st.

THE SAP CANADA AWARD FOR CEO OF THE YEAR —  PEOPLE FIRST LEADERSHIP

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Adam Calvert - Gathering the Circle Society
  • Andy Taylor - City of Markham
  • Dr. Jake Tran - The Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre
  • Dr. Uwe Zachau - MTU Maintenance Canada Ltd.
  • Harold Bonazew Jr. - Arctic Beverages Group of Companies
  • Lisa Levin - AdvantAge Ontario
  • Nathalie Tanious - TravelBrands Inc.
  • Stéphane Giguère - Ottawa Community Housing
  • Sudhir Lamba - Regency Fireplace Products
  • Tom Jackson - Goodfish Lake Business Corporation
  • Warren Spitz - Upper Canada Forest Products

THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EARLY TALENT & FUTURE WORKFORCE STRATEGY

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • CI Financial
  • Fidelity Canada
  • Geotab
  • MTU Maintenance Canada
  • Starlight
  • Nuclear Promise X Inc. (NPX)
  • Ontario Energy Board
  • Salt XC
  • Siemens Canada Limited
  • Starlight
  • The Corporation of the Town of Caledon
  • Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd.

WOMAN OF DISTINCTION IN HR INDUSTRY

EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
  • Anna Chartres - Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
  • Deborah Maynard - Coast Mental Health
  • Diana Valler - TravelBrands Inc.
  • Kathleen King - Teranet Inc.
  • Kristen Stinson - Regency Fireplace Products
  • Laura Debassige - Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency
  • Mandy Middelkoop - Deloitte
  • Natalie C. MacDonald - MacDonald & Associates
  • Paloma Tonaco - Purpose Unlilmited
  • Sandra Zidaric - Ontario Medical Association
  • Sarah Tokar - Aplin