WITI's Influential Women Series - Sussannah Kelly

Sussannah Kelly serves as Executive Vice President in DHR's Toronto office. Prior to joining DHR International, Ms. Kelly was Managing Director at Boyden global executive search and a co-owner of the Toronto, Central and Eastern Canada practice.

With over 20 years as a senior leader, Ms. Kelly brings an executive perspective to every assignment she handles. Most recently, Ms. Kelly was Senior Vice President of Human Resources with MDS Proteomics. She has held similar roles with Merisel (U.S. and Canada), NCR Canada, Rogers Communications, Amdahl, Bank of Montreal, Lloyd's Bank, Transamerica, Johnson & Johnson (Ortho Pharmaceutical), etc. As Senior Vice President, Corporate Human Resources at Rogers Telecommunications, she led and managed the integration of 6,000 employees for three companies into an existing base of 8,000. For an 18-month period, Ms. Kelly worked with a well-known Toronto-based search practitioner and developed a multi-faceted practice reflecting her deep experience in talent management and acquisition. She also worked with Price Waterhouse conducting operational audits and senior executive search assignments.

Ms. Kelly developed a Human Resources function for a high technology company that received Toronto Life's "Top 10 Employers in Toronto" Award and The Vision Award from the Federal Government for Employment Equity. She presently sponsors the Toronto Senior Human Resources Forum and the Toronto CEO Forum with 25 members.

Ms. Kelly is a popular keynote speaker at conferences in Canada and the United States, speaking on topics such as Cultural Alignment, Employee Empowerment, Employee Diversity, and Effective Cultural Transformation. She is a founding member of the Human Resources Software Council of Canada, and sits on the Board of The Toronto Human Resources Professional Association and Nightwood Theatre (devoted exclusively for Women in the Arts). She is a current member of INNET and IWF (International Women's Forum); a past member of the Conference Board of Canada and Information Technology Association of Canada; and a past board member of the Ontario Breast Cancer foundation, West Park Board of Governors, and The Royal Ontario Museum Foundation.

Her qualifications include an Executive Management Diploma from Stanford University, California; a Bachelor of Arts and Secondary Teachers Certificate, Rollins College and Crosby Quality College; and she is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP).

Meet Sussannah at the WITI Toronto event tomorrow night!

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.