Governance

CPHR BC & Yukon, a non-profit association, is a democratic organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors elected by the membership.

CPHR BC & Yukon believes in being transparent with both the public and our members. Please feel free to review our Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements 2024 or our Bylaws.

Board of Directors

James D. Kondopulos, CPHR, Chair

Chair

James D. Kondopulos, CPHR is a founding member and partner* of Roper Greyell LLP, a Vancouver-based employment and labour law boutique with over 50 lawyers who practise exclusively in the area of workplace law. He has represented employers and senior employees before all levels of court and a wide range of workplace-related administrative tribunals in British Columbia. He is frequently recommended as a strong advocate who provides capable representation and pragmatic advice. James was named one of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40 in 2013. He is a Chambers-ranked lawyer and has been repeatedly recognized as a leading lawyer in employment and labour law by Best Lawyers, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Who’s Who Legal. James spends most of his time outside work with his wife and their three children. He is a past board member of the children’s charity, Make-A-Wish BC & Yukon.

Jacquie Griffiths, CPHR, Vice-Chair

Vice-Chair

Jacquie joined Invest Vancouver as the Executive Vice President in 2021 and has worked with Metro Vancouver since 2014. In her current role she leads the three functional teams who are delivering economic development services to the Metro Vancouver region. In her previous roles she has led teams providing human resources strategy services. She has also worked in the mining, banking and education sectors. Jacquie served three terms as a Referee for the Employment Insurance Commission of Canada and was recognized as one of Business in Vancouver's "40 Under Forty". Jacquie holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia as well as a Master of Arts from Royal Roads University. Jacquie has served on a number of not-for-profit boards and is currently a Board Director for the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources BC and Yukon.

Naz Kullar, CPHR, Past Chair

Past Chair

Naz Kullar joined the Insurance Council in 2023 as Director People & Culture. She is responsible for the planning and implementation of people practices that support the direction and strategic goals of the Insurance Council. She has oversight of the following areas: employee engagement, organizational culture, total compensation, talent acquisition, performance management, succession planning, employee relations, health & safety/wellness and training and development programs. With a passion for people and helping others, Naz launched into her career as an HR professional after graduating from University with a degree in Psychology. She has worked for a variety of industries in the UK and Canada including healthcare, retail, professional services, and the financial services sector. A member of the CHPR since 1998, Naz currently participates as a member of the Board of Directors for CPHR BC & Yukon and currently serves as the Past Chair. She has participated in the CPHR mentoring program for over 10 years and has contributed as a speaker on various topics at the CPHR conference and CHRO events in BC.

Anthony Ariganello, CM, FCPHR

Mr. Ariganello is currently the President and CEO of the Chartered Professionals of Human Resources (CPHR) of BC, and the Yukon, and CPHR Canada. Prior to this, he was the President and CEO of CGA (Certified General Accountant’s) Canada. Mr. Ariganello was a key leader in the merger of the 3 accounting bodies into CPA. Prior to CGA Canada, Mr. Ariganello was also the President of Avon Canada, the world’s largest direct seller. An Order of Canada recipient, and holding the ICD director designation, Mr. Ariganello serves as Chair of the Board of Re:Sound, a Canadian music licensing company, that obtains fair compensation for artists and record labels. He is also a board director of Spinal Cord Injury B.C., and is also an audit, and governance committee member. Mr. Ariganello also sits on the World Federation of People Management Association as Past President and has served as Chair of the Audit Council for Local Government supporting the Auditor General for Local Government for the province of BC. In addition, Mr. Ariganello completed his term on the board of the BC Real Estate Association as a director and member of the audit committee. While at Avon, Mr. Ariganello was chair of the Direct Sellers Association of Canada and a member of the board of the Canadian Cosmetic Toiletries and Fragrance Association; and Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association of Canada. Additionally, he served on Canada’s National Council of Financial Executives. He also sat on the advisory panel to the Comptroller General of Canada. Mr. Ariganello has significant experience in people management having led large organizations, like Avon ( + 1000 personnel), with full operations responsibility, pursuing re-structuring plans, mergers, and ensuring the human capital aspect of all these exercises was always front and center, a priority. Mr. Ariganello also consults on good governance practices, particularly with not for profit boards, and on a wide array of operational issues. Mr. Ariganello is a graduate of McGill University and holds the following designations: Fellow CPA (Canada), Fellow CGA, Fellow CCA (UK), CPA (Delaware), FCPHR, SHRM (SCP) and ICD.D.

Giselle Blackman, CPHR

Giselle is an award-winning, certified Human Resources Executive and currently serves as Vice President, People & Culture at Fit-Foods Ltd, a global protein supplement manufacturer. She leverages her strategic insight and passion for culture to drive organizational performance. She holds an Executive MBA and BA from Simon Fraser University, plus diplomas in Arts and Human Resources. Her career spans leadership roles across Financial Services, Real Estate, Manufacturing, and Consumer Products, including leading HR for TransLink’s Olympic Project Team during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Giselle’s expertise includes HR strategy, talent development, DEI, wellness, payroll, labour and employee relations. She is active in community leadership—volunteering with CPHR BC & Yukon, serving as a Board Member for The Cultch, and Co-Chairing the Diversity Leadership Council for the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Outside of work, Giselle is devoted to her family, a foodie, and is passionate about giving back to her community.

Gordon Chan

Gordon is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and has been in Public Practice for over thirty seven years. He is currently the senior partner of Chan Choi & Company, a Public Practice accounting firm in Victoria. Gordon enjoys working with small and medium sized business owners in accounting, taxation, business and management consulting and provides consulting in starting up and selling businesses. He currently served as a member of the Accounting Policy Advisory Committee for the Province of BC since 2009. In addition, he serves on three strata councils as the Treasurer or President. Previous board experience includes CGA BC and CGA Canada Board from 1992-2000. He served as President of CGA BC in 1998. In addition, Gordon have served on more than 40 committees, advisory groups and task forces for CGA BC and CGA Canada from 1985-2014.

Louise Cook, CPHR

Louise Cook is the Vice President, Human Resources at Creative Energy, a community energy company which designs, builds, owns, operates and maintains low carbon district energy systems, with offices in Canada and the US. She is an accomplished leader, with over 30 years of generalist expertise in human resources, in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in both unionized and non-unionized environments. Louise has also led [lead] teams in operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. She possesses expert knowledge of developing and managing strategic and operational HR programs and services, including strategic talent acquisition, performance success, compensation and total rewards, leadership and organizational development, health and wellness, learning and development, change management, employee engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is passionate about supporting people to achieve performance excellence and creating cultures in which people feel engaged, valued and inspired to deliver their very best. Louise has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Language and Literature from the University or Reading, U.K., a postgraduate diploma in Human Resources from the Manchester Metropolitan University, an Award of Achievement in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion from the University of British Columbia, holds the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation and is a Coaches Training Institute certified coach. She is a former Director of the Vancouver Chapter of the International Coach Federation.

Gil Davidson

Gil Davidson, B.Bus.Sci (Hons), CPCC, PCC, calls beautiful Kelowna, BC her home from where she leads Advantage Management Consulting, a national leadership development company, as Founder and CEO.

With over 20 years of experience across six countries, she helps leaders and teams improve alignment, accountability, and performance. Gil partners with organizations to tackle complex leadership and team challenges, using practical, results-driven strategies that create lasting change. Her direct, insightful coaching approach fosters trust, collaboration, and a strong leadership presence—empowering clients to focus on what matters most. As a long time member of CPHR BC & Yukon, Gil served in many roles before joining the board, including advisory committees, the mentorship program and the Strategic HR Forum. Joining the board continues her commitment to supporting the advancement of the HR profession through leadership and peer learning. Beyond her professional work, Gil is an avid traveler, mountain bike rider, and family enthusiast who brings vitality and purpose into everything she does.

Michele Matthews, CPHR

Michele Matthews has been a key contributor to the success of Canada’s leading haircare manufacturer, AG Care, an organization recognized for their global brand and being one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies. As Chief Operating Officer, Michele is responsible for helping to set the strategic direction of the company, and enhancing performance by aligning leadership, business strategy and culture. Her scope includes leading Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, IT and People & Culture functions. Michele fosters a dynamic company culture that inspires innovation and promotes supportive practices aligned with AG’s values. She is a purpose-driven leader who drives business results and organizational effectiveness through connection, development and care at AG. Michele is a Certified Executive Coach (Royal Roads University), holds a CPHR designation, and is a graduate of BCIT in Human Resources Management. In 2021, Michele was nominated for a YWCA Women of Distinction Award and is currently a Board Director for the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Michele and her husband Glenn were both raised in North Vancouver, and along with their 2 daughters are proud to call it home.

Michelle Precourt, CPHR

Michelle Precourt, CPHR, a proud Red River Métis woman, is the CEO and Principal Consultant of Mindful HR Services Inc. In addition to her experience supporting small to medium businesses with HR on retainer services, workplace wellness initiatives, and career development programs, Michelle brings 15+ years of corporate HR and operations experience in strategic workforce planning, talent acquisition, labour relations, and performance management. Michelle originally earned her CPHR designation in Manitoba, maintained it through HRPA in Ontario, and proudly transferred it to CPHR BC & Yukon upon relocating to the Lower Mainland in 2020. She brings governance experience serving as a board of director for the Sea to Sky Hospice Society and continues to volunteer with community events. Michelle lives in Squamish, BC and when she is not working, she enjoys cooking with her husband, and on most weekends you will find them hiking in the woods with their rescue dog.

Caroline Schein, CPHR

Caroline has over 30 years of leadership experience. She is skilled at connecting the dots between strategy, people, processes, and execution, and has earned a reputation for building strong people and culture practices across industries and geographies. Caroline is currently Chief People and Culture Officer and is on the Board of Directors at Odlum Brown. As a member of Odlum Brown's Senior Leadership Team, she is responsible for directing all aspects of the firm’s people and culture initiatives and programs to support the overall business strategy. Caroline has a PhD and MA in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University. She has an MBA specializing in leadership from Royal Roads University. She is a certified leadership coach, holds the CPHR and ICD.D designations.

Roger Wheeler, CPHR

Roger is a professor in the School of Business at Okanagan College in Kelowna, BC. He specializes in HR strategy, sustainable management, HR metrics/analytics, and quantitative decision-making. Roger joined Okanagan College after 15 years in government, insurance, and healthcare in Ontario and BC, where he held a variety of consultant, manager, administrator and director roles focused on workplace health, organizational development, public health, and strategic corporate services. Roger holds a Master of Science from Queen’s University and a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University, and he has audited the Master of Data Science program at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. His previous board and committee work includes Treasurer of the Public Health Association of BC, and the Federal/Provincial Policy Committee of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. Roger has been invited to present at international, national, and provincial conferences, and has also appeared in PeopleTalk and a variety of CPHR roundtables and panel discussions.

Policies

CPHR BC & Yukon has established polices to maintain high standards as an association and a responsible member of the community.

AI Chatbot Policy

At CPHR BC & Yukon we utilize an AI chatbot to enhance user experience and provide efficient customer support for our members and non-members. This AI chatbot policy outlines our principles and guidelines governing the use of the chatbot on our website.

1. Purpose

The AI chatbot is deployed to assist our members and non-members with inquiries, provide information, and facilitate interactions on our website. It is designed to improve user engagement and streamline customer service processes.

2. Transparency

We are committed to transparency in how the AI chatbot operates. Users will be informed that they are interacting with an AI-powered system, and we will provide clear explanations of the chatbot’s capabilities, limitations, and purpose.

3. Data Privacy and Security

Protecting user privacy and data security is paramount. The AI chatbot will only collect and process user data necessary to fulfill its intended functions. User data will be handled in accordance with our privacy policy, and appropriate measures will be implemented to safeguard against unauthorized access or misuse.

4. User Consent

Users will be given the opportunity to consent to interact with the AI chatbot. They will also have the option to opt out of using the chatbot and seek assistance through alternative channels if preferred.

5. Fairness and Bias Mitigation

We will actively monitor the AI chatbot for biases and ensure that it provides fair and equitable responses to all users. Measures will be taken to mitigate any biases that may arise in the chatbot’s algorithms or training data.

6. Accuracy and Reliability

We are committed to ensuring that the AI chatbot provides accurate and reliable information to users. Regular testing and quality assurance processes will be conducted to maintain the chatbot’s performance and effectiveness.

7. User Support

In cases where the AI chatbot is unable to adequately address a user’s inquiry or issue, users will be provided with alternative means of support, such as live chat with a CPHR BC & Yukon staff member (during business hours) or access to additional resources.

8. Continuous Improvement

We will continuously evaluate and improve the AI chatbot based on user feedback, technological advancements, and evolving best practices. Updates and enhancements will be made to improve the chatbot’s functionality and user experience.

9. Ethical Considerations

We will consider the ethical implications of the AI chatbot’s interactions with users and its potential impact on society. The chatbot will be designed and deployed in a manner that upholds ethical principles, respects user autonomy, and promotes positive user experiences.

Conclusion

This AI chatbot policy reflects our commitment to responsible and ethical use of AI technology at CPHR BC & Yukon. By adhering to these principles and guidelines, we aim to build trust with our members and non-members and deliver valuable services through our AI chatbot.

CPHR BC & Yukon reserves the right to update this AI chatbot policy as needed. Last updated: May 13, 2024.

Alcohol Policy

The Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of British Columbia and Yukon CPHR BC & Yukon opposes the operation of a vehicle (or engaging in other inherently dangerous activities) while impaired. The objective of this policy is to establish a protocol for the responsible consumption of alcohol at CPHR BC & Yukon events.

Conditions of Attendance

Members (and other guests) are invited to CPHR BC & Yukon events on the condition of their acceptance that they must:

accept responsibility for their own alcohol consumption;
moderate their intake of alcohol;
co-operate with CPHR BC & Yukon’s efforts to ensure their safety.

CPHR BC & Yukon reserves the right to ban from future events any member (or other guests) who ignore, or fail to comply with, these conditions of attendance.

Event Management

At all CPHR BC & Yukon events at which alcohol is served, CPHR BC & Yukon will make reasonable efforts to:

remind the attendees of this policy and of their obligations as guests of CPHR BC & Yukon;
provide a selection of non-alcoholic beverages as alternatives to alcoholic beverages;
prevent an attendee who shows outward signs of impairment from continuing to consume alcohol;
appoint a designated driver or provide alternate means of transportation to attendees who show outward signs of impairment;
prevent an attendee who shows outward signs of impairment from leaving the event unaccompanied;
document, immediately following the event, any actions which a CPHR BC & Yukon staff member or volunteer takes in response to dealing with an impaired event attendee.

Conduct Disclaimer for Events and Roundtables Policy

CPHR BC & Yukon wishes to create a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all. Please remember that while participating in an event, whether online or in person, Association members have the duty to conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner and are expected to abide by the CPHR BC & Yukon Professional Rules of Conduct in both verbal and written comments. We reserve the right to remove, or edit any content, that we in our sole discretion consider harmful, offensive, unprofessional or disruptive. Any behavior deemed offensive could result in a participant being muted or removed from the session, may affect their ability to attend future events, and in certain cases, CPHR BC & Yukon membership discipline procedures may be initiated.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Policy

Committee Recruitment

CPHR BC & Yukon values diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and we are attuned to the strength and value that DEI brings to our Association. In an effort to effectively represent our membership, and encourage diverse perspectives, CPHR BC & Yukon is committed to being inclusive at all levels, including Board of Directors, and on our volunteer committee. Because of this, we invite and encourage participation from people of all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, abilities, religions, and sexual orientation to apply. We suggest that you to indicate voluntarily if you belong to a traditionally marginalized group when applying.

Speaker/Presenter Call-outs

CPHR BC & Yukon values diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and we are attuned to the strength and value that DEI brings to our Association at all levels. We are committed to developing and curating events that are inclusive and accessible. We work to include a wide variety of viewpoints and experiences by being intentionally inclusive with our call-outs for speakers, sponsors and volunteers. It is very important that we create events that are inclusive of all people, especially those from communities that have been traditionally marginalized. We invite participation from speakers and presenters of all ethnicities, genders, ages, abilities, religions, and sexual orientations and encourage those interested in speaking to share any relevant information about lived experience or background within the speaker proposal.

Privacy Information Policy

We respect the privacy of every individual who visits our website. We take great measures to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of any personal information on this site.

Web Privacy

When you visit our website, our web server automatically collects a limited amount of information essential for the operation and security of our website. Some of this information, such as your browser type, does not identify who you are, while other information, such as your Internet domain name or IP address, may identify you. We also collect information on user sessions to compile reports on the use of our website. These reports are statistical in nature and do not identify or profile individual users.

Some sections of this website may distribute small pieces of information (called “cookies”) to web browsers to assist you when you return to specific areas on the site. If you have concerns about this, you can change your web browser settings to not accept this information or to display warning messages.

Email Privacy

CPHR BC & Yukon works with Informz, a third-party vendor, to send emarketing. Informz uses pixel tags and other methods to gather information about the emails sent though Informz to recipients of CPHR BC & Yukon’s emails whether directly or indirectly through mail forwarding by the original recipients.

Pixel tags are tiny graphic files that are included in HTML-encoded email messages. When such a message is opened in an HTML-capable email program, the recipient’s computer will access Informz’s servers to retrieve the pixel tag file, allowing Informz to record and store information such as email address, date and time the recipient viewed the email message (if the recipient’s email program is capable of receiving HTML) and other logging information. Informz uses this information to optimize delivery of future messages to specific recipients and to provide information to CPHR BC & Yukon with respect to emails sent through the Informz system.

Informz maintains log files tracking IP addresses to analyze trends, help diagnose problems with our servers and to monitor traffic/usage in order to provide better service to our customers and visitors. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information.

Personal Privacy Protection

Policy Summary

The Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of British Columbia and Yukon (“the Association”) maintains the principles of integrity and trust with respect to the privacy of personal information. As part of this commitment, the Association will protect the privacy of personal information received from our members, employees and applicants for employment, as well as personal information received from other sources at all times. To ensure this commitment, the Association agrees to comply in all material respects with applicable privacy laws, in particular the Personal Information Protection Act of British Columbia (“the Act”).

Privacy Officer

The CEO appoints the Privacy Officer for the Association. Any person having questions or a complaint about how their personal information is being used or maintained or about the Privacy Policy, should bring their questions or complaint to the attention of the Privacy Officer.

Definitions

“contact information” means information to enable an individual at a place of business to be contacted and includes the name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business email or business fax number of the individual;

“employee personal information” means personal information about an individual that is collected, used or disclosed solely for the purposes reasonably required to establish, manage or terminate an employment relationship between the organization and that individual, but does not include personal information that is not about an individual’s employment;

“personal information” means information about an identifiable individual and includes employee personal information but does not include:

contact information, or
work product information;

“work product information” means information prepared or collected by an individual or group of individuals as a part of the individual’s or group’s responsibilities or activities related to the individual’s or group’s employment or business but does not include personal information about an individual who did not prepare or collect the personal information.

Our Need for Personal Information

The Association maintains personal information necessary to its operations and the provision of service to our membership. Our uses include but are not limited to:

Employee personal information required to maintain the employer/employee relationship and to satisfy government requirements
Work experience and educational information related to professional qualification
Home contact information when required to maintain contact with our members
Member profile information used to improve member services
Speaker evaluations used to improve our learning services programs

Consent

The Act deems that an individual has consented to our collection, use or disclosure of personal information about that individual if, at the time the consent is deemed to be given, the purpose would be considered obvious to a reasonable person. In such circumstances, we will collect, use or disclose personal information without obtaining a written or verbal consent to do so.

Where required by the Act, the Association will provide the individual with a notice, in a form the individual can reasonably be considered to understand, that it intends to collect, use or disclose the individual’s personal information for clearly specified purposes. In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Association will then either obtain the express consent of the individual or will provide the individual with the opportunity to decline within a reasonable time to have his or her personal information collected, used or disclosed for the stated purposes.

On request by the individual, we will provide the position name or title and the contact information for an officer or employee of the organization who is able to answer the individual’s questions about the collection of personal information.

Upon giving reasonable notice to the organization, an individual may withdraw consent to the collection, use or disclosure of personal information about the individual at any time.

Security

The Association recognizes our legal obligation to protect the personal information we have gathered. We will maintain reasonable safeguards that comply in all material respects with industry standards to guard personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, destruction or modification.

Accuracy of Information

The Association makes all efforts to ensure that personal information collected, used and disclosed for its intended uses is as accurate and complete as possible.

Access

Upon reasonable notice, the Association will allow an individual to access and review the individual’s personal information collected by the Association. Should the individual believe that any personal information is incomplete or incorrect, the individual may advise the Association to update the information. If the information is subject to interpretation or is an opinion, such as a performance evaluation, the Association may not change the record, but will annotate the record.

Training

The Association will train employees as appropriate with respect to their obligations regarding the Privacy Policy.

Retention

The Association has a policy with respect to retention of personal information that is consistent with its other statutory and legal requirements, and will retain personal information only as long as is reasonably necessary within those requirements.

Enforcement

The Privacy Officer will review allegations that the Privacy Policy has been violated.

Contact Information

The Privacy Officer may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected], by telephone at 604.694.6932, or by mail at Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of British Columbia and Yukon, 1101 – 1111 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 2J3.

If, after our Privacy Officer has reviewed and responded to your concerns, you remain dissatisfied, you may wish to contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner at:

P.O. Box 9038, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC V8W 9A4

Telephone 250.387.5629
Fax 250.387.1696

Public Relations Policy

Public relations is an important method to extend the association’s reach into the business community. Effective PR can mold the CPHR BC & Yukon brand, its services and offerings, as well as the profession of human resources. CPHR BC & Yukon created a public relations policy to promote a ‘one-voice’ strategy. The association is committed to promoting CPHR BC & Yukon’s vision, empowering employees and providing value to our membership.

Media Relations

Always consult with the provincial CPHR BC & Yukon office before interviewing or commenting to the media on behalf of the association. CPHR BC & Yukon is working hard to develop specific branding and messaging within the community and wants to ensure this messaging is at the forefront of any contact with the media. All requests for media interview must be directed to CPHR BC & Yukon’s provincial office.

Press Releases

All press releases for provincial initiatives will be drafted and distributed by CPHR BC & Yukon’s provincial office. Press releases for regional events and issues can be self-directed with collaboration between volunteers and regional member relations managers. However, the provincial office must review it prior to sending to the media. Please note: all images relating to the release must have appropriate permissions.