Fellow CPHR

The Fellowship (Fellow) Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR) program is a prestigious award that recognizes Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) who have made exemplary contributions to the HR profession. Recipients of the award are granted recognition as a Fellow of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources.

This program is now national. All future FCPHRs will be evaluated and bestowed by an esteemed National Fellowship committee comprising FCPHR recipients from across the country.

Current Fellow (FCPHRs) recipients will be grandfathered into the National registry. Provincial and Territorial HR Associations will continue to recognize the recipients as they see fit.

The complete guidelines can be found on the cphr.ca website as well as the nomination form.

Consider nominating someone today!

The Fellowship nominations will be accepted from November 1st, 2025 to January 15th, 2026.

Criteria

Eligible nominees for the Fellow CPHR should have demonstrated leadership in at least three of five key areas:

Strategic positioning of the Human Resources profession
Development, sharing and promotion of innovative HR ideas, policies and practices
Advocacy on behalf of the HR profession to government policy makers
Service to local, provincial and/or national HR associations
Service to the broader community/social responsibility

A nominee will also have exemplified the values in the CPHR code of conduct (fairness, justice, dignity, respect, and integrity) and have shown adherence to the statutory acts, regulations and bylaws of CPHR Canada and their provincial HR association.

Eligibility

Must have held the CPHR for a minimum of five (5) years and be a current member in good standing;
Is nominated by submission of the nomination form that includes three or more of the five major contribution areas.
Is nominated through a supporting letter that outlines significant achievements/impact on the profession, evidence of how the nominee has contributed to at least three of the five criteria, and underscore the specific contributions made and their impact on advancing the profession.
Must not have any Code of Conduct violations in the past ten years.

Review Process

A National Fellowship committee, composed of CPHR Members holding the Fellow CPHR, reviews each nomination. After analyzing eligibility and criteria, the committee will recommend selected nominees for the Fellow CPHR to the CPHR Canada Board of Directors. This recommendation is reviewed by the Board of the CPHR Canada association who will either accept or reject the recommendation.

The Fellow CPHR is not a competition in which nominations are measured against each other, but rather, it is a process by which each nomination is measured against the criteria in place. An unsuccessful nomination can be re-submitted in a subsequent year especially if the individual has added significantly more contributions along the five criteria identified for the FCPHR recognition.

Nomination Submission Checklist:

Completed nomination form, with consent from the nominee.
Confirmation by the Provincial or Territorial Association that the nominee has been a CPHR designated member in good standing for a minimum of five (5) years.
A supporting letter (two pages maximum).
- The letter should underscore the specific contributions made by the nominee and their impact on advancing the HR profession and must include contact information.
- Examples that cover at least three (3) of the five (5) criteria indicated above. This information must be verifiable by the Committee.
Nominations must include a current resume and the submission must address the five criteria above with specific examples supporting each criterion.
A biography of the nominee including education certifications, work history, and volunteer activities.

Recommendations of the Fellowship Committee may:

Approve – the nominee will be recommended to the Board of Directors for the FCPHR title
Reject – when the committee concludes the nominee does not adequately meet the criteria, the nomination is rejected. Nothing prevents nominators from re-nominating a rejected nominee in future years.

Notification to the Nominee and the Nominator:

Successful nominees will be notified by the Chair of the Provincial Association Board of Directors and will also receive a letter from the Chair of CPHR Canada in March 2026.
Unsuccessful nominees and their nominators will be notified in writing within several weeks of the decision being made by the committee in March 2026.

FCPHR Recipients

2025 FCPHR

David McCoy

CPHR BC & Yukon is pleased to announce David McCoy as a Fellow CPHR (FCPHR) for 2025.

Those who have made exemplary contributions in terms of leadership, and outstanding achievement to the profession, receive the prestigious FCPHR designation.

David McCoy is a highly respected human resources leader whose career spans more than 30 years of public-sector service and organizational leadership. Recognized for his strategic insight, integrity, and unwavering commitment to fairness, David has made a profound impact on how people are recruited, developed, and supported across government and beyond.

As Merit Commissioner for the Province of British Columbia, David serves as an independent officer of the Legislature, ensuring that hiring, promotion, and just-cause dismissal decisions in the BC Public Service are based on fairness, transparency, best practice, and principled process. Under his leadership, the Office of the Merit Commissioner has strengthened accountability through rigorous merit performance audits, staffing review investigations, and just-cause dismissal investigations. His work has enhanced transparency, reinforced public trust, and modernized HR systems that uphold equity and ethical governance.

Over the course of his distinguished career, David has led transformative initiatives in human capital management—designing competency-based recruitment frameworks, advancing diversity and inclusion strategies, and embedding organizational values into leadership development programs. His balanced approach combines policy acumen with a deep understanding of people and culture, consistently resulting in more engaged, high-performing workplaces.

Beyond his public-service role, David contributes his expertise to the Canadian Mental Health Association – BC Division, where he serves as a Board Director. In this capacity, he advocates for workplace psychological health and safety, helping to build supportive, stigma-free environments where employees can thrive. His leadership has influenced programs that align wellness, performance, and organizational sustainability.

An CPHR Fellow and SHRM-Senior Certified Professional, David exemplifies professional excellence and mentorship. He is deeply committed to advancing the HR profession through education, ethical practice, and the development of future leaders. Colleagues and peers regard him as a principled voice for fairness, accountability, and human dignity in the workplace.

David holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Alberta and has served in senior HR leadership roles in both Alberta and British Columbia. His career reflects the core values of the CPHR Fellowship—dedication to the profession, service to others, and leadership that leaves a lasting positive impact on people and organizations.

“Human resources at its best is about creating trust — ensuring that every person, process, and decision reflects fairness and respect. That trust is what strengthens organizations and sustains public confidence.”

CPHR BC & Yukon congratulates David on being recognized as a Fellow for 2025, which reflects his outstanding contributions to the profession and the HR community.

2024 FCPHR

Kevin Howlett

Former Senior Vice, President Regional Markets
Air Canada

CPHR BC & Yukon is pleased to announce Kevin Howlett as a Fellow CPHR (FCPHR) for 2024.

The FCPHR award is a prestigious award that recognizes CPHRs who have made exemplary contributions in terms of leadership, and outstanding achievement to the profession.

Mr. Howlett is an accomplished and distinguished senior HR professional, who is a firm believer and practitioner in ensuring people and the human element are always at the center and the core of any HR pursuit or endeavour. He has consistently espoused the values of respect, integrity, fairness, equality, and accountability in both his professional as well as his personal life.

He has had a successful career spanning over four decades, working with a diverse set of companies and organizations. He has played a pivotal role in gaining acceptance and respect for the HR profession, for elevating its role to be a core business function, and for ensuring HR can hold the organization and its key executives accountable for fostering and maintaining a high performance and highly engaged environment.

As an exemplary leader, Mr. Howlett focuses on empowering and elevating those around him, whether that is a colleague, a peer, a team member, a friend, an executive, or a leader.

He was instrumental in helping Air Canada navigate through two financial restructuring events in 2002 and in 2008, resulting in approximately $1.01B in labour savings through collective agreement changes and organizational realignment.

While at Canada’s leading airline, Mr. Howlett established and elevated the HR role, positioning it as a strategic function in the development and execution of Air Canada’s overall corporate strategy, including HR and Labour Relations.

Mr. Howlett has been a CPHR BC & Yukon board member for many years and served as the Board Chair in 2021. He has also lent his experience and expertise to the board of CPHR Canada since 2021. In both these roles, he has been an ardent advocate and champion for the HR profession.

He is a member of the Board of Directors and sits on the Human Resources, and Finance and Audit subcommittee at the Vancouver Airport Authority; he is a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Pension Committee along with other members of the Human Resources subcommittee at NAV CANADA; and he has served on the Board of Directors for BC Women’s Health Foundation; Mr. Howlett also is a past member of the Board of Directors and a member of the HR committee for the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade; and last but certainly not least, Mr. Howlett plays an active role in his appointment to the Board of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference.

A highly successful leader, Kevin Howlett has left an indelible mark on the HR profession, and we congratulate him on being awarded the FCPHR designation for 2024.

2023 FCPHRs

Anthony Ariganello, CM

President & CEO
CPHR BC & Yukon

Anthony Ariganello is well known in the HR profession. From British Columbia to around the world, his influence on the success of professionals, professional organizations, and their designations cannot be overstated. Tapping into his background in accounting and operations, Anthony’s talent for building and leading effective teams has brought CPHR BC & Yukon and CPHR Canada to a position of unmatched health and prominence.

The financial functions of business were Anthony’s focus early in his career. With a Commerce Degree from McGill University in hand, he succeeded in various senior-level finance roles in Montreal. He ascended from Controller to Vice President Finance and Logistics of Avon Canada in 1995, and his proven leadership qualities in the Canadian division of the world’s largest direct seller would lead him to the role of President in 2000.

A new city and a new type of organization awaited Anthony in 2003 when he took the role of President and CEO of the Certified General Accountants (CGA) Association of Canada. Based in Vancouver, he was a key catalyst and architect of the groundbreaking multi-year merger of the CGA, CA, and CMA designations into the unified Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.

Anthony took over the leadership role at BC Human Resources Management Association (HRMA) in 2014, and dramatic transformation became a trademark of his tenure once again. A revitalized strategy and operational structure, along with a rebrand to CPHR, resulted in exceptional membership growth, multiple post-secondary partnerships and pathways, and a bolstered voice of influence for the HR profession in British Columbia and the Yukon.

This momentum extended to the national level when Anthony assumed the additional role of President and CEO of CPHR Canada in 2016. Bringing together a federation of member organizations was no simple task, but Anthony led a series of further streamlining, harmonizing, and refocusing that has brought CPHR Canada to the forefront of the professional certification internationally.

Beyond these dual duties, Anthony is a seasoned board member and contributor to his community. He was elected this year to Chair of the Board (President) of the World Federation of People Management Association (WFPMA). He also serves non-profits as Chairman of Re:Sound and Board Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Association of B.C. Anthony is a sought-after advisor and speaker on topics including good governance and operational excellence.

Anthony Ariganello is a 2023 recipient of the Fellow of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR) designation.

His significant contributions for advancing National practices and Standards as a leading financial executive in the Accounting and Human Resources professions, respectively, earned him an appointment to the Order of Canada in December 2023.

Neil Fassina

President
Okanagan College

Neil Fassina has dedicated his career to advocacy for the human resources profession and its rightful place in the network of executive decision making. As a researcher, award-winning professor, and now post-secondary institution President, Neil has emerged as a leader who talks the talk and deploys his well-rounded experience in service of employee wellness and organizational excellence.

In his undergraduate studies at University of Calgary, Neil focused on industrial and organizational psychology. This led him to a PhD from the University of Toronto centered on human resources and organizational behaviour. His reputation as an outstanding teacher began here with two teaching awards from the Rotman School of Management, and more accolades would follow during his professorships at his undergrad alma mater and University of Manitoba.

Neil left his tenured teaching post for the position of Dean of the JR Shaw School of Business at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in 2011. Now in a top post-secondary leadership role, he was able to put into practice everything that had led him to the Dean’s office. He led a 2000-person re-organization at NAIT that aligned the goals of the institution with the structure of its employment ranks.

This broad transformational endeavor would prepare him for the role of President at Athabasca University, where he served from 2016-2021, and his current post as President of Okanagan College. At both institutions, Neil modified reporting structures to enshrine direct reporting to the President and prominent seats at board and executive tables for the Human Resources head. He remains an advocate for strong human resources strategy and systems when governing.

Having published seven peer-reviewed articles and two book chapters, Neil is a well-established voice for the profession in print. In person, he has presented 42 peer-reviewed human resources and talent management conference presentations He also actively contributes to Canada’s top selling undergraduate human resources textbook, “Canadian Human Resource Management: A Strategic Approach”.

Neil is a seasoned Board Director and Chair across a range of Canadian institutions. Throughout his academic career he has also advised government leaders on effective people-centred policies. This has included advocacy for foreign credential recognition for skilled immigrants and post-secondary participation for youth. He was recently appointed Chair of Trades Training British Columbia, focusing on skilled trades legislation in B.C.

Neil Fassina is a 2023 recipient of the Fellow of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR) designation.

2022 FCPHR

Robin Turnill

Managing Consultant
Pivot HR Services

Robin Turnill has been looked up to by her students and colleagues alike throughout her nearly two decades of holding the CPHR designation. The executive positions and volunteer roles she has held show an unmistakable pattern of uplifting and giving back to the community around her, and her work today is as impactful and crucial as ever.

A long tenure with the Greater Vancouver Community Services Society saw Robin in roles ranging from Manager of Human Resources to Chief Operating Officer. In 2017, she founded Pivot HR Services, where she currently leads a team of six as Managing Consultant. Pivot provides tailored strategic HR services to a wide range of organizations in the Lower Mainland, as well provincially and nationally for the public, private and non-profit sectors. Her work focuses on promoting respectful, healthy, inclusive and equitable workplaces, and she specializes in learning and development, leadership coaching, workplace investigations, policy development and board governance.

Herself a graduate of UBC and York’s Master of HR Management program, Professor Turnill spent years instructing and mentoring the students of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s BBA in HR Management program. She remains enthusiastically involved in the lives of many former students as a source of career advice and connection, and she currently chairs the program’s Employer Advisory Committee for influencing curriculum with relevant up-to-date expertise from the industry.

In addition, Robin volunteers her time and voice for causes she cares about. She is a CPHR BC & Yukon Board Director and President of the Board of Kids Up Front Vancouver, an organization connecting underserved youth to arts, cultural, sporting and educational programs. A frequent guest speaker at professional events, and on panels and podcasts, Robin has spoken on an array of topics including pay equity, organizational culture, and HR trends and best practices. She is a regular contributor to CPHR BC & Yukon’s PeopleTalk magazine.

A veteran leader in the field and a role model for Human Resources professionals of the future, Robin Turnill is a 2022 recipient of the Fellow of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR) designation.

2021 FCPHRs

Rob Cutler

Vice President Business Innovation & Chief Product Officer
Land Title & Survey Authority of BC

Rob Cutler has provided transformational HR expertise across industries for more than 25 years. His success leading a high-stakes business technology project earned him a nomination for the CPHR BC & Yukon Award of Excellence – HR Professional of the Year in 2013, and his noteworthy work has not slowed since.

Having majored in accounting during university, it’s no surprise that Rob’s knack for financial matters has proven valuable. His stint with The Loewen Group in the early 2000s came during bankruptcy and upheaval for the funeral services company, and his ability to bridge financial realities with the well-being of employees helped stabilize the company and revitalize staff engagement.

At Accenture Business Services for Utilities, Rob tapped into the same skills to streamline processes and implement technology improvements. He helped his team hit new highs for its metrics of employee engagement, customer satisfaction , and profitability for their client-serving organization.

An even larger challenge would arise for Rob at the Land Title & Survey Authority of BC (LTSA), where he served as VP of HR for 12 years. Technology was outdated, and a broad, bold change was necessary to automate the processes of day-to-day work. Such a project required expert-level change management for the new system’s users if the three-year, $20 million investment was going to be worth it. Rob delivered just that, consistently surveying and gauging the needs and concerns of LTSA staff. The project ended up succeeding in modernizing and automating 60% of the organization’s processes and setting it up for future growth.

In 2020, Rob transitioned out of HR into a technology role as VP Business Innovation and Chief Product Officer for LTSA where he leads a team responsible for new business development and product management. Rob is excited by the challenges and opportunities that this new role brings. Given his career trajectory to-date, he is confident that the knowledge, skills, and abilities that his HR career has helped him develop will serve him well in this new role.

Rob’s involvement with CPHR BC & Yukon began in his student days and has been crucial in steering the organization to its present state of financial stability and vitality. Today, a past Board of Directors member and Finance Committee chair, Rob Cutler is a 2021 recipient of the Fellow of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR) designation.

Kristi Searle

Human Resources Business Strategist
Peoplebiz Consulting Inc.

A proprietor, mentor, and evergreen example of HR excellence, Kristi Searle has been delivering value to industry clients and raising up others in the field for decades.

Kristi’s prolific career began in 1987. She struck out on her own in 2003 with the creation of Peoplebiz, her full-service

consulting firm that has provided tailored HR services to countless companies since its inception. From small local enterprises to First Nations Organizations to Fortune 500 giants, Kristi’s sound expertise and complete suite of HR services have been indispensable across the region for years. At the helm of Peoplebiz, Kristi has proven herself to be a trusted advisor, recruiter, and all-around expert in the field, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Those who work alongside Kristi speak highly of her generosity, both with her time and her wisdom. This shows in her years of volunteerism and her reputation as an enthusiastic mentor for fellow HR professionals at all career levels. Active with CPHR British Columbia & Yukon since 1994, she has contributed to a multitude of committees, founded and co-chaired the Richmond/Delta Roundtable, and served multiple terms on the Board of Directors, including as Vice President in 2004. Kristi is a current board member since 2018.

Beyond CPHR, Kristi shares her gift and passion for the profession with Dress For Success Vancouver, a non-profit that helps women enter the workforce by providing business-appropriate attire and career mentorship. She has been a Career Specialist with the group since 2016, helping to maximise the potential of women in her community as they seek gainful, lasting employment.

A pragmatic builder of best practices for her clients, a continually involved contributor to the industry, and a respected leader in the community, Kristi Searle is a 2021 recipient of the Fellow of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR) designation.

2020 FCPHRs

Barb Bahry

Vice President, Organizational Development
Odlum Brown Limited

Described as a trusted advisor and a champion of mentoring and leadership, Barbara Bahry has a career mosaic that includes a diverse range of organizations in the real estate, financial services, technology and professional services sectors.For over 20 years, Bahry has been a key driver of business success by leveraging her portfolio of expertise in personal branding, leadership

development, performance management, organizational effectiveness and compensation and rewards.

She is currently Vice President, Organizational Development, at Odlum Brown Limited, an independent, full-service investment firm with a nearly 100-year history of creating and preserving wealth. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, Bahry is responsible for guiding the overall talent, leadership development and engagement strategies for the firm.

Over the years, Bahry has developed her expertise through national and global leadership roles at Sierra Systems, Pivotal Software (now Pivotal CRM, a division of Avolin) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (now PwC).

Bahry believes the world needs more “good news stories” about great leadership. She is most fulfilled when developing future leaders, which her role at Odlum Brown has provided ample opportunity to engage in. She views leadership development as a critical business investment and is passionate about supporting individuals on their journey to being authentic and accountable leaders who drive measurable business results.

Bahry’s natural sense of calm and purpose draws others to her, and she has earned a reputation for truly engaging others and gaining their trust. She is respected for her composed, polished and patient style.

Bahry is a role model and mentor with an unwavering commitment to the HR profession and her community. She serves as a board member for CPHR BC & Yukon, the YWCA of Metro Vancouver and the Board of Governors for Canada’s Most Admired^TM Corporate Cultures awards.

Roberta Fidalgo

HR Consultant/Owner
YET Human Resources

Driven by a philosophy to “aspire to inspire before you expire,” Roberta Fidalgo has led the HR profession for more than 20 years as a senior HR leader, strategic HR business partner and advisor to business leaders and management teams. In keeping with her personal value of stepping forward into growth, in 2017 she began applying her HR expertise to a wider clientele as owner of YET Human Resources.

Roberta’s ability to assess and empower individuals and organizations alike is what defines her character and value. During her 12 years as AVP of HR with Valley First, a division of First West Credit Union, she created opportunities to develop that unique skillset, playing an instrumental leadership role in providing support to the people side of the equation during multiple mergers. Partnering with a colleague, Roberta not only created the new First West people practices, programs and policies, but did so with a focus on everyday employee satisfaction and engagement—to lasting effect. Long before other organizations were doing so, Roberta created core competencies that served employees and leaders alike and tied them all back to HR programs.

Committed to a lifetime of learning and the challenges that face all organizations, Roberta has completed a coaching program, specializing in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is currently exploring how ADHD impacts the workplace, with a goal of educating and empowering employers and those affected.

Roberta has been a dedicated volunteer for CPHR BC & Yukon since 1998, as a mentor, conference volunteer, member of provincial and national committees including; NKE Standards, Awards and Evaluations, and an advisory council member for over a decade, including chair for three years.

Roberta’s involvement with the community is equally commendable. She has consistently held volunteer roles in the community for over 20 years including being a Big Sister for over 10 years. Currently, she is in her third year as President of the Board of Directors for Kelowna Women’s Shelter.

She also teaches through the Continuing Studies program at Okanagan College and is a Registered Yoga teacher.

Lori Rilkoff

Retired

For the past 25 years, Lori Rilkoff has pursued her HR career based on the belief that efforts at the organizational level can benefit the entire community. Rilkoff has long been recognized as a passionate advocate of the HR profession through her volunteer work and in her role as the HR and Safety Director at the City of Kamloops. Rilkoff was the recipient of the first BCHRMA (now known as CPHR BC & Yukon)

scholarship awarded to a student outside of the lower mainland and her start as the student representative led to over two decades as volunteer for the association, including as the Central Interior chair for three years. She was chosen to represent Canada and the HR profession by Rotary International on a Group Study Exchange to Denmark in 2001.

Inspired and led by Rilkoff, the City of Kamloops’ workplace wellness program “Wellness Works” was highlighted on Health Canada’s website due to both its comprehensive approach and strategic implementation and was a key part of the City’s Corporate Strategic Plan. Along with her leadership for “Wellness Works” recognized as a critical factor in the City being awarded the Award of Excellence by the National Quality Institute, Rilkoff was also a finalist for the association’s 2010 Innovation Award. She also participated on the advisory committee for a national Excellence, Innovation, and Wellness program developed by Excellence Canada.

To ensure public sector organizations in the interior had access to best practices on HR topics, Rilkoff developed information sessions. To help upcoming HR professionals, she has been a sessional instructor at Thompson Rivers University and a contributor to HR textbooks used throughout Europe and globally. She frequently volunteers with both the university and the association’s mentoring programs and has assisted student clubs as a board advisory member and presenter. Rilkoff’s own credentials include an MSc in HRM and Training (with Distinction) from the University of Leicester and a SHRM-SCP designation.

Rilkoff’s contributions to the wellbeing of the community expand beyond her work in HR, holding volunteer roles with various nonprofits over the years. She currently donates her time to the Kamloops Hiking Club, still encouraging wellness for others.

Past FCPHRs

David Berrington, FCPHR (2019)
Mike Cass, FCPHR (2018)
Greg Conner, FCPHR (2019)
Barry Cook, FCPHR (2018)
Alice Downing, FCPHR (2019)
Hugh Finalyson, FCPHR (2018)
Denise Lloyd, FCPHR (2018)
Shannon Railton, FCPHR (2018)
Susan Ryan, FCPHR (2018)
Terrence (TJ) Schmaltz, FCPHR (2018)
Craig Pinder, FCPHR (2012)
Rod Killough, FCPHR (2011)
Susan McIntyre, FCPHR (2011)
Kevin Jeffrey, FCPHR (2011)
Joan Harrison, FCPHR (2011)
Catherine Richardson, FCPHR (2011)
Les Waldie, FCPHR (2011)
Dave Anderson, FCPHR (2009)
Lorne Armstrong, FCPHR (2009)
Gordon Story, FCPHR (2009)

Please contact [email protected] for more information regarding the Fellow CPHR Recognition.