Celebrating Incredible Women in the HR Profession!
The theme for International Women’s Day this year was “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”. According to the Government of Canada “it is a call to action and a reminder that gender equality is one of the most effective ways to build healthier, more prosperous, and more inclusive communities. We all have a role to play in building a future where everyone can reach their full potential. It is time to act – because women’s success is everyone’s success.” 1 While it is also Women’s History Month in the United States, but we decided to utilize the momentum to feature women within our community who have been contributing to the success of the HR profession.
We are honoured to work alongside many of these individuals and to be a part of their story. Read on to learn about their experience, the advice they have for aspiring young women and quotes they live by.
Ioana Guirca – CEO, CPHR Alberta
Experience in Leadership as a Woman
“My journey into leadership has been a blend of experiences, opportunities, and leaders that inspired me along the way. I am immensely grateful for every aspect of my journey that has helped me grow and shaped me into the person I am today. I cherish the valuable lessons learned from the exceptional leaders I’ve had the privilege working with in my professional journey, as well as the challenges that have strengthened me. Each experience, whether smooth or challenging, has contributed to my growth, and I’m a true believer in always being open to learning.”
Advice for aspiring young women
“Prioritize a practice of self-care and self-appreciation. I firmly believe that caring for oneself is the foundation for caring for others effectively. Seek out the positive aspects in every situation and don't hesitate to express them openly and confidently.”
Favourite Quote
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-Maya Angelou
Lisa Watson – CPHR Alberta Board Chair
Experience in Leadership as a Woman
“Early in my career, I had few female mentors and was often the only woman on the leadership team in male dominated industries. As a young lawyer, I was told by a judge in court that they would not listen to me if I was wearing pants. I struggled balancing my family commitments with 7:30am meetings when I was dropping kids off at daycare. Flexibility and balance were unspoken, and I thought that the only way to get ahead was to act like a man. Things couldn’t have been further from the truth. After seeking out female mentors and observing the great qualities of amazing leaders, I learned to lean in to being a woman in leadership, and to demonstrate strength with grace and kindness, and to leverage the diverse perspectives of everyone at the table, male or female. Flexibility, inclusion and belonging are now important topics of conversation, and progress has occurred, albeit slowly, and further progress is required to support women in the workplace and truly leverage the great strengths and attributes that they contribute to an organization’s success.”
Advice for aspiring young women
“Lean in to your career. Re-imagine work experiences and opportunities as a jungle gym rather than a ladder. Take risks and try new things even if they scare you. Be curious, ask great questions, listen more and speak less. There is no such thing as work-life balance – it is all life. Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. Get over the guilt of being a working parent, or prioritizing your personal life. Surround yourself with champions, both men and women. Be kind – to others and to yourself.”
Favourite Quote
“A brave leader is someone who says I see you. I hear you. I don’t always have the answers, but I’m going to keep listening and asking questions.” - Brene Brown
Karen Krull – HR Leader, CPHR Alberta Board Director
Experience in Leadership as a Woman
“It's been highly rewarding to grow to a senior executive level and it's not been a solo accomplishment. I've had many mentors and leaders who have contributed to my path, many incredible teams that climbed mountains with me, and my family, who has supported me. Leadership isn't a journey that takes a straight line, either. As a female, taking time off for a family and parenting two kids with disabilities, it's been a challenge at times. However, these aspects of my life have also made me a better leader, with deep empathy, and a focus on equal access to opportunity for all. I now see that my life's work is to remove barriers to success, and it's because of my kids that I have this focus.”
Advice for aspiring young women
Be true to yourself, even when it's hard. When you try to fit into a culture or organization that doesn't align with your values, it shows in the work, it shows in your resiliency, and it can take a toll on your health. When you have the alignment of your values and your work, it's where you can shine and elevate others. Don't be afraid to ask for help, reach out, be open to feedback, and take advantage of the lessons others have. I'm learning so much from HR professionals who are new to the field, they have tremendous insight and passion for HR - it's immensely energizing.
Favourite Quote
“People will always remember how you made them feel, not what you did.”
Katherine Salucop – Executive Director, Human Resources Division with Edmonton Police Service,
CPHR Alberta Board Director
Experience in Leadership as a Woman
I have worked in the HR profession for twenty years, in progressively responsible roles, moving from an individual contributor into senior level leadership roles. My experience extends to both public and private sector, where, like many organizations, have a much larger proportion of male to female employees… this disparity has been particularly true as I moved into more senior level roles. I was fortunate throughout my career to find myself working for or alongside some strong women in leadership roles who I could learn from. Watching them in action was a great way for me to understand and learn how to navigate not only the dynamics of increasing leadership responsibility, but also the nuances that come with being someone who brings a unique or different perspective to the table. I both saw and experienced how those differences can both be appreciated or viewed negatively.
Advice for aspiring young women
It take self-confidence and courage to show up at the table authentically when you may feel a need to fit a mold or standard. As a woman, including as a leader, I had to fight my own inner self talk. Fortunately, I had supporters and champions around me who pushed me to lean into my strengths and truly show up as the leader that defines me today. I have also been fortunate to have worked with leadership teams that have valued different perspectives, encouraged authenticity, and given space to put my strengths to use. As a woman, I have been branded with labels throughout my career that appeared on the face to be negative – too soft, too empathetic, too emotional, too direct, too driven. What I’ve come to learn is that these qualities, while viewed by some as negative, are the same qualities that have also enabled my success as a woman in the workplace. Because of the supporters around me, I found the might to own my story, and show how those characteristics are truly my strengths – I am compassionate, I am empathetic, I am sensitive to emotions, I have conviction, and I am action oriented. My advice for women is to support one another and be one another’s champion. If we can celebrate each other’s accomplishments and hold each other up so we have space to show up authentically, we can achieve so much more in our seats at the table.
Favourite Quote
“Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day-in, day-out. Not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years. And working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” – Angela Duckworth
Landis Jackson, CPHR, SHRM-SCP, Program Chair, Bow Valley College,
CPHR Alberta Board Director
Experience in Leadership as a Woman
“Throughout my leadership experience, I have gathered a village of support. This village has offered genuineness in their feedback – challenging me when needed, celebrating successes, and listening when I needed an objective ear. I have sought organizations that align with my values and are committed to developing their people while progressing in my career. While in leadership roles, I have intentionally hired people with different strengths who believe in collaboration. I have found great things happen in this environment. The respect that I hold for each team member is evident through my words and actions. Ethical behaviour, active listening, driving results while bringing laughter in the workplace are my personal best practices.”
Advice for aspiring young women
“Be authentic, bring your whole self to every situation, ask questions, and discover your purpose.”
Favourite Quote
“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”
- Michelle Obama
Svetlana Miftahov-Rapoport – Business Instructor, CPHR, 2023 Runner-Up for CPHR Alberta's HR Educator Award
Experience in Leadership as a Woman
"Throughout my career, I’ve had formal and informal leadership roles. But what I have truly learned is that what matters the most is our ability to lead with our passion, to lead with our purpose, to lead with our WHY.
Today, social media is bursting with never-ending quotes about leadership, and while many of them are truly inspiring, none of it matters without our intentional actions to lead. Leadership starts with the right mindset. As the famous quote goes “Whether you believe you can or you can't you are right.” I used to believe I could only lead and make a difference if I had a certain title. I also learned how fundamentally incorrect this belief is. A certain title would indeed give you more chances to have a seat at the decision-making table. But simply having a seat at the table is not enough. What truly matters is your passion for excellence and making a difference, and this is a skill, a muscle that requires discipline and hard work. To grow your leadership muscle, you must believe that you can! Your words and opinions matter and have value. Voice them, share them, and don’t stay in a shadow waiting for your “big boss title.”
Today, I lead by inspiring my students to grow personally and professionally; I lead by mentoring young professionals to start their careers; I lead by working with likeminded people to make education fun and valuable; I lead by advocating for neurodiversity in the workplace and voicing my ideas and opinions by speaking at conferences and writing articles; I lead by sharing my knowledge and experience with others; I lead by learning and developing myself every day; I lead by being authentic at all times. And you can too!"
Advice for aspiring young women
"I truly believe that the way to live a happy, fulfilling life is to know your WHY! As Simon Sinek describes it, your WHY is “the compelling higher purpose that inspires us and acts as the source of all we do.”
However, finding your WHY is easier said than done though. There are so many obstacles we (especially women) face in search of our WHY. Societal norms and expectations, stereotypical views, our own mental models… you name it.
My way to find it was to go back to my childhood and reflect on things that brought me pure joy. I asked myself what was my favourite playtime when I was little before society told me what I could and couldn’t do, what I should and shouldn’t be.
When I think about my childhood, my favourite game was teaching. I played in school with my dolls, family, and friends. I would spend hours creating lesson plans, activities, and reward cards for them. But as I can see now, what I mostly enjoyed in this process was interacting with people and observing the change in them. This reflection helped me to build my purpose statement, which is “to empower people to grow so that they can be fulfilled in their personal and professional lives.”
Today, when I look back at my professional experience, everything I’ve done so far was directly or indirectly related to teaching. I often say that my love for teaching brought me into the world of HR and HR brought me back into teaching.
I want to invite you to this beautiful journey and encourage you to take the time to look deep deep inside yourself. Your WHY is there, I promise. Just keep looking."
Favourite Quote
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
Thank you to all these incredible women for sharing their experience, advice and for all that they do for our profession. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for them as they continue to thrive and inspire other women in our profession.
1 Canada, Women and Gender Equality. “Government of Canada.” Women and Gender Equality Canada, / Gouvernement du Canada, 8 Mar. 2024, women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/commemorations-celebrations/international-womens-day/2024-theme.html.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.
As we close out 2025, I’m feeling genuinely proud of what CPHR Alberta has accomplished this year, and grateful for the members, volunteers, partners, and staff who made it possible. Together, we’ve continued to strengthen the value of the CPHR designation, expanded professional development opportunities, and deepened relationships with government, post-secondary institutions, and business leaders. This year also brought some milestones worth celebrating. We’re ending 2025 in a financially stable position, and our membership grew by 7% , which is a nice reminder that the HR community is thriving, and that we are still the kind of people others willingly choose to join. One of the most important pieces of work this year was launching our 2026–2028 Strategic Plan. This roadmap was shaped by member input, market research, and alignment with CPHR Canada’s national priorities. It’s the product of a truly collaborative process led by our Board and operations team, forward-looking, grounded in data, and practical in how it positions us for what’s next. At its core, the plan strengthens the HR profession and supports the people who drive it, reinforcing our commitment to a resilient and inclusive HR community. I encourage you to read it and see where we’re headed. View the Strategic Plan here. Our pursuit of self-regulation remains a priority, and our advocacy efforts this year continued to deepen relationships with government and position HR as a trusted profession. We’re making progress, ensuring HR’s voice is present in key policy conversations and recognized where it matters most. If nothing else, we are getting very good at showing up, staying thoughtful, and keeping the conversation moving forward. To build on this momentum, we’re currently recruiting two Chartered Members and up to one Public Members to join our Board. We’re looking for candidates with prior governance experience and strengths in areas such as strategic business leadership, financial management, legal expertise, or IDEA. It’s also important to us to have meaningful geographic representation from outside Calgary and Edmonton, because Alberta is bigger than two postal codes, and our Board should reflect that. You can learn more about the process and requirements through our blog , and I’d encourage you to apply or share the opportunity with someone who’d be a great fit. Applications close January 9, 2026. Chartered and Retired Members: Apply through your member portal Public Members: Contact Heather McMaster at hmcmaster@cphrab.ca for application details As the holiday season approaches, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and take a moment to acknowledge what you’ve contributed this year, professionally and personally. Thank you for everything you do to advance the HR profession. I’m confident that, together, we’ll continue building something even stronger in 2026. And if your out-of-office message is already drafted, I respect the efficiency. Geordie MacPherson, CEC, CPHR, SHRM-SCP Chair, Board of Directors, CPHR Alberta
As we close out 2025, I am proud to reflect on the incredible work our association has accomplished this year. With the support of CPHR Canada, we continue to strengthen a national network of over 33,000 HR practitioners and professionals, including more than 7,300 in Alberta. Our collaboration with provincial counterparts, post-secondary institutions, local chambers, and government partners remains central to promoting the value of hiring a designated professional and advancing consistent standards across Canada. This year, CPHR Alberta grew by 7%, with the majority of new members coming from students and emerging HR professionals—the future of our profession. Thank you to all our members for the work you do every day to elevate the profession. Operationally, 2025 was a year of engagement and impact. We hosted 76 events across Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, welcoming over 6,300 attendees to workshops, roundtables, webinars, and community sessions. Complimentary events played a key role in sustaining access to learning and connection for our members. Our Annual Conference was a highlight, bringing together a sold-out audience, a fully booked exhibitor space, and earning strong satisfaction ratings with 77% of attendees rating their experience positively. Thoughtful planning is already underway for our 2026 Conference on June 2 and 3 at the BMO Centre in Calgary, where expanded attendee capacity, increased exhibitor space, and enhanced programming will elevate the experience for HR professionals across our jurisdiction. Through our marketing campaign, we focused on raising awareness of the strategic value a CPHR brings to organizations. The results speak for themselves with 10% of new members joined after seeing our campaign, and website traffic increased by 17%, averaging over 55,000 views per month. In 2025, CPHR Alberta navigated Ministry changes, new mandate letters, and changes to professional governance. The Professional Governance Act (PGA) was introduced in the Spring of 2025 and received royal assent in May. This was a long-awaited and important step forward. CPHR Alberta operations and the Board are at work reviewing the legislation and anticipating the incoming regulations. We have continued our focus in broader advocacy and engagement to promote the profession as a leading voice, valued partner and knowledge expert. Throughout the year, we deepened our existing relationships, built new ones, and partnered on impactful projects at various levels of government and with community partners. We look forward to continuing to highlight the significance and impact of the profession within our organizations and communities throughout 2026. Looking ahead, we are excited to implement our 2026–2028 Strategic Plan , continue rolling out our new member recognition program, and shine a spotlight on our incredible HR community at our Member Recognition Gala in April. We will also advance our work toward self-regulation, ensuring the HR profession is recognized and trusted for its impact on organizations and communities. I want to thank our incredible team at CPHR Alberta and the many volunteers who make our work possible. Your dedication ensures we deliver value to our members and advance the HR profession every day. Thank you also to our Board of Directors for their guidance and leadership throughout the year. As the holiday season approaches, I wish you joy, rest, and time to celebrate your accomplishments. Together, we are shaping the future of HR—and I look forward to all we will achieve in 2026. Ioana Giurca, CEO, CPHR Alberta
As the governing voice of CPHR Alberta, the Board of Directors meets quarterly to provide oversight and guidance in several key areas. The Board, alongside CPHR Alberta operations, continues to deliver on the association's strategic priorities developed in the 2020 strategic plan. To ensure transparency between our Board of Directors, members and key stakeholders, we are sharing post-meeting messages to inform the steps taken towards advancing our profession and ensuring a financially stable association. The Board of Directors met on November 27, 2025, and is proud to share the strong momentum we are experiencing across our community. The Board’s key messages are as follows: Membership Growth As of September 30, 2025, we reached 7,213 active members, a 7% year-over-year increase, with the majority coming from student and emerging HR professionals. This growth affirms the momentum of our HR profession and the impact of our student engagement initiatives. Professional Development Member participation remains strong with 53 events held year-to-date, with 5,013 attendees across workshops, roundtables, webinars, and community sessions. Our complimentary events have played a key role in sustaining engagement and access to learning. Annual Conference The Annual Conference was a heavy focus for the association in Q3. The sold-out event continues to bring together our community for valuable professional development and networking opportunities, creating a strong foundation for 2026. Attendees reported high satisfaction, with over 370 in attendance, and a sold-out exhibitor hall. “The CPHR conference was incredibly educational and inspiring. The speakers motivated me, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. I really enjoyed it, grew closer to my team, and I definitely want to attend again.” – 2025 Conference Attendee The 2026 event will be held at the BMO Centre, in Calgary on June 2 and 3 – with increased capacity, expanded exhibitor space, and enhanced programming will elevate the experience for all HR professionals across Alberta, NWT and Nunavut. Self-Regulation The Board continues to assess the implications of Alberta’s Professional Governance Act (PGA), including: Advocacy, legal, and governance impact assessments are being commissioned. Preliminary recommendations from management will be brought to the Board in March and June 2026, leading to a formal decision. Further information will be shared, when ready. Future Vision Approved: 2026-2028 Strategic Plan Our new 2026–2028 Strategic Plan will be rolled out in December to all members. The 3-year Strategic Plan, crafted from member feedback, market research, and collaboration with CPHR Canada – aims to strengthen our profession’s influence, amplifies leadership, and creates pathways for all members to thrive. Fiscal Responsibility Our Q3 financial review remains on track for a balanced year-end forecast. The 2026 draft budget has been approved – aligning resources with our strategic priorities while maintaining a disciplined and responsible financial approach. Board Governance Our board continues to focus on good governance practice, ensure stability, clarity, and accountability across our organization. FCPHR Nominations A reminder that the prestigious Fellowship Award is open for nominations! This national program recognizes Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHRs) who have made exemplary contributions to the HR profession. Recipients are granted recognition as a Fellow of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR). Click here to learn more about the Fellowship Award, including the guidelines and completing your nomination. You can also download a copy of the nomination form here. The next Board meeting takes place in March 2026, after which we will again share our key messages. If you have any questions regarding these key messages or the Board of Directors, please contact chair@cphrab.ca . We welcome your feedback!
