On March 18, 2015 for Brigid Pelino, Executive Vice-President, People and Culture, WestJet delivered a presentation which covered:

Leadership is no easy task! The moment you think you “got it” is the moment that you no longer “have it”!!! and other dichotomies of the best leaders in her experience.

Being a truth teller…… Especially when it hurts.

Real strength comes from real vulnerability. And to drive a change agenda, you must remain the same.

Brigid Pelino joined WestJet as Executive Vice-President, People and Culture in August, 2013. Brigid isn’t a stranger to working with quintessential Canadian brands – she joined WestJet after more than 13 years at Tim Hortons where her last position was Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Continuous Improvement. Prior to Tim Hortons, Brigid worked for another great Canadian company: Canadian Tire Corporation. In her last role with Canadian Tire, Brigid was accountable for leadership development and succession planning for all of the Canadian Tire businesses. Brigid’s career in Human Resources stretches back further to Honeywell International where she worked in Los Angeles, California, and General Electric, where she worked in both the lighting division and the corporate office.

As the Executive Vice-President of People and Culture, Brigid’s priority is to help WestJet’s culture continue to evolve to support the business strategy and growth (and vice versa). In her opinion WestJet has perfected a recipe that works – evolving its structure, business and culture in a more complex environment is a challenge she is passionate to take on. She is committed to maintaining a personal touch and to continue to hire, develop and reward outstanding WestJetters as WestJet grows. Brigid knows that every WestJetter contributes to WestJet’s success by delivering a caring and friendly guest experience – she believes in the ownership model WestJet was founded on.

Brigid feels strongly about WestJet’s unique culture and knows it is truly one of the best places to work in the world. As a strong supporter of inclusion in the workplace, Brigid supports WestJet’s commitment to the Catalyst Accord and most recently served as the Executive Chair for the Women’s Foodservice Forum in Canada – an organization dedicated to the development of female leaders in the industry. She considers herself an open leader and favours collaboration.

Brigid earned her honours bachelor of arts degree (economics and accounting) and her master’s in industrial relations at the University of Toronto. She moved to Calgary from Oakville where she has made her home with her three teenaged children (and she is still relatively sane). Her favorite WestJet destination? Without question: Maui.

This dinner series was sponsored by: CN.

Location:

Safari Lodge, Calgary Zoo, 1300 Zoo Rd NE, Calgary, AB, T2E 7V6

Here is a video of Brigid’s presentation