Human Resources Professionals Association -- Chief Executive Officer

Location: Greater Toronto Area

The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) regulates and supports more than 24,000 professionals and students and serves as the leading professional and regulatory body for HR professionals in Ontario. HRPA fulfills an important dual mandate: regulating the profession in the public interest while advancing and strengthening the HR profession more broadly. Through the CHRP, CHRL, and CHRE designations, HRPA establishes the standards that guide professional practice, ethics, conduct, and competence, while also supporting the profession through learning, professional development, thought leadership, networking, and community engagement. HRPA plays a central role in shaping the standards, leadership, and future direction of the profession across Ontario and beyond, while fostering an inclusive and accessible profession that reflects the diversity of Ontario’s workforce and HR community. At a time when organizations across every sector are rethinking workforce strategy, AI adoption, workplace culture, talent sustainability, and organizational leadership, HRPA’s role in shaping the future of work, strengthening leadership capacity, and advancing the profession across the province has never been more important.

The world of work is evolving rapidly. Artificial intelligence, workforce transformation, changing employee expectations, increasing organizational complexity, among other forces, are reshaping how organizations lead, operate, and compete. As these shifts continue to transform workplaces, the role HRPA plays in supporting the profession, advancing standards, and helping elevate leadership and practice across the HR community has never been more important. It is in this context that HRPA is seeking a strategic, credible, and forward-looking Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the organization through its next phase of growth, influence, and impact.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is responsible for the overall leadership, strategic direction, operational performance, and continued growth of HRPA. The CEO will lead the organization in delivering on its dual mandate as both a regulator acting in the public interest and a professional association supporting the advancement of the HR profession. The CEO will be responsible for advancing organizational performance, membership growth and engagement, member value, operational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability, while fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and accountable culture grounded in hard work, continuous improvement, and results. The CEO will also help guide the organization’s continued modernization, including the evolution of systems, processes, and technology capabilities needed to support HRPA’s future growth and impact.

As HRPA’s main ambassador, the CEO will strengthen the organization’s profile, influence, and credibility across the profession and broader business community. The CEO will help position HRPA as a leading voice on the issues shaping the future of work, including workforce transformation, emerging technologies, professional standards, and the evolving role of HR. They will strengthen partnerships and engagement across the profession, both within Ontario and nationally, while continuing to grow and deepen HRPA’s membership and engagement across the HR community.

As the ideal candidate, you are an inspiring, strategic, and forward-looking executive with a track record of leading organizations through growth, change, and complexity while delivering meaningful impact. You are a strong and people-focused leader who knows how to build trust, motivate teams, and bring people along through evolving priorities and stakeholder expectations. You bring sound judgment, credibility, and strong relationship-building skills, and are comfortable engaging with a broad range of stakeholders across professional, regulatory, and business environments. You understand the important role HR professionals play within organizations and the broader forces shaping the future of work. Direct HR experience, along with experience in regulated, professional association, or member-based environments, would be considered strong assets.

Measures of Success: Organizational alignment and strategic execution | Membership growth and engagement | Strengthened public profile and influence | Financial sustainability | Organizational modernization progress | Leadership culture and employee engagement | Governance effectiveness | Stakeholder trust and confidence.

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To apply for this position, please submit your application and related materials to Nick Chambers and Alain Pescador via apescador@boyden.com. Please include “HRPA CEO” in the subject line of your email.

We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those under consideration for the role will be contacted.

HRPA is an open and inclusive organization that welcomes and encourages applications from racialized leaders and equity deserving groups. Our membership is diverse, and we are committed to ensuring that our leadership opportunities reflect that diversity. We are proud to welcome people from every path of life and to create a process where all candidates can see themselves represented and valued.