With 35 years of experience, Ron has earned the reputation of being one of Canada’s leaders in the field of executive recruitment, assessment and selection. He has recruited Chief Executive Officers, Vice-Presidents and Board Directors for hundreds of clients, including some of the largest and most successful organizations in Canada. He has also assisted and advised many Boards in resolving their recruitment-related issues. Ron is presently the Chair and a Managing Partner of Odgers Berndtson’s Ottawa office, and Chair of Odgers Berndtson’s Board Recruitment Practice.
The first half of Ron’s recruiting career was focused on the private sector. Since moving to Ottawa, he has specialized in recruiting and assessing leaders of Crown corporations and complex organizations, drawing talent from both the private and public sectors. He has served Crown corporations as diverse as Atomic Energy of Canada, the Bank of Canada, Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Canada Post, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and Export Development Canada. Similarly, he has served an array of complex, multi-stakeholder organizations including Canadian Blood Services, Alterna, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Medical Association, MD Physician Services, the Public Policy Forum, the Canadian Nuclear Association, The Conference Board of Canada, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and The Ottawa Hospital. He is well aware of the attributes that are needed for a private sector executive to make a successful transition to a Crown or multi-stakeholder environment.
Ron is committed to sharing his expertise with clients and colleagues alike, equipping them to better attain their human resources needs and organizational goals. He writes extensively on the recruitment, assessment and successful integration of senior executives. His work includes:
- Recruiting Your Next CEO: Practical Advice for Canadian Boards;
- Recruiting Board Directors for Non-Profit and Public Sector Organizations;
- Chairing a Search Committee: A Guide to Improving the Outcome;
- Successful Leaders in the Non-Profit Sector: Ten Qualities for Top Performance;
- Assessing Executives for Critical Positions;
- Deciding Who Will Lead – Sound Advice About Assessing Candidates For Top Leadership Positions;
- The New Executive: Making the Transition a Success; and
- Executive Hiring in Ottawa: A Special Report.
Building and strengthening relationships between executives in the National Capital Region is important to Ron. He founded The CEO Breakfast, a semi-annual event that welcomes new CEOs to the region; The Vision Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions in the field of human resources management, and The CHRO Roundtable, which facilitates the exchange of ideas among the region’s leaders in human resources.
Ron gives back to his community by serving on the Boards of various non-profit organizations, such as the Community Foundation of Ottawa. He also serves on the Board of the Canadian Health Leadership Network.
Ron holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of New Brunswick, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan, in which he specialized in organizational behaviour.
