Tag Archive

For: Recent Appointments

Leon Gous – Chief Administrative Officer – City of Burnaby

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PFM Executive Search is excited to announce that the City of Burnaby has promoted Leon Gous as its new chief administrative officer, which will be effective Sept. 7.

Mayor Mike Hurley said in a news release “it was evident throughout our rigorous recruitment process that Leon possesses the depth and knowledge and experience we need in this role at the City of Burnaby. His commitment to deliver exceptional services to our community has been unmistakable. Leon’s calming presence combined with his pragmatic attitude and innovative spirit will be a welcomed presence as CAO.”

Mr. Gous has extensive experience in municipal government. He first started working for the city in 2013 when he was hired as the director of engineering.

“I am now honoured and humbled to have the opportunity to be able to work with the mayor and council and all the devoted staff of the City of Burnaby to build a service-focused culture that will ensure we remain a community of choice in the Lower Mainland.”

PFM Executive Search is recognized as a leader in executive search and has been working with some of the most prominent Canadian private, public, and not-for-profit clients over the past 29-years. We are known for our ability to recruit senior leaders from around the world to top management positions.

Jerry Chen – Associate Vice President, Human Resources (Communities of Expertise) – University of British Columbia

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PFM Executive Search is excited to announce that Jerry Chen has been selected as the new Associate Vice President, Human Resources (Communities of Expertise) for the University of British Columbia, effective September 7th, 2021.

Jerry brings over twenty years of experience in the human resources practice in various sectors, most recently at Pacific Blue Cross where he led a complex compensation transformation project. Jerry also brings experience in Talent Acquisition where he spearheaded an Indigenous recruitment initiative. He has worked closely with Workday and has experience in driving Robotic Process Automation to reduce administrative work.

PFM Executive Search is recognized as a leader in executive search and has been working with some of the most prominent Canadian private, public, and not-for-profit clients over the past 29-years. We are known for our ability to recruit senior leaders from around the world to top management positions.

Heidi Yang – Chief Executive Officer – Engineers and Geoscientists BC

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PFM Executive Search is delighted to announce the appointment of Heidi Yang, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.) as the new Chief Executive Officer for Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Heidi commenced this new role on June 1, 2021.

Heidi has broad-based experience in the regulatory, forestry, and manufacturing sectors. Throughout her 26-year career, she has provided strategic leadership that has enabled her teams to implement effective systems to support innovative and sustainable operations—experience that will be an asset to Engineers and Geoscientists BC as it begins to implement new regulatory processes and obligations introduced by the Professional Governance Act.

Prior to joining Engineers and Geoscientists BC, Heidi led engineering operations—including research, project management, product engineering, manufacturing process engineering, and facilities and maintenance engineering—for one of the largest privately-owned window and door manufacturers in Canada. She also held several senior executive roles with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), including one year as their interim CEO, where she led a rigorous business planning process that enhanced APEGA’s ability to deliver on its regulatory mandate and strengthened internal operations. Prior to her time with APEGA, Heidi spent 20 years at Weyerhaeuser, providing leadership for the quality management, customer strategies, and operations processes at the Grande Prairie, Alberta plant.

Heidi graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia. She is committed to lifelong learning, with recent certifications through the Executive Program at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and Lean Six Sigma. She is also a dedicated volunteer who has held several academic and community board roles, including with the Glenora Rotary Club—the first rotary club in North America to be chartered by professional women.

PFM Executive Search is recognized as a leader in executive search and has been working with some of the most prominent Canadian private, public, and not-for-profit clients over the past 29-years. We are known for our ability to recruit senior leaders from around the world to top management positions.

Jason Ong – Director, Registration – Engineers and Geoscientists BC

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PFM Executive Search is delighted to announce the appointment of Jason Ong as the new Director, Registration for Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Jason commenced this new role on June 1, 2021. Jason has been with Engineers and Geoscientists BC as a member of the Registration Department since 2008. Throughout his time with the organization, he held a variety of positions and has been a part of the department’s management team since 2012. Jason holds a B.A. from the University of British Columbia with majors in Psychology and English Literature.

As Director, Registration, Jason Ong is responsible for all applications for professional registrant and trainee status for engineering and geoscience. This includes oversight of the registration process and in particular the review of academic credentials and the evaluation of experience through competency-based assessment.

PFM Executive Search is recognized as a leader in executive search and has been working with some of the most prominent Canadian private, public, and not-for-profit clients over the past 29-years. We are known for our ability to recruit senior leaders from around the world to top management positions.

Douglas Holmes – Regional District of Nanaimo – Chief Administrative Officer

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PFM Executive Search is pleased to announce the appointment of Douglas Holmes as the new as Chief Administrative Officer for the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) effective August 23, 2021.

Mr. Holmes was selected by the Board of Directors after a cross-Canada search. He brings over 25 years’ experience in the public sector including his current role as Chief Administrative Officer with the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. Mr. Holmes is a chartered professional accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University.

PFM Executive Search is recognized as a leader in executive search, working with prominent Canadian private, public, and not-for-profit clients over the past 29-years. We are known for our ability to recruit senior leaders from around the world to strategic leadership positions.