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For: Vancouver

Michelle Harrison – Chief Information Officer – Smythe LLP

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PFM Executive Search is delighted to announce the appointment of Smythe LLP’s inaugural Chief Information Officer, Michelle Harrison, who started her role in January 2021.

As CIO, Harrison will oversee the Firm’s technology and innovation strategy. Smythe views technological innovation as a critical element of achieving its vision of being the leading professional service firm in the marketplace and the creation of this position was the next step towards this goal.

Harrison joins the Firm with over 20 years of technology experience spanning the financial services, telecommunications, insurance and regulatory sectors. Most recently, Harrison was Director of Industry Experience and Operations for the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC, where she led a variety of business functions, including technology. During her time at the VSA, Harrison was responsible for developing and delivering the organization’s digital strategy, transforming and modernizing the technology to generate efficiencies and lay a foundation for the use of innovative approaches in industry regulation.

Congratulations on your new role Michelle.

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.

Royce Chwin – President & Chief Executive Officer for Tourism Vancouver

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PFM Executive Search is delighted to announce the appointment of Royce Chwin as Tourism Vancouver’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 13, 2020.

Following an extensive global search to fill the role, Royce’s impressive experience in senior positions at both federal and provincial tourism organizations, combined with his keen business acumen from leading teams in the private sector, made him the top choice for the job.

Royce joins Tourism Vancouver from Travel Alberta, an award-winning provincial crown corporation responsible to market Alberta worldwide. He was appointed CEO in 2014 and under his leadership the organization was recognized for several best corporate culture awards as well as multiple global marketing awards for the “Remember to Breathe” campaign, among others. Prior to his role at Travel Alberta, Royce held leadership roles at Destination Canada (then called the Canadian Tourism Commission) and has extensive business experience in the private sector with marquee brands including Starbucks and Boston Pizza International.

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 sector clients over the past 27-years. We are known for our ability to recruit senior leaders from around the world to top management positions.

Kerry L. Simmons – Executive Director for The Canadian Bar Association of British Columbia (CBABC)

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PFM Executive Search is pleased to announce Kerry L. Simmons, QC as the new Executive Director of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch (CBABC). The Canadian Bar Association is the professional organization representing more than 38,000 lawyers, judges and law students across Canada with 7,000 members in British Columbia.

Kerry was called to the bar in 2000 and practiced with Cook Roberts LLP in Victoria, BC until 2018 in family law, risk management, employment law, commercial disputes, estate litigation, and professional negligence. She served on the firm’s management committee for four years.

Kerry joined CBABC in 1996 as a law student and became a member of the CBABC Executive Committee in 2008. She was CBABC President in 2012-13, leading the organization’s advocacy for legal aid funding. She also served on the Canadian Bar Association National Board, leading and developing its strategic, governance and financial changes for three years, culminating in her year as National President in 2017-18. Most recently, she co-chaired the CBA’s Truth & Reconciliation Task Force. With extensive knowledge of the association’s history, mandate, culture and operations, member services and its role in the justice system, CBABC’s new Executive Director brings over twenty-five years of leadership experience and training, formal education in supervision, management and governance, and a decade of management experience of business operations and volunteers.

PFM Executive Search is a recognized leader in senior leadership recruitment and is known for its ability to facilitate large and complex Selection Committees in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Over the past 26 years, PFM has recruited senior leaders from all over the world.

PFM Welcomes its Newest Recruiting Associate

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Many of you may be familiar with Maggie Ow who has been one of our outstanding Project Coordinators since 2012, ensuring our executive search assignments run smoothly and efficiently. When an opportunity arose to add to our Recruiting Associate team, we knew the best candidate was in our ranks, and Maggie officially joined the group this fall.

Maggie brings a very unique background to this role. She holds a BA in Fashion Design and Technology from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and was a designer for five years for the labels Mac & Jac and Kensie. A move to the UK saw her transition her career to the finance industry, where Maggie became Executive Assistant in a large financial services firm.

Upon returning to her hometown of Vancouver, Maggie decided she wanted to stay in the corporate world and we were lucky enough to have her join the PFM team. Maggie proved to be an outstanding Project Coordinator. She was able to build an excellent rapport with our candidates and clients. Her attention to detail was second-to-none, and she was able to push her team members to ensure search projects were managed effectively and efficiently.

The role of Recruiting Associate requires two key factors: tenacity and natural curiosity. Maggie has both of these in spades and she has been a natural fit for the role. We know you will continue to enjoy working with Maggie on various assignments.

Please join us in congratulating Maggie on this well-deserved promotion.

PFM Executive Search Announces New Partners

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November 2, 2015 – Vancouver, BC. PFM Executive Search, one of Canada’s leading executive search firms, is proud to announce the naming of Shelina Esmail and Shaun Carpenter as Partners. Shelina and Shaun have been with PFM for 17 years, most recently as Associate Partners, and are both committed to continuing to build on the firm’s reputation for developing relationships and delivering client satisfaction.

“Shelina and Shaun have been with us for much of our 23 year history and have played major roles in the evolution and growth of PFM Search,” said George Madden, Founding Partner, who along with fellow Founding Partner Casey Forrest, see Shelina and Shaun’s enhanced roles as a natural progression in their careers. “We’re delighted to have Shelina and Shaun as equity owners in the firm and as partners in building the business and charting a course for the future. They are resourceful, creative and client-focused, and are a big part of the PFM brand.”

Shelina Esmail

Shelina joined PFM in 1998 as Director of Research, transitioning after four years to the role of consultant. In 2011, she was named Associate Partner. Before joining PFM, she earned a BA in Economics and a Diploma in Urban Land Economics – both from UBC – and worked for five years in commercial real estate. Shelina is passionate about developing talent and tomorrow’s leaders and has volunteered with Junior Achievement BC and as a mentor to UBC economics students. Most recently she was elected to the Board of the UBC Alumni Association. She is a wife, mother of two active boys and a resident of Vancouver’s north shore.

“As a partner, I intend to advance the model that has made PFM successful, demonstrating our reputation for stability and instilling a strong sense of trust and confidence among our clients,” said Shelina.

Shaun Carpenter

Also a 17-year veteran of PFM, Shaun joined the firm in a research capacity and progressed through the roles of consultant, senior consultant and most recently Associate Partner. Shaun has become increasingly involved in strategy and business development, and leadership mentoring. A native of Calgary and a graduate of the University of Calgary (Commerce), Shaun, his wife and two daughters proudly call Port Moody home. He sits on the Board of the Human Resources Management Association (HRMA) and is a passionate volunteer for the Heart and Acute Medical Unit at BC Children’s Hospital, developing corporate sponsorships across the province for the annual Triple Crown for Heart charity ride

“PFM has been a consistent brand in our market for many years, and I’m excited to continue offering our promise of excellence in the service of clients and treatment of candidates to the current and next generation of decision makers,” said Shaun.

About PFM Executive Search

We are a leading executive search firm based in Vancouver, and together with our Panorama Global Search Partners, we provide outstanding facilitation of large and diverse Search and Selection Committees in our work with private, public and not-for-profit organizations. The hallmark of our success over the last 23 years has been our ability to develop strong working relationships with a diverse group of clients in creating a seamless executive search process that nets proven results for our clients.