Melina Gillies

Melina Gillies

About

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VP, People & Culture
Centre Wellington, Ontario, Canada

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Résumé

Jobs verified_user 0% verified
  • C
    Board Member
    Centre Wellington Hydro
    Jul 2026 - Current (4 months)
  • Zensurance
    VP, People & Culture
    Zensurance
    Jun 2026 - Current (5 months)
  • Redwood Infrastructure
    Fractional Chief People Officer (PE-Appointed Concurrent Role)
    Redwood Infrastructure
    Nov 2023 - Nov 2025 (2 years 1 month)
  • FlexNetworks
    Chief People and Customer Experience Officer (CPXO)
    FlexNetworks
    Apr 2021 - Feb 2026 (4 years 11 months)
    PE-backed telecom, with workforce across five provinces (SK, MB, ON, QC, NB). Responsible to CEO and Board of Directors, lead team of 5, serve as Alternate Company Security Officer.

    People outcomes:
    • eNPS: 85
    • Employee commitment: 98th percentile (Denison)
    • Regrettable attrition: 22% below industry benchmark
    • Succession coverage: 76%, up from 35% in 2023
    • Time-to-fill: 24% faster than industry
    • Built I&D program from zero: grew to 27% female workforce, 40% female leadership, 20% visible minority over five years.

    Customer outcomes:
    • Customer Focus: +18 percentile points internally
    • Customer NPS: 47 (3.25x Industry average)

    What I built:
    • Scaled people infr
  • SalesUp Business Coaching
    International HR Consultant (Fractional CHRO)
    SalesUp Business Coaching
    Sep 2013 - Apr 2021 (7 years 8 months)
    Fractional HR leadership for 15+ organizations across industrial, manufacturing, food, and media sectors—startups to mid-market.

    What I delivered:
    • Parachuted into organizations without HR infrastructure—diagnosed issues, built foundations
    • Workplace audits, compliance remediation, and improvement plans
    • Compensation system design and implementation
    • Full-cycle employee relations: investigations, legal issues, RTW, downsizing
    • M&A people workstreams: due diligence, integration, restructuring
    • Retained as ongoing HR advisor for organizations not ready for full-time headcount
  • Township of GuelphEramosa
    Head of Human Resources (HR Administrator)
    Township of GuelphEramosa
    Jan 2010 - Sep 2013 (3 years 9 months)
    First dedicated HR professional for the municipality. Reported to Chief Administrative Officer, supported senior leadership and Council.
    What I built and delivered:
    • Stood up HR function from scratch: policies, document retention, compliance
    • Recovered $40K+ in payroll errors
    • Reduced WCB premiums by 7.3% through OHS improvements
    • RTW coordination, investigations, full employee relations
    • Managed OMERS pension administration
    • Owned Volunteer Fire Department people operations
    • Served as emergency management scribe for the Mayor
    Thought leadership:
    • Speaker, 2013 Ontario Fire Chiefs Conference: WSIB claims and volunteer firefighter injuries
  • City of Guelph
    Accreditation Assistant - Strategic Planning - Contract
    City of Guelph
    Aug 2009 - Dec 2009 (5 months)
    Authored and delivered the Guelph Fire Department Strategic Plan 2009-2014. Facilitated citizen advisory groups, coordinated across Council, union leadership, and community stakeholders.
    Led directly to Head of HR appointment at Township of Guelph/Eramosa.
  • Crownhill Packaging Ltd
    Marketing Coordinator
    Crownhill Packaging Ltd
    Jul 2006 - Aug 2009 (3 years 2 months)
  • Claires Accessories
    District Sales Manager
    Claires Accessories
    Mar 2002 - Sep 2006 (4 years 7 months)
    Operationally led a team of 77 across 14 locations in a high-demand retail setting. Owned the HR function including recruitment, development, culture management and engagement.
  • Claires Accessories
    Store Manager
    Claires Accessories
    Jun 2000 - Mar 2002 (1 year 10 months)
Education verified_user 0% verified
  • Sheridan College
    Graduate Certificate, Human Resources Management
    Sheridan College
  • University of London
    Honours Bachelor of Arts, English
    University of London
  • AIHR Academy to Innovate HR
    People Analytics Certificate Program, Human Resources Management and Services
    AIHR Academy to Innovate HR
    Mar 2022 - Aug 2022 (6 months)
    Using data to drive better, fact-based, people-decisions that ultimately benefit both the organization and its employees. As a People Analytics Specialist, you have a full analytics skillset that will enable you to drive data-driven decision-making throughout HR.
Projects (professional or personal) verified_user 0% verified
    Awards verified_user 0% verified
    • O
      OMHRA 50th Anniversary Year Logo Design
      OMHRA
      Created an updated OMHRA logo to celebrate the 50th anniversay year of OMHRA to be used throughout 2013 to mark the occasion.
    • W
      Parent Volunteer of the Year
      Wellington Catholic School Board
      Honoured with parent volunteer of the year distinction for simply fulfilling my passion for well-educated, well-fed and engaged kids!
    • C
      10 Most Influential HR Executives 2023
      CIO Views Magazine
    • O
      Township of Guelph/Eramosa Logo Design
      OCT
      Designed the new Township of Guelph/Eramosa Logo to replace Township Crest for all non-ceremonial purposes.
    • M
      Speaker at 2013 OAFC Conference
      May
      Conference Speaker at the 2013 Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs Conference providing insight into WSIB claims management and successful ESRTW practices for Volunteer Firefighters.
    Publications verified_user 0% verified
    • H
      9 Seemingly Harmless Things You Should Never Have On Your Resume (Quoted in)
      HuffPost Canada Aug
      Your resume should be clean, easy to read and scannable. “In today’s market, where the first contact your resume has is likely to be with an automated screening system, refrain from using headers, footers and tables,” said Melina Gillies, an HR specialist at SalesUp! Business Coaching. “This doesn’t mean it needs to lack personality. It just needs to be able to relay information in a way that can be screened properly.”...
    • F
      How to be a Better Team Member
      Fupping Aug
      Ask questions that take you out of your comfort zone and force you to consider alternate viewpoints. Keep your eye on the big picture, and if you have trouble seeing the big picture, ask someone to provide you with their view of it...
    • B
      Where Did all the Pens Go? Getting a Handle on Petty Theft
      Business Management Daily source Sep
    • B
      Employee Onboarding: Tips and Best Practices from HR Experts (Quoted)
      Bamboo HR Jun
      Provided onboarding insight to article aimed at hiring managers and business leaders on how to ensure the onboarding process is a successful one.
    • B
      5 Résumé Writing Tips From Experts That Will Help You Refresh The Heck Out Of Your Job Search (Quoted)
      Bustle Jun
      Provided insight into how job-seekers can make the most out of their resume.
    • F
      4 Tips for Writing a Standout Cover Letter (Quoted in)
      FlexJobs Jul
      ...says Melina Gillies, HR specialist at SalesUp! Business Coaching. “Showing metrics lets hiring managers know that you pay attention to detail and are able to tie your own results to the big picture of an organization, as well as being able to deliver on what the job advertisement indicates are critical skills to possess.”
    • F
      If You Really Must Work on Vacation, Here's How to Do It
      Fast Company Aug
      “But you really also need to be driven and focused in the playtime that you’re giving yourself and your family. You’re still trying to make memories and build that successful personal life,” she says. If you have a “work hard, play hard” mentality, don’t leave out the “play hard” part. Treat making memories and spending time with family and friends as seriously as you do your work—or you might end up regretting it later."
    This is a community-created genome.