Scarborough Health Network’s (SHN) Executive Vice President for People and Transformation Michele James has been named one of Canada’s Most Admired Chief People and Culture Officers™ (CPCO) for 2024 by Waterstone Human Capital, a national leading cultural talent management and executive search firm.

Winners of the Canada’s Most Admired™ awards were announced by Waterstone on November 21. Michele was selected as the recipient for the not-for-profit sector and was among 5 winners of the 2024 CPCO Award.  The CPCO Award was introduced in 2023 and honors the country’s top executives driving people and culture-centred activities and attracting and retaining high-performance leaders and team members.

“These awards recognize the very best in high performance corporate culture—those leaders and organizations that have built and nurtured performance-driven cultures and that are at the forefront of culture best practices,” says Marty Parker, President and CEO of Waterstone Human Capital and Chair of the Canada’s Most Admired™ program. “This year’s winners actively craft high-performance cultures and serve as an inspiration for others who want to do the same.”

This recognition is a testament to Michele’s executive leadership for SHN’s People Services and equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as several clinical programs. With over 16 years as part of our executive team, Michele has provided strategic vision and oversight that have been instrumental in SHN’s growth and success. This includes the integral role she has played in transforming our corporate culture, establishing an employer brand closely aligned with the diversity of our workforce and Scarborough community, promoting workplace safety and wellness, building a framework for health equity, and developing local and global partnerships that support recruitment, ensure inclusivity, and improve access to healthcare.

“On behalf of our senior leadership team and health network, we congratulate Michele on this well-deserved award,” said David Graham, President and CEO at SHN. “Michele is dedicated to fostering a culture of excellence and delivering exceptional quality care in an inclusive environment for all staff—and we are thankful for her leadership and unwavering commitment to our people, and our patients and community.”

“I am honoured to have been selected as Canada’s Most Admired Chief People and Culture Officer™ (not-for-profit sector) for 2024,” said Michele James, Executive Vice President, People and Transformation. “I am so proud of the work that we have done at SHN to empower our people and create a workplace culture where every team member can thrive and feels valued. I am grateful to the incredible team who I work with on advancing our people strategy, our equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy, and transforming care.  Thank you to everyone at SHN for fostering a positive and inspirational culture.”

SHN has also been recertified as an organization for 2024 as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures™, having received the award last year from Waterstone. We are proud to be recognized for this award for a second year as it demonstrates our commitment to preserving and strengthening our corporate culture and continuing our legacy of excellence.

Please join in celebrating this remarkable achievement for SHN, and for Michele being named one of Canada’s Most Admired CPCOs™. We thank her for the incredible impact she continues to make on building SHN’s culture and inspiring our people.