HR Career Paths:
Christine Stewart
INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST
Christine Stewart originally
planned a career in education,
but after graduating from the
University of Toronto with a
bachelor’s degree, a position within the
HR department during a summer internship
at PricewaterhouseCoopers derailed
her plans.
As manager of human capital information
and technology for PwC, she has been
with the firm in the Toronto office for 20
years.
“I started with PwC as a student working
summers out of high school and through
university,” said Stewart, who grew up in
Scarborough. “I was lucky enough to be exposed
to all areas of the business. During
one of my assignments I had the opportunity
to spend time in our HR department
and after graduation was asked to return
for a six-month contract. From that point
on, my career goals changed. I returned to
school so I could complete my education
in human resources and, ultimately, my
CHRL designation.”
She says that her very first position in
human resources was in a generalist role
supporting several HR directors. After a
short time she was approached to take on a
role on the technology side – an area where
the firm was looking to expand. From that
point on, she was hooked.
“In this role, I was responsible for system
support, user training and business process
documentation,” she said. “The fast-paced
dynamic environment was exciting. And
since this role was fairly new and unique at
the time, it afforded me the opportunity to
tailor the role to the needs of the business.
My role expanded from there as we implemented
and supported more HR systems
from recruitment to performance management
and everything in between.”
HR Professional recently sat down with
Stewart to chat about her current position
as manager of human capital information
and technology, and what keeps her
motivated.
You’ve been in your current position for
seven years. How did this come to be?
Christine Stewart: I was already working
in a technology role and had participated
in a number of projects and initiatives
including system implementations, business
process improvements, compensation
By Lisa Kopochinski
Tarchyshnik Andrei / Shutterstock.com
analysis and metrics/reporting planning.
The role of human capital operations
manager was a perfect fit for me and the
next step in my career.
What do you like most about your job?
CS: I have the opportunity to work with
a variety of people from all areas of the
firm – external vendors, and both internal
and external consulting teams. I’ve
learned so much over the years from these
people while developing a solid network
of expertise. I definitely enjoy the variety
of work I am exposed to. There are always
opportunities in my role to participate in
project-based work, strategic planning and
process improvements.
COMPANIES ARE MAKING
THE INVESTMENTS IN
TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE
THEY ARE SEEING THE
BENEFITS. A CAREER IN
HR INFORMATION AND
TECHNOLOGY CAN OPEN
THE DOOR TO MANY
OPPORTUNITIES.
career paths
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ JULY/AUGUST 2015 ❚ 39