contributors
MICHAEL P. FITZGIBBON
Michael P. Fitzgibbon is a founding partner of Watershed LLP, Management Labour &
Employment Lawyers. From his call to the Ontario Bar in 1993 until founding Watershed in
2010, he practiced management side labour and employment law as an equity partner at one
of Canada’s largest national law firms. He has taught the labour and employment law course
at the University of Toronto, Woodsworth College for the past 18 years, has co-authored two
books, contributed chapters to many others and has written and presented extensively on a
wide range of labour and employment law topics. Read Fitzgibbon’s article about the mediation
process, starting on page 15.
SHAWN MURPHY
Shawn Murphy is an independent consultant with 20 years’ experience working with organizations
to create workplace optimism. He is the co-founder and CEO of Switch & Shift,
an advocacy and consultancy focused on the human side of business, and host of the popular
Work That Matters podcast. He’s the author of The Optimistic Workplace: Creating an
Environment that Energizes Everyone. Read his article about how to build an optimistic workplace
culture and the benefits that stem from positivity, starting on page 29.
NOI QUAO
Noi Quao is manager of traumatic event support services at Morneau Shepell. He provides onsite
response to client organizations that experience any kind of traumatic event. During his
time with Morneau Shepell, Quao has consulted/coordinated support responses for client organizations
impacted by high-profile incidents, including the train accidents in Gogama, Ont.
and Lac-Mégantic, Que.; the shootings at Parliament Hill and in Moncton, N.B.; H1N1; terror
attacks in Mumbai and Paris; aircraft incidents in Turkey, Brazil and Canada; and the floods
in Alberta. He is a certified advanced member of the National Community Crisis Response
Team and a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Read his article
about traumatic event support in the workplace, starting on page 39.
SEVAUN PALVETZIAN
Sevaun Palvetzian has been CEO at CivicAction since January 2014. Before CivicAction,
she held several senior executive roles within the Ontario government, including leading
the Ontario Place Revitalization project and launching the Youth and New Professional
Secretariat. Prior to her work in government, Palvetzian held positions at the University of
Toronto, the World Bank Group and Presidential Classroom. Palvetzian serves as a member
of the Premier’s Community Hubs Advisory Group and sits on the City of Toronto’s Poverty
Reduction Strategy Advisory Committee. She is on the Board of Directors for both Toronto
Region Immigrant Employment Council and NPower Canada. Read her article that outlines
the ways in which employers can help combat youth unemployment, starting on page 48.
4 ❚ MARCH/APRIL 2016 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL