hr influencer
LEADING AN HR TEAM
By Lisa Gordon
After more than three decades in human resources – in-cluding
almost 18 years in the world of professional
sports and entertainment – Mardi Walker knows she
has scored a great career.
“I can’t really think of anything I would have done differently,”
said Walker, who is the vice president of human resources for the
Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and Canadian Tire Centre. “Being
in sports is exciting; it’s always different.”
Together, Walker and her four-person team share the responsi-bilities
that come with managing 250 full-time and 300 part-time
sports complex employees. She says there’s nothing better than go-ing
to work on a day when the Sens are playing at home.
“There’s an extra spring in everyone’s step and we’re all wearing
our team gear,” she said. “And if we’re in the playoffs, the atmo-sphere
is incredible!”
HR Professional netted a recent interview with Walker, where
she shared her thoughts on change management, working with
amazing people and the importance of business acumen in HR.
When did you decide you wanted a
career in human resources?
Mardi Walker: I graduated from high school early, in January. I
wanted to work full-time before university so I got a job at The
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