Brigid Pelino

An outstanding human resources leader, with 30 years of experience leading HR, Brigid has spent her career working with some iconic Canadian brands, such as WestJet as Executive Vice President, People and Culture, Tim Hortons where her she spent 10 years as Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Continuous Improvement and Canadian Tire Corporation, where she led Talent Development and Succession. In her role of CHRO, she played a critical role preparing two organizations in their journey to becoming public companies through their IPO’s — Tim Hortons and Definity. Brigid has also worked with Honeywell International and General Electric and her roles have brought her to a number of locations both in Canada and across the United States.

In her SVP, Chief People & Culture Officer role with Definity, Brigid has accountability for all aspects of the People Strategy, the overall Change Management strategy and deploying a consistent approach across all functional areas that involve changes to business processes, technology, structure, training, culture, people and communications. She is the current Chair of the General Insurance HR Group which is made up of her peers from Insurance Companies across Canada and was the inaugural Chair of our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Committee that is made up of business Leaders across Definity.

Brigid is a passionate advocate for women in leadership. She served for over five years as the Executive Chair of the Women’s Foodservice Forum in Canada, an organization committed to developing women leaders in the industry. Brigid is a highly respected leader who thinks business first and adapts and challenges her function to drive business outcomes. She is courageous, empathetic, and leads by example. Brigid also pushes the envelope and encourages discussion and debate to drive better solutions. Brigid holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Commerce and Economics, as well as a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations, both from the University of Toronto. Brigid took a Co-op program for three years in Toronto which initially got her interested in Human Resources. A proud mother of three, she’s inspired by them, by courageous leadership, and her Immigrant parents’ example of grit and determination.