Expert profile

Frank Newman

Chief Human Resources Environmentalist, Newman Human Resources · B.A., C.H.R.L.

For over 50 years, Frank Newman has been a driving force in Canadian human resources, building compassionate, high-performance workplaces where people want to come to work. He began his career in 1975, and has worked with organizations across Canada ever since.

His advocacy for compassionate leave helped influence the creation of Canada’s Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Leave — a support thousands of Canadians rely on while caring for critically ill loved ones. As a Certified Human Resources Leader, Frank has coached and developed leaders at every stage of their careers, and is one of ten consultants in Canada certified in the Great Place to Work® methodology.

He brings leadership experience from progressive HR roles at GlaxoSmithKline, Texaco Canada, Semtech-Gennum and Manulife — spanning talent management, labour relations, total rewards, organizational development, employee communications, and health & wellness. His HR leadership helped GSK earn “50 Best Employers in Canada” standing for over a decade, and he led the creation of a shared HR services model there.

Frank’s work has been most valuable in times of change — mergers, acquisitions, restructurings and downsizings — where practical, values-based HR keeps an organization people-focused through the hard parts. Today, he and his team of HR advisors and coaches serve small and mid-sized businesses across Southwestern Ontario, from manufacturing and agri-business to veterinary clinics, accounting firms, musicians — and even a magician.

Career

Frank has held HR roles of increasing responsibility — HR Manager, HR Director and Assistant Vice-President — leading teams of HR professionals supporting businesses across Canada, the US, Mexico, Europe and Asia. He has worked for some of Canada’s best-practice employers:

• Manulife Financial
• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
• Semtech / Gennum
• Texaco Canada

In the community

• HR mentor for the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
• Facilitator of the Chamber’s HR Peer-to-Peer meetings
• HR subject-matter expert at Wilfrid Laurier University
• Past Board Director, Alzheimer Society of Waterloo-Wellington
• Speaker for Disrupt HR, the Canadian Institute, the Canadian Compensation Association, and many Chambers of Commerce
• Regular commentator on 570 News Radio Kitchener, and featured on CTV Kitchener News

Credentials & education

• Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL)
• Bachelor of Arts, English — Victoria College, University of Toronto
• Certificate in Personnel & Industrial Relations — University of Toronto
• Human Resources Management — Queen’s University
• Blue Ocean Thinking — Schulich School of Business
• Human Resources & Communications — Dale Carnegie
• Member, Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario, since 1975

Author

Frank is the author of Your Best 10 Minutes: The 5 Cs of Creative Leadership, built around the 5 Cs of creative leadership — Connecting, Clarity, Compassion, Courage, Coaching — and the idea that leadership turns on a few decisive ten-minute moments.

Beyond work, Frank writes songs on one of his many guitars, spends time with his family and four grandchildren, and hikes along the Grand River in Kitchener — the music, family and time outdoors behind the optimism he brings to the work.