Virtual Summits
Pursuing DEI – Enhancing your workforce and community
April 24, 2024 at
1:00pm ET
On DEMAND VIDEO
Panel 2: Putting your culture of inclusive recruitment into practice
Moderator: Martin Luymes, Vice-President, Government & Stakeholder Relations, Heating, Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI).
Panelists:
- Bill Ferreira, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada.
- Kim Rutherford, Director, Vendor Relations, Emco Corporation.
- Viktoriya Syromyatova, Director, Procurement (North America), Boralex Inc.
- Craig Swanberg, RSE, Workforce Manager, PCL Construction
Martin Luymes
In his role with the Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Institute of Canada—Canada’s association for the HVACR industry—Martin is responsible for the association’s government relations and industry advocacy work.
Prior to HRAI, Martin served as Director for the Social Investment Organisation (SIO), Research Director for the Independent Power Producers Society of Ontario (IPPSO), and a Research Associate and Sessional Lecturer at the University of Toronto.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Urban Geography and Planning from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelors degree from Queen’s University in Kingston.
Bill Ferreira
Bill Ferreira has played a leading role in Canada’s construction industry for nearly a decade. Bill assumed the role of Executive Director at BuildForce Canada in August 2017, after serving as Vice-President, Government Relations and Public Affairs at the Canadian Construction Association since 2008. Bill has also served as a Senior Policy Advisor in a range of portfolios at the Federal Government, including Citizenship and Immigration, Environment Canada and International Trade. Following government, Bill joined a boutique government relations firm in Ottawa, focusing his expertise on the energy, transportation and telecommunications sectors. Bill also played a pivotal role as Director of Government Affairs at the Forest Products Association of Canada.
Kim Rutherford
Kim joined Emco Corporation in 2002, holding a variety of roles, including Inside Sales and District Operations. She was promoted to Regional Pricing Manager for the Waterworks division in 2008, where she led margin enhancement and operational effectiveness initiatives.
She transitioned to the role of Vendor Relations Manager in 2015, supporting the Plumbing and Waterworks divisions. In 2017, Kim was promoted to Director of National Vendor Relations and, over time, has expanded her reach to include leadership of the Product and Pricing department.
In 2018, Kim started the National IDEA Steering Team for Emco, focused on building a culture of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
As a deaf woman in the plumbing and heating industry, Kim is passionate about influencing change, rooted in IDEA, at both Emco and the industry community at large.
Last year, Kim was named chair of the newly created CIPH DE&I Committee, which seeks to influence education and change in the plumbing and heating industry.
Viktoriya Syromyatova
Viktoriya has degrees in Mechanical engineering and Finance, as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She has been involved with the energy industry for more than 17 years, including 13 in renewables.
Prior to coming to Canada in 2022, she managed the renewables business of the largest privately owned Ukrainian company, DTEK, and held the position of Country Director for Total Eren, a French independent power producer.
She participated in the development of market reforms in the Ukrainian energy industry, and worked on decarbonization, energy efficiency, and sustainable development strategies for different companies.
After relocating to Canada, Viktoriya joined Boralex, one of the major players in renewable energy, where she is currently leading the procurement of equipment and services for utility-scale solar, wind, hydro, and energy storage projects in Canada and the United States.
Craig Swanberg
Craig Swanberg has been with PCL for 16 years. He started working for the company as a labourer and completed his Carpenter apprenticeship in 2011. Later, he took on different roles supporting recruiting and trade development for PCL’s craft workforce. Currently, Craig is the workforce manager for PCL Builders in the Calgary district office, responsible for all craft worker operations in Southern Alberta.
Craig passionately supports Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, especially in the construction industry. He believes in empowering those who work in this field and helping them grow. One of Craig’s favourite things is visiting different construction projects and seeing first-hand the PCL’s positive impact on our city and communities.
