By Lisa Ryan, BC HRMA Conference Chair

BC HRMA’s Annual Conference has provided us with ongoing inspiration for the past 50 years.  As this is an anniversary, for both conference and the association, this year’s theme of “Founding our Future” is particularly appropriate.  As anyone in HR can attest, much has changed and continues to do so.

Recently, I found my locking black leather hard briefcase from the early 90’s when I worked as an HR advisor with the Royal Bank of Canada.  My young daughter commented that it was a ‘gangster getaway’ case used by bad guys to carry cash in the movies.  My ‘information storage device’ had become an anachronism, long ago surpassed by a steady stream of laptops, tablets and smart phones.

It is not just our tools though, but our roles which have changed. Human resources has come a long way from the personnel department of our industrial past.  Finding, hiring, developing and retaining an organization’s human resources has become more complex and challenging in today’s world of changing technology, demographics and rising customer and employee demands.

Building on the lessons of the past, at the 50th Annual BC HRMA Conference we’ll explore the future of HR and how we can work more strategically with business in the internet /digital age of global change. We’ll begin with pre-Conference 2012 featuring Rick Mercer’s rant for our great nation’s politics and carry on with great speakers – futurist Jeremy Gutsche, economist Linda Nazareth, neuro-psychologist Dr. David Rock, and successful leader Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.

BC HRMA Conference is ultimately all about people and the business of people.  Ever since last year’s conference finished, a committee of dedicated industry professionals and BC HRMA staff has been working hard to bring this great event to fruition.

The inspiration and guidance provided by our steering committee members Kevin Jeffrey, Peter Saulnier, Harry Gray and Tyler Pronyk, together with our other volunteers and staff, helped us anchor an overall design and theme. From there, the efforts of so many individuals deserve recognition that I apologize for my brevity.

Special thanks to Nic Tsangarakis, Conference Vice Chair and Skill Development Track Lead, Susan Karda, Talent Management Track Lead, Vincent Chow, Organizational Effectiveness Track Lead, and Marino Sveinson/Judith MacFarlane, co-leads of the HR and the Law Track.  All spent many hours over the summer and early Fall working with their teams to source and select great speakers. We couldn’t have done it without you!

BC HRMA’s annual conference has always been a great place to network and reconnect with colleagues old and new.  Every year the pool of talent drawn to conference only deepens and as HR continues to evolve, so do we all.  For the love of learning and the experience of the past year, I have been honoured to serve as the chair of Conference 2012 and look forward to seeing you in April.