Massey Henry Expands Search Staff
October 28, 2021 – Toronto-based executive search firm Massey Henry has expansion with the addition of Elaine Lajeunesse as partner and head of the leadership practice, and Clio Straram who joins the firm’s advisory board. “Massey Henry was founded on the strong belief that female and underrepresented voices need to be amplified to drive meaningful change at the executive level,” said Michael Henry, founder and managing partner. “The addition of Elaine and Clio will help our clients build more inclusive teams and given their expertise and network, further enhance female and Indigenous voices within financial services.”
Since its inception, Massey Henry has been partnering with its clients to enhance diversity at the executive level in Canada, with more than 65 percent of its placed candidates identifying as women and/or BIPOC. The appointment of Ms. Lajeunesse and Ms. Straram strengthens this mission, with both leaders bringing an established track record of advancing inclusivity within the financial services sector, according to the search firm.
Ms. Lajeunesse brings more than 30 years of experience in the financial services sector, having occupied several C-suite positions at organizations such as TD, Bank of Montreal, and Economical Insurance. As chief risk officer at TD Insurance, she served as an executive sponsor for Visible Minorities, helping mentor employees and leading impactful initiatives around diversity. For her work in helping build a more diverse and equitable industry, Ms. Lajeunesse was named a Leader of Change by the Insurance Business Canada in 2021—one of only 25 leaders in Canada to achieve the award.
“I am thrilled to join Massey Henry to help build inclusive cultures through coaching and assessment services for our clients,” said Ms. Lajeunesse. “I look forward to working closely with the firm’s candidates, and with women and BIPOC leaders in particular, to increase their impact at the executive level.”
Ms. Straram also brings over a decade of experience in financial services, with an emphasis on Indigenous banking initiatives. She is currently the head of indigenous banking at the Bank of Montreal, where she oversees programs across Canada and works closely with First Nation, Métis and Inuit governments and organizations. A member of Fond du Lac First Nation in Saskatchewan, Ms. Staram’s expertise is driven by a combination of lived experiences and executive leadership in Indigenous banking.
“Inclusivity is critical in financial services, and Indigenous executives bring important perspectives and leadership qualities to the table,” said Ms. Straram. “I am excited to work with the Massey Henry team and its esteemed advisory board to help facilitate key connections and drive the inclusion of Indigenous leaders in executive roles.”
Newly Launched Search Firm
Launched this past June, Massey Henry is an executive search and board advisory firm specializing in financial services and the public sector. Founder and managing partner, Michael Henry, a seasoned executive search professional, aims to set a new standard for executive recruiting with a streamlined, collaborative approach that enables organizations to recruit diverse top talent for urgent, transformational roles.
“In today’s pandemic-driven landscape, we are seeing increased pressures with regard to risk management, regulatory compliance, digitization, and diversity and ESG, at both the board and C-suite levels,” said Mr. Henry, a specialist in the recruitment of senior-level executives and corporate directors in financial services. “This means that having the right leaders in place has never been more critical to our clients. Our data-driven, technology-based approach is key to helping us accelerate the recruitment of top executives who can address these issues and successfully drive change and growth within their organizations. Clients need to be incredibly nimble in today’s landscape and our approach makes this possible.”
Using artificial intelligence technology combined with sector expertise, Massey Henry provides candidate research and a diverse candidate pool, while using custom criteria to assess each candidate for fit. Clients have 24/7 access to their search process which is designed to enhance decision-making and reduce timelines by half. The firm is backed by an experienced advisory board of top leaders from these sectors, including George Cooke, board chair of OMERS; Bill Hatanaka, board chair of Ontario Health; Johanne Brossard, board director and former president and CEO of ING Direct Canada; Eric Wetlaufer, board director of Investment Management Corporation of Ontario and the TMX Group; Lynne Kilpatrick, board director and senior retail banking executive; and Sharon Pel, chair of the board of trustees for OPTrust.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
