The Christopher Group Recruits VP of HR for Telesat
April 22, 2022 – The Christopher Group (TCG), a boutique HR executive search and business solutions recruiting firm, has placed France Teasdale as vice president of human resources at Ottawa-based satellite operator Telesat. Tom Christopher and Jeff Wilbanks led the assignment.
“Telesat is on quite a roll. It recently won a $5 billion (Canadian) contract from the Government of Canada to launch 1,600 low Earth orbit satellites and also completed an IPO toward the end of 2021,” said Mr. Christopher. “As you can imagine, this, among other things, is driving tremendous growth opportunities across the globe. We are proud to place France Teasdale in this critical role. This search highlights the effectiveness of the Christopher recruiting system and our ability to complete international searches” as Ms. Teasdale will be relocating to Ottawa from the U.S.
As VP of HR, Ms. Teasdale will be responsible for the development and delivery of HR programs, strategies, and processes in partnership with the business, including compensation, benefits, rewards, budgeting, and policy. This includes but is not limited to building relationships with the employees, establishing and managing the interviewing, hiring process, DEI practices and committee, and enforcing company policies and practices during their rapid expansion.
Ms. Teasdale brings over 25 years of experience with Heroux-Devtek Inc., Mecanica Solutions Inc., and most recently IDCAD Consulting Inc.
Telesat has grown to be one of the largest global satellite operators. They have been collaborating with their customers for over 50 years to deliver critical connectivity solutions that tackle the world’s most complex communications challenges, providing powerful advantages that improve their operations and drive growth. Telesat also provides technical consultation and support services to satellite operators, insurers and other industry stakeholders around the globe.
Veteran Recruiters
Founded in 1998 by Tom and Paula Christopher (former HR executives with GE, Pepsi, Progressive Insurance, and Citigroup), The Christopher Group is a leading boutique HR executive search and staffing solutions firms. The firm is staffed by former HR professionals and trained search practitioners who use proprietary, scientific and industry-leading systems, tools, and processes. The firm has offices in Willoughby, OH; Sarasota, FL; and Kansas City, MO.
Related: Allen Institute Taps Christopher Group for Top HR Search
Mr. Christopher has a personal practice focused primarily at the VP, SVP and CHRO levels. He has completed executive HR searches, with a diverse set of clients, across multiple industry verticals including but not limited to Pepsi, Honeywell, Capital One, BP, Kraft, US Foods, Raytheon, Ingersoll-Rand, Vanderbilt University, Delaware North, CDW, Medco, Citigroup, Johns Hopkins University, Eastman Chemical, Comcast, and many others. With over 30 years of experience in human resources and executive search, his deep understanding of business strategy, organizational structures, and talent acquisition/ assessment/ development have allowed him to become an invaluable search and business partner to senior executives at a list of Fortune 500 organizations.
Mr. Wilbanks joined The Christopher Group in 2013 and has a record of successful executive search experience across a multitude of industries. He focuses on senior-level executive searches and is a part of the TCG leadership team. He has filled numerous roles for both domestic and global clients such as Stanley Black & Decker, Altria, CDW, Baylor Scott & White, US Foods, and Comcast. Most of his recruitment efforts came from the finance and accounting functions where he led several CFO searches.
The Christopher Group recently recruited Case McGee as chief people officer of Clayton Homes Building Group (CHGB), the largest builder of manufactured housing and modular homes in the U.S. and a Berkshire Hathaway company. “This was one of the more difficult and rewarding searches that we have completed in recent memory,” said Nat Schiffer, managing director, who conducted the assignment with Tobin Anselmi, managing partner. “Clayton Homes has such an incredibly successful and defined culture. They are a legendary employment brand in the region and beyond. They do not often recruit from the outside, especially for C-suite roles, and therefore finding the right fit was 80 percent-plus of the challenge in executing the search. Dr. Anselmi and I interviewed scores of candidates that were technically capable of doing the job – but finding the right chemical profile to successfully assimilate into the Clayton professional family was the real trick. This is another example of our ability to meet the needs of the most discerning clients where the stakes of a failed hire could not be greater,” he added.
Related: The Christopher Group Places CHRO for American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media