Company Profile

GWR Consulting began in 2005 when Gary Robertson formed a full-service human resources management company to meet the growing workplace / workforce needs of Ontario construction employer clients. Since then, GWR Consulting has expanded to include clientele in the non-profit, legal, manufacturing, utilities, and transportation industries.

GWR Consulting has strategic alliances with subject matter experts who also serve as associates in the following areas:

- Insurance Benefits and Pension Plan Comparisons and Selection
- Occupational Health Services
- Disability Management Services
- Customer Service
- Executive Recruitment
- Executive Coaching
- Legal Services
- Process Improvement
- Project Management
- Occupational Health and Safety Services
- Workplace Diversity Training and Management

Gary offers a unique combination of practical experience within globally ranked businesses and insight into industry policies and procedures. His background includes almost two decades of progressive experience, holding senior positions in human resources and labour relations/safety in leading Canadian industrial and construction companies and associated service organizations. A past President of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations, he was HR Specialist for the Electrical Contractors Association Ontario and, more recently, Advisor on Policy and Research for the Employers' Advocacy Council. Gary has played a principal role in the establishment of several WSIB safety groups and holds key advisory roles in this area. He is an accomplished instructor and workshop leader/developer, and a published researcher through the University of Toronto Department of Civil Engineering, with whom he is still involved. A selected overview of his experience follows; a more extensive C.V. is available upon request.

Industry Activity (Past and Present) - Gary Robertson

- Member, Canadian Society of Safety Engineering
- Member, Contractor Advisory Council, Electrical Safety Authority
- Secretary, Electrical Utilities Contractors Committee, ECAO
- Secretary, Joint Electrical Promotion Plan, ECAO / IBEW
- Co-Chair, IBEW / ECAO Trade Safety Committee
- Co-sponsor, University of Toronto Research Project, Attitudes and Incident Causal Modeling for Construction
- Course Designer / Instructor, Construction Project Management, University of Waterloo
- Secretary, Employers Council of Ontario
- Vice-President, Mechanical Contractors Association of Hamilton
- Director, Hamilton Construction Association
- Chair, Workers’ Compensation Committee, Council of Ontario Construction Associations
- Member, Workplace Safety Insurance Board of Ontario, Consultation Advisory Group, Employer Stakeholder Committee
- Executive Committee Member, Ontario Construction Users Council
- Co-Chair, Labour Relations Committee, Ontario Construction User Council
- Chair, Workplace Safety and Insurance Committee, Mechanical Contractors Association of Ontario
- Member, Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO), Provincial Labour/Management Safety Committee
- Co-Chair, Occupational Disease and Research Committee, CSAO
- Chair, Hamilton Regional Labour/Management Safety Committee
- Co-Chair, Ironworker Provincial Advisory Committee / Trustee, Apprenticeship Committee
- Trustee, Boilermaker Provincial Advisory Committee / Apprenticeship Committee
- Trustee, UA Plumbers/Steamfitters - Hamilton Joint Training and Apprenticeship Council
- President, Council of Ontario Construction Associations

Selected Experience and Skills

- Negotiated project agreements on behalf of the steel industry owner clients, contractors and the building trades unions.
- Designed and managed innovative safety prevention programmes resulting in 0 Lost-Time Injuries for over 7 million person-hours
- Created and implemented quality management systems for several prominent firms in the construction industry, leading them to rank amongst the best performers in North America.
- Participated in the development of corporate business plans and programmes as a strategic partner, particularly from the perspective of the impact on human resources.
- Translated strategic and tactical business plans into HR strategic and operational plans.
- Developed positive relationships and credibility with key members of international multi-unit business teams and consulted with corporate boards on organizational issues related to the attainment of business plans.
- Led frontline management in identifying needs, hiring, developing and retaining outstanding people.
- Created and supported employee practices that built individual and organization capability and contributed to high performance cultures.
- Designed and implemented reward systems designed to recognize and drive high performance.
- Proactively led labour relations strategies/negotiations and their execution for local and international corporate groups.
- Administered and interpreted industrial, construction and public sector collective agreements resulting in significant reductions in grievances and labour disputes.
- Developed alternative dispute resolution processes to identify problem areas and resolve issues.
- Elevated the human resources function to the role of key business partner through strengthening the role and skills of organizational HR staff.
- Developed and implemented training programmes to ensure employees maintained a level of knowledge and expertise at the highest level.
- Hands-on knowledge in leadership/organization development, compensation, benefits, employee/labor relations, training, change management and TQM.
- Developed and instituted proactive disability management systems to improve the early and safe return-to-work of injured workers.
- Designed and implemented national employment equity (workforce diversity) and pay equity programmes.

Accreditation

- Certified Human Resources Professional (C.H.R.P.) designation from the Human Resources Professionals Association Ontario

- Advanced Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution, University of Windsor Law School

- Commendation from the Mayor of Toronto for Race Relations Outreach work

- Certified Service Quality Instructor, Achieve Group International

- Certified Instructor for "Basics of Supervision" Course, Construction Safety Association of Ontario