The Human Resources (HR) program contains less than five percent of registered bachelor of commerce students at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management. Despite this, a group of students has dedicated themselves to bringing visibility to the field, and fostering community. The Human Resources and Management Association’s (HRMA) mission is to enrich the student experience at Telfer by focusing on HR and management, creating opportunities for professional growth, and strengthening the network of students and industry professionals.

The HRMA, initially the Human Resources Association is a small but impactful organization as it provides valuable events and initiatives for students pursuing HR. However, like many student associations, it faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. As membership dwindled, the remaining members tried to keep the club alive. Post-pandemic, rebuilding the association was challenging, as student engagement remained low and many past initiatives had been put on hold.

In 2023, under Justin Dalphy's leadership, the HRMA began a period of revival. It successfully rebuilt its executive team, strengthened resources, and set the foundation for bigger initiatives. This momentum has continued into the current academic year. Dalphy comments, “When I was elected president in January 2023, the association only had a handful of members. I am very happy to say that over the following year, our team quadrupled in size, added new portfolios and… rebranded ourselves” when prompted on his time as president. When asked what brought upon this success, Justin mentions the HRMA’s exam reviews in 2023. These reviews “connected with hundreds of students and raised hundreds of dollars for charity,” stating how proud of he was of his progress. 

Elected in 2024, Laura Ripper, current president, helped the HRMA expand its initiatives to provide more targeted opportunities for HR students. One of the most significant events this year was held on January 21, a networking and speaker panel featuring individuals from diverse backgrounds in HR, including public, private, and academic sectors. The event attracted the biggest attendance since the HRMA’s rebrand. The success of this event reflects the HRMA’s commitment to continuous presence, growth and impact. Maxine Weinrauch, vice president of events writes that after the event, she “saw one student [leaving] the event after actively participating, asking questions, and really engaging with the speakers the entire time. When I had the chance to talk with them, I learned that they were a third-year finance student but [were] intrigued by HR and wanted to check it out.” The vice-president remarked that “seeing their eyes light up while [discussing] more and sharing my own experiences in HR over the last two years is when I realized this was all worth it. It’s the little moments like that, seeing even one person get as excited about HR as I am, that make it all worthwhile.”

To find these speakers, Matthew Montoni vice president of external affairs discusses his strategy when reaching out to potential collaborators and partners. “I want to be personable, I really want to ensure that they are speaking to an individual and not just a corporate entity. Of course, there is an aspect of professionalism, we are both looking for a mutually beneficial relationship after all! It’s about striking a balance.” When reflecting on his mandate, Montoni comments “I have been lucky to work with representatives from the ORRA, Telfer School of Management, and the HRPA, and have brought in speakers and invited to events… it will be weird to leave the HRMA, I’ve been working with Laura and Lilly for the past two years and have had the chance to make so many good friends, and the HRMA gave me my first real exposure to the [Telfer community.]” 

Laura’s presidency has contained many challenges and successes stating;

“I certainly faced my fair share of challenges as president, whether it is attracting a high-quality team, ensuring our events reach their full potential, or simply managing my responsibilities alongside school, work, and other commitments without burning out. However, the HRMA has collectively worked diligently to build a strong, committed team and to ensure that all club functions reach their full potential. I am incredibly grateful to have an excellent team behind me that has made the HRMA what it is today and will continue to be in the future.”

One of Justin and Laura’s presidential initiatives is to ensure the maintenance of a strong equity diversity, and inclusion (EDI) culture. As an important facet of the human resources industry, the HRMA ensures that this area is well represented. Vice-president of equity diversity, and inclusion Kelly Guelce, emphasizes the importance of his mission stating that he wants to foster “a more inclusive and innovative environment where diverse perspectives are valued. EDI in HR management leads to better decision-making, higher employee engagement, and stronger organizational performance. EDI ensures that all members feel heard, respected, and represented by our association.” 

One of the biggest priorities during the HRMA’s reconstruction was to build an effective executive team able to run their portfolios’ effectively. Yassine Lachgar, vice president of marketing exemplifies this by sharing his three-point approach “collaboration, communication and setting the example.” Lachgar notes that he does his best to increase interactions within his team, as it gives “an overview of the strengths of each individual member so we can foster it as a collective force. That is why setting objectives is very important, quantitative or even qualitative goals ensure commitment and send a clear message of "why?"; why are we investing in this?” Furthermore, the vice president discusses the importance of communication, as “within smaller organizations where everyone has access to talk to execs or even the president. It allows me to get feedback from my directors about micro details that I may overlook, and for them, they feel more at ease as it allows me to give them the space they need to do their work without unnecessary pressure.” Ultimately, Yassine views “setting the example is… the critical point. I make sure to utilize soft skills such as emotional intelligence and leadership to positively influence my team, as I believe that leaders are not made but they are chosen.” 

Similarly, Vinay Kukkala, vice president of finance comments how “some strategies I put into place to ensure financial stability is analyzing opportunities of profitability. I like to approach each decision with multiple perspectives so that we can [determine] if this decision or opportunity is worth the time, resources and effort,” suggesting his financial know-how and leadership prowess. 

As the HRMA looks forward, the club experiences continued growth and expects to have a greater presence within the Telfer School of Management’s club community as it introduces more events, initiatives, and opportunities. By connecting one of the smallest programs at its university, the Human Resources and Management Association showcases its dedication to developing skills and connections.

Works Cited:

Dalphy, Justin, and Lillian Simone VanderMey. “Interview with Justin Dalphy.”

Guelcé, Kelly, and Lillian Simone VanderMey. “Interview with Kelly Guelcé.”

Kukkala, Vinay, and Lillian Simone VanderMey. “Interview with Vinay Kukkala.”

Lachgar, Yassine, and Lillian Simone VanderMey. “Interview with Yassine Lachgar.”

VanderMey, Lillian Simone, and Laura-Marie Ripper. “Interview with Laura-Marie Ripper.”

VanderMey, Lillian Simone, and Matthew Montoni. “Interview with Matthew Montoni.”

Weinrauch, Maxine, and Lillian Simone VanderMey. “Interview with Maxine Weinrauch.”