2017 Hot List Recipient
2020 Hot List Recipient
2021 CEO of the Year
Accolades
Media
Milestones
1992
1997
2011
2013
2017
2020
Begins career working as an attorney at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg in Montreal
1992
Joins Air Canada as assistant general counsel and director of legal services
1997
Moves into HR at Air Canada, becoming senior director of HR
2011
Appointed vice president of HR
2013
Becomes senior vice president of people and culture
2017
Appointed executive vice president, chief HR and communications officer
at Air Canada
2020
Cleared for take-off
Looking back at the summer of 2020, Arielle Meloul-Wechsler recalls one of the toughest times in her career. As executive vice president, chief human resources officer and public affairs at Air Canada, she was involved in the layoff of 20,000 people due to the dramatic assault of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That was the saddest, hardest decision of my career. It wasn't my decision alone but was one of the hardest things I've had to digest.”
Fortunately, Meloul-Wechsler had worked very hard over the years to transform the company’s culture.
“I would say the thing that I'm most proud of is the culture we built,” she says. “We built a very resilient culture … our employees are incredibly empathetic, resilient.”
Air Canada went from being a large, legacy and somewhat bureaucratic company to what it called an 80-year-old start-up, says Meloul-Wechsler.
“We got people to really think in start-up mode, to really think in entrepreneurial mode, to really think like an owner: ‘What would it mean if I was actually in a small mom-and-pop shop where I could make decisions? What decision would I make for the customer?’” she says.
“Those were huge mindset shifts that I'm very proud of.”
The transformation is even more impressive considering that Meloul-Wechsler started her career as a lawyer; she spent five years in private practice before joining Air Canada, where she was in-house counsel for another 14 years.
“I was interested in getting way deeper into the business. I felt like, as external counsel, you get little pieces and snippets of the business, but you don't really form the strategy, and you don't know where your advice goes — you give it and you hope the client takes it, but they don't have to, and you don't really know … now you've got one client, you've got skin in the game, you care about the outcome. You're called to the table as the decisions are being made.”
That’s not to say the work was easy — Air Canada went through various struggles over the years, including bankruptcy protection and both an in-court and out-of-court restructuring.
But that meant “lots of really interesting, juicy work for a commercial lawyer, which also gave me a very deep understanding of the business ... You’re really leaving no stone unturned, so lots of learnings there,” she says.
“That means that your unions and your workforce believe that you're going to treat them right for a decade without them having to have something to hold over your head.”
The company also worked hard on employee communications, holding town halls and meetings with employees for “real, frank discussions” to talk about the business, she says.
“Our employees deserved to know what was really going on, to know what our thinking was, what our business plan was.”
HR also made a point of communicating to all employees in the same way, instead of taking a customized approach, says Meloul-Wechsler.
“Whether you're one of the top leaders in the company or a customer-facing employee or a middle manager, you should have the same information so that you can make your best decisions for the outcome of the business.”
“I had hoped that the foundation and culture we built would never need to be tested the way it had to be tested [with COVID, but] it passed the test. Our employees have been unbelievable … our employees have been on the front line since day one.”
And while the uncertainty continues with the pandemic, Meloul-Wechsler says she is focused on figuring out the workplace of the future.
“How hybrid will it be? How do you get people comfortably back into the office? And I don't mean just safety; I'm not worried about the health and safety aspects of it. It's more the mindset — people have changed the way they look at life.”
Being in the workplace at least a few days a week is “super important”, because a lot is lost through Zoom calls, she says.
“The water-cooler talk, the stuff that happens between meetings, just being with colleagues, all of those things – I think a lot of the creative thinking gets a little bit lost in a totally virtual workplace.
“I don't have a crystal ball, but I firmly believe that a world where everything is fully virtual is not a good thing. And I don't believe that that's where we're going to land.”
Spotlight
And in 2011, the learnings continued when Calin Rovinescu approached Meloul-Wechsler about an HR position, with the mandate of making it more of a business partner role and helping change the culture of the company.
“I had worked on all of the restructurings with him, and he was forward-thinking enough to realize now that we're coming out of it from a financial perspective, we have a lot of repairing to do with our employees, we need to rebuild the trust and get our employees really engaged to get to that next level. Because we knew at that point that our strategy was that we were going to grow to profitability, and we needed to grow the airline, and we needed to get the employees really engaged and on board,” she says.
“It was not an easy decision ... But I can tell you I never looked back … it’s been a great journey and a great run.”
As an example, the airline negotiated 10-year collective bargaining agreements with the pilots and major unions, says Meloul-Wechsler.
Air Canada's predecessor, Trans-Canada Air Lines, had its first flight in 1937. The airline officially took the name Air Canada in 1965. The company provides domestic, U.S. transborder, and international airline services. It is Canada's largest airline and the largest provider of scheduled passenger services in the Canadian market, the Canada–U.S. transborder market, and the international market to and from Canada. In 2019, Air Canada was among the top 20 largest airlines in the world. Its corporate headquarters is in Montreal.
Company Profile
1937
Year founded as Trans-Canada
Air Lines
26,100
No. of active and permanent employees
175
No. of destinations on 5 continents with direct service
35 million
No. of passengers served annually
2021
Year Canada govt acquired 6.4% share of airline
Bio
Spotlight
Milestones
Company Profile
Years of HR experience
11
Fast Facts
Started career as an attorney at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg
Was in-house counsel at Air Canada for 14 years
Member of Air Canada’s executive team since 2013
Named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 by WXN
Arielle
Meloul-Wechsler
Executive vice president, chief human resources officer and public affairs
After two decades as a lawyer, Arielle Meloul-Wechsler made the difficult but rewarding decision to move into HR, and has seen impressive results as an executive at Air Canada
Read on
“Whether you’re one of the top leaders or a customer-facing employee or middle manager, you should have the same information so that you can make your best decisions for the outcome of the business”
Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Air Canada
“I firmly believe that a world where everything is fully virtual is not a good thing. And I don’t believe that that’s where we’re going to land”
Arielle Meloul-Wechsler,
Air Canada
Share
2017 Hot List Recipient
2020 Hot List Recipient
2021 CEO of the Year
Accolades
Media
Milestones
2011
2012
2015
2016
2019
2021
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2011
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2012
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2015
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2016
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2019
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2021
Cleared for take-off
Spotlight
Fundserv is the indispensable connectivity hub for the Canadian investment industry. Headquartered in Toronto, we electronically connect Manufacturers, Distributors, and Intermediaries, enabling them to buy, sell, and transfer investment funds. With more than 100 employees, Fundserv serves hundreds of members—executing up to 63 million yearly network transactions—and provides online access to more than 70,000 investment fund products.
Established in 1993, Fundserv is a private corporation that is owned by the industry we serve. Our 10 shareholders are a cross-section of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Service Providers who represent our members.
We operate using a cost-recovery model, meaning any unused profit may be rebated back to our members. In addition to our network and applications, we lead and facilitate industry committees and working groups that promote automation initiatives and establish the industry’s electronic standards.
By ensuring every trade is processed timely, accurately, and securely, Fundserv has rightfully earned a reputation for service excellence—a hallmark of more than 25 years in the investment industry.
Company Profile
1983
YEAR FOUNDED
100
MANPOWER
43%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN AMONG FUNDSERV EMPLOYEES
60%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
63,514,128
NUMBER OF ORDERS PROCESSED IN 2019
Years of HR experience
11
Fast Facts
Started career as an attorney at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg
Was in-house counsel at Air Canada for 14 years
Member of Air Canada’s executive team since 2013
Named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 by WXN
President and CEO at Fundserv
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
Share
Share
2017 Hot List Recipient
2020 Hot List Recipient
2021 CEO of the Year
Accolades
Media
Milestones
2011
2012
2015
2016
2019
2021
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2011
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2012
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2015
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2016
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2019
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2021
Cleared for take-off
Spotlight
Company Profile
1983
YEAR FOUNDED
100
MANPOWER
43%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN AMONG FUNDSERV EMPLOYEES
60%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
63,514,128
NUMBER OF ORDERS PROCESSED IN 2019
Years of Experience
25
Tenure at current position
2017 - Present
BAsed In
Toronto, Ont.
Fast Facts
Gaining international experience and learning about different people and cultures
President and CEO at Fundserv
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
“Whether you’re one of the top leaders or a customer-facing employee or middle manager, you should have the same information so that you can make your best decisions for the outcome of the business”
Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Air Canada
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“I firmly believe that a world where everything is fully virtual is not a good thing. And I don’t believe that that’s where we’re going to land”
Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Air Canada
Copyright © 2022 Key Media
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“I firmly believe that a world where everything is fully virtual is not a good thing. And I don’t believe that that’s where we’re going to land”
Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Air Canada
Copyright © 2022 Key Media
RSS
Advisory board
Authors
Enquiry
About us
Terms of Use
External contributors
Privacy
Contact us
Advertise
Newsletter
News
Focus Areas
EMPLOYMENT LAW
LABOUR
Resources
Best in HR
Subscribe
News
Focus Areas
EMPLOYMENT LAW
LABOUR
Resources
Best in HR
Subscribe