WCT Appoints IBM's Director and HR Lead, Tammy Kelly, to its Board of Directors

Tammy Kelly, IBM’s Director and HR Leader was first drawn to HR because of the opportunities it gave her to advocate for people and drive change for the better.

The advancement of technology has also played a role in bolstering that passion. While starting her career in HR, the technology industry began to boom. Across industries, she saw technology make an incredible impact on the HR profession over the past decade.

Tammy feels that employees that are deeply engaged and connected to an organization often have deep alignment with the core purposes and values of that organization.  IBM’s purpose and vision of driving meaningful change and making the world better drove Tammy’s  own professional success. The same applies to businesses in general, to create an environment for success and growth, Tammy believes employees with flexible work options and opportunities for career advancement stick around for the long-run.

Tammy was able to try on many hats that led her to where she is today. While transitioning to more internal HR roles, Tammy took the core principles of consulting with her, adding to professional growth.

Now heading the department with a focus on DEI, Tammy thinks the best way achieve an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace is by being more intentional, taking a step back and looking at the way things have “always been done,” and seeing how it can be done differently.

That should also be reflected when it comes to leadership. Tammy believes that it is critically important for leaders to set the tone from the top, practicing inclusive leadership and fostering a safe environment where everyone has a voice.

With her new appointment to WCT’s National Board of Directors, Tammy can now extend her DEI work to the organization. With IBM being ranked as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for a fourth year in a row, Tammy hopes to grow these best practices at WCT’s table. But like all roles, Tammy believes that the influence will go both ways, hoping to bring the knowledge and growth she will get from WCT to her role at IBM.