Jen Reid, vice-president of human resources
After many years working in international roles, Jen Reid, vice-president of human resources at Shell Canada, returned to Canada and found an organization that had experienced significant change. What stood out most was an opportunity to help employees reconnect with the value of their work and strengthen their sense of pride, purpose, and belonging.
To address this, Reid focused on creating stronger leadership connections and helping employees understand how their individual contributions support broader organizational goals. In an increasingly global and virtual environment, Reid knew building a shared identity and fostering engagement were a key priority.
Her approach to the engagement challenge is deliberate and multi-channel. She helped launch a group called the Canada Leaders Forum, bringing together just over 200 leaders from across the country on a quarterly basis to hear the broader story of Shell Canada's role, significance and opportunity.
Building the capability to lead
At the same time, Reid identified a need to strengthen leadership capability across the organization.
“Many managers were looking for greater confidence in leading people, making difficult decisions, and managing performance effectively,” said Reid. In response, she championed practical leadership development initiatives focused on accountability, decision-making, and people leadership.
Talent development has remained a consistent focus throughout her career. Reid believes that organizations perform best when leaders actively identify, develop, and connect talent to meaningful growth opportunities. According to Reid, equally important is helping people build networks, learn from others, and gain exposure to experiences outside their immediate roles.
Reid’s own career reflects this philosophy.
“By embracing opportunities beyond my comfort zone and remaining open to unfamiliar challenges, I’ve gained diverse experiences that shaped both my leadership approach and business perspective.” Reid’s advice to aspiring HR professionals is simple: seek honest feedback, stay curious, and focus on building capabilities rather than following a rigid career path.
'One of the best experiences'
Reid did not set out to be an HR leader. She came out of Dalhousie University with a double major in biology and psychology, planning to become a doctor. She ended up in a summer job at the CP Hotels in the Canadian Rockies. She moved from front-of-house into HR and became Assistant HR Director at the hotel.
By the time a friend of a friend told her about Shell in 2005, she was ready for something bigger and joined the team.
More than 20 years later, she has no regrets. “I absolutely love what I do. I continue to get so much joy out of it… I feel also such gratitude to be in this role.”
Her advice to HR leaders eyeing a similar path is straightforward: have honest development conversations and resist the urge to be fixed in your career path.
"Make sure that you have those really robust development conversations and be open to whatever comes your way.” Reid says she’s always appreciated having leaders who were intentional about getting her to focus on what she needs in terms of skills, capability, experience, and development.
Embracing AI at Shell Canada
More recently, Reid has championed the use of AI and digital tools to help HR teams work more efficiently and spend more time on strategic, value-adding activities. While enthusiastic about the potential of technology, Reid emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, sound judgment, and maintaining a human-centered approach.
“At its core, my leadership philosophy is grounded in building capable leaders, developing talent, and creating an environment where people feel connected, empowered, and proud of the work they do.”
