Sunshine list: Top HR leader earned $573,000 in 2025

Ontario’s latest “sunshine list” shows that human resources and people‑strategy leaders are among the best‑paid executives in the provincial public sector, with several HR execs earning well over $350,000 in 2025.

The 2025 Public Sector Salary Disclosure details the salaries and taxable benefits of public employees earning $100,000 or more last year.

Ontario’s Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, 1996 requires organizations that receive public funding from the government to make public, by March 31 each year, the names and positions of these employees.

Academic HR dominates top earners

Easily topping the list in the HR realm is Glen Whyte, professor of organizational behaviour and human resource management at the University of Toronto, earning $572,792 in 2025.

The university has several professors of organizational behaviour and human resource management high up on the list:

• Gary Latham $477,858
• Geoffrey Leonardelli: $406,330
• Jia Lin Xie: $397,232
• Stephane Cote: $393,115
• Tiziana Casciaro: $383,098
• Maria Rotundo: $375,999
• Chenbo Zhong: $373,302.

Other University of Toronto academics also appear in the top 25 HR leaders:

• Tiziana Casciaro, professor of organizational behaviour: $383,098
• Katherine Decelles, professor of organizational behaviour: $382,655
• Marlys Christianson, associate professor of organizational behaviour: $362,614.

The University of Toronto’s internal HR leadership is also among that group:

• Kelly Hannah-Moffatt, vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture: $435,550
• Alexander Brat, senior executive director of labour relations: $366,999
• Erin Jackson, assistant vice-president of university human resources: $352,865.

OPG in top 25 once again

In the non-academic realm, Cynthia Domjancic, senior vice-president of human resources and chief ethics officer at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), easily tops the list, earning $544,722.

The public‑sector energy giant reported multiple HR‑related executives with compensation in the high $300,000s in 2025:

• Del Pino Aaron, vice president of labour relations: $397,642
• Nirav Patel, vice president of human resources: $366,051
• Jennifer Bond, vice president of human resources operations: $364,388.

Also in the $400,000 realm of the sunshine list is Kenneth Mark Spencer, executive vice president of people and culture at the University Health Network (UHN) at $453,842 in 2025, making him one of the most highly paid HR‑focused executives in the broader public sector.

Following close behind are Joni Kent, president and corporate CHRO at the Baycrest Corporate Centre for Geriatric Care, earning $426,482, and Anna Filice, chief people officer at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, earning $418,207.

Hospitals, utilities, transit leading HR pay

Senior HR executives in hospitals, utilities, transit and other agencies are also seeing healthy compensation levels in Ontario.

In the healthcare sector, the Hospital for Sick Children’s vice president of human resources, Susan O’Dowd, earned $379,526 in 2025, followed by Ontario Health’s chief human resources officer, Valerie Duffey, at $355,369.

In the municipal sector, City of Toronto chief people officer Mary Madigan‑Lee earned $357,357 in 2025.

At the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, executive vice president of pensions Andrew Fung earned $389,657.

Also in the top 25 for the 2025 sunshine list was Ramneet Aujla, CHRO at transit agency Metrolinx, earning $353,862.

Top 25 HR leaders in Ontario’s public service