‘We are a small but mighty team’

It’s been just under a year since Leanne Dixon joined the Halifax Port Authority (HPA).

But that’s more than enough time for her to get settled in as vice-president of talent and communications.

That’s because the senior HR executive has a solid foundation working in human resources in the trades, having worked for a combined 13 years at both Nova Scotia Power and Emera, along with seven years as a consultant for the provincial government.

“When you put people first, you align them to a clear vision, the results follow. And that’s what energizes me every day,” she says.

Intersection of people, purpose, performance

Dixon’s journey into HR began after a bachelor’s degree in psychology and French from Dalhousie University, with that study of the mind and behaviour being a natural fit for the profession.

“For me, it’s really looking at how you take the intersection of people, purpose, performance and build on that,” she says.

“Early in my career, I saw how providing clarity, coaching and care really unlocks teams and the potential of teams.”

Having worked in different sectors of government, healthcare, energy and port operations, the through-line is the same, says Dixon, adding she’s proud of her work focusing on employee engagement, modernizing policies and supporting safe, high-reliability operations, “always with a lens on inclusion and wellbeing.”

HR has given her a platform to design those conditions at scale, she says: “So, building leaders, shaping culture, stewarding change, which I think is really important.”

Port of Halifax: ‘Gateway to the world’

The Port of Halifax has roughly 100 employees, with a mix of unionized and non-unionized workers.

“I say we are a small but mighty team because we are a gateway to the world, if you will,” she says, highlighting the advantage of being a naturally deep, ice-free port capable of handling today's “super-ships” or largest container vessels.

Nearly 40 per cent of the global container ship capacity is concentrated on a very large and ultra-large container ships, says Dixon, which is why the port is focused on strategic infrastructure investments to ensure Halifax continues be an important role in Canada's supply chain.

‘I’m really excited about the future of the port. We’re really well-positioned to be a meaningful player in the supply chain for the country.”

Career growth, clear communication

Top HR priorities at the port including career growth, embedding safety and inclusion, and clear communication, says Dixon.

“It’s really doubling down on our talent management systems and how clear communications will help unlock all those pieces.”

For the latter, it’s about boosting the visibility of the port, as “the Atlantic provinces often punch above their weight,” she says.

“There's a great opportunity for us to tell the story around how the port really contributes to the economy of Canada, and how this natural resource of a deep port can actually not just help the Maritimes but all of Canada.”

^{(From left: Leanne Dixon; Jody Bayers, director or HR; and Lori MacLean, director of communications & marketing.)}

Dixon’s new role includes communications, which she says is the whole reason why she made the change.

“Bringing comms and HR together, and the internal and external voice, to me, is a bit of a dream job,” she says. “People and culture defines how we work, who we are, and communications ensures that the world sees it accurately and it’s accessible.”

And both people and culture and communications are grounded in the organization’s strategy and values, says Dixon, “making sure that we’re putting forward what matters and we’re communicating in plain, inclusive language.”

Fitting AI into communications

Practically, that means having internal forums where messages are tested and culture plans are created, along with leadership development and employee engagement tools. And then there’s an external playbook that aligns media, community and stakeholder engagement, she says.

“The values that we live internally, for our employees, and how we engage with those externally, they’re the same values.”

As for the role of AI in communications, Dixon says it’s a “game-changer,” much like the internet was — though she admits the environmental impact is a concern.

“I think AI is very much a tool. I recall learning how to use the Internet — people were worried that we weren’t going to do research anymore. [But] we find a way for these tools to actually enhance the workplace.”

While Dixon says she’s not an early adopter, she’s also not far behind.

“I don’t see AI as cheating; I see it as an efficiency tool. It’s only as good as the critical thinking you put into it.

Building talent pipeline at HPA

Looking to maintain a talent pipeline, the Port of Halifax has a strong co-op program for students, with networking events, learning sessions and mentoring opportunities.

It’s a win-win, she says, as the students gain meaningful, paid experience while the port learns fresh perspectives from them to build across operations, environment, communications and IT.

“We do try to bring students from a variety of backgrounds, because the innovative thought, the backgrounds that they have, will bring new ideas that we may not have thought of,” says Dixon, adding that students have the opportunity to see an ISO-certified system in action. “They get to contribute to real projects.”

Like many employers, it can be a challenge to find the right people for certain positions, especially highly skilled labour, and the Port of Halifax is working towards becoming an employer of choice.

“We’re looking at our systems and benefits and perks and our culture to make sure that we are a place people want to work,” she says.

“Being federally regulated, we also have a priority to try to bring people in who can speak both official languages. And so that can be an added complexity — not all of our roles require that, but certainly anything that's public‑facing, that is our preference.”

Change management insights

Over her career, Dixon says highlights have involved people-centric transformation in complex, public-interest environments.

And in achieving certification in change management, she came to better understand transformation and how to alter a complex organization: “The stakes are human, the systems are complex,” she says.

Dixon says she’s come to better understand that change management is about finding both change champions and “resistors with influence.”

“[The training] takes those natural influence concepts and puts them into a paradigm or a framework where you can actually strategize it and think it through and plan,” she says.

“For me, the point in my career where I did take that training and did begin building change‑management teams — because I was actually leading a team of seven change managers in my last place of work… and its tie to HR, to me, is a really good synergy.”