Our Team
Striving for the best requires the best.
Our Team
Striving for the best requires the best.
Meet the Team
We believe you are only as good as the company you keep, striving for the best requires the best. We have industry experts that are always one step ahead, so you can be too.
Shannon Bowen-Smed, CEO
Shannon joined BOWEN Group in 1984 and worked her way up the ranks, becoming the CEO in 1996.
She has helped grow the company from an employment agency to an industry leader, delivering recruitment and contingent workforce management solutions from coast to coast. The organization has also grown from a million dollars in annual sales to 100,000 million during her tenure. BOWEN Group has been named a Best Managed Company by Deloitte Canada in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Shannon is also highly accomplished and recognized in the Canadian workforce. Recently, Shannon was named a SHEInnovator by the United Nations, 2018 Women Business Enterprise of the Year, has a Lifetime Achievement award PROFIT/Chatelaine Top 100 Female Entrepreneur and 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year.
Outside of the organization, Shannon also serves as a Board Chair for the Bow Valley College, is a member of the Calgary Economic Development Board of Directors and is an advisor to the Business Faculty at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT).
Debbie Wershler, P. Geol, President
As President, Debbie champions BOWEN Group’s strategic processes and is responsible for the overall day to day operations. For 15 years, she has led BOWEN’s recruitment, contract management and outsourced HR solutions policies and operations. She’s well-versed in Canadian employment law and regulatory framework and spearheaded the development of BOWEN Group’s Health and Safety program to become COR certified.
Jeffrey Bowen, BSc, Vice President, IS and Service Solutions
Jeffrey drives transformation at BOWEN Group and leads a team of dedicated experts to help the organization and its clients gain operating efficiencies and reduce costs with cutting-edge technology. With an IT career that spans almost 20 years, Jeffrey brings considerable experience to BOWEN Group’s clients in operations, project management, IT strategy and leadership.
Patricia Kaiser, B.Comm, ICD.D, Vice President, Corporate Development
As VP, Corporate Development for BOWEN Group, Pat brings more than 25 years of professional services and executive experience to the role. She is responsible for brand development, market presence, client acquisition and retention and the overall profitable growth of the organization.
Previously, she was the Interim President and COO for MacKay CEO Forums and COO for Sierra Systems, which was sold to NTT DATA Services, a Top 10 Global IT Services Provider. In 2019, Pat was shortlisted as Business Leader of the Year for Women in IT Canada.
Pat currently serves as Board Chair for the Calgary Homeless Foundation and is on the Board of the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO).
She holds a B. Comm in Marketing from the University of Saskatchewan, attended Queens University’s Executive Marketing program, and earned her ICD.D from the Rotman School of Business.
Dave Aikenhead, CPA, Vice President, Finance
As VP, Finance Dave’s leadership style of focusing on agility and innovation guides the finance and accounting teams in efficiently and effectively powering BOWEN Group and its clients. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the company with nearly 20 years of experience in finance positions.
Karyn Bond, Director, Contingent Workforce Management
As Director, Contingent Workforce Management, Karyn provides strategic and function leadership in building new, long-term sustainable processes for managing high volumes of contingent workers. She has overall accountability for the growth, operation, and profitability of the CWM department.
With more than 17 years of progressive experience in business development both nationally and across North America, Karyn brings an extensive knowledge of technology-based solutions for continued growth in business operations. Her results-driven nature and people-first mindset provide a consultative approach to clients, resulting in increased profit levels, added value and consistencies.
Karyn is a lifelong learner and has completed a variety of courses and certificates over the last 28 years.
Julian Hallett, BBA, Director, Corporate Development
As head of Corporate Development, Julian shares BOWEN Group’s vision for making people matter. Julian is passionate about introducing businesses to people strategies that enhance workplaces and help them address unsolved business problems. He’s known for building strong relationships and helping BOWEN clients achieve results.
Norka Thompson, BA, Senior Recruitment Specialist
As BOWEN Group’s Senior Recruitment Specialist, Norka’s primary focus is on matching companies with top talent. Norka is a seasoned recruitment professional with more than seven years of HR experience, three of which include executive search.
Her previous experience in Human Resources and Recruitment roles across diverse industries for management to leadership positions has propelled her into creating a strong impact at BOWEN through her role as a Senior Recruitment Specialist. Clients enjoy her energetic and engaged personality as well as her commitment to finding the right fit.
Norka holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Universidad Alas Peruanas with a certificate in Recruitment Techniques from CENTRUM Graduate Business School.
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