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 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
Mid-career, Debbie took a detour from her profession as an oil & gas geologist to make people the heart of every business.
Debbie champions BOWEN Group’s strategic processes. 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, Corporate Services
Jeffrey drives transformation at BOWEN Group, heading up our IT and finance departments.
Jeffrey 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.
For the past 20 years, Jeffrey has worn several hats at BOWEN and is instrumental in the success of the organization’s continued growth. Jeffrey leads the company’s technology strategy and has held roles of increasing responsibility from desktop support and training to IT oversight and strategy.
Jeffrey holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems from DeVry Institute of Technology.
Patricia Kaiser, B.Comm, ICD.D, Vice President, Corporate Development
As a VP, Corporate Development for BOWEN, Pat brings more than 25 years of professional services and executive experience to the role.
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 Services Provider. In 2019, Pat was shortlisted as Business Leader of the Year for Women in IT Canada. She is excited to be working with an organization focused on “making people matter” and helping expand BOWEN into new geographies, industries and service offerings to place the company as a dominant leader in the Talent Delivery marketplace.
Giving back to the community is Pat’s priority. She currently serves as Chair of the Governance & HR Committee on the Board of the Calgary Homeless Foundation. Pat holds a B. Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan, attended Queens University’s Executive Marketing program, earned her ICD.D from the Rotman School of Business and has been a regular lecturer at the University of Calgary.
Dave Aikenhead, CPA, Vice President, Finance
A belief in agility and innovation directs Dave’s leadership at BOWEN Group.
Dave guides the finance and accounting teams in efficiently and effectively powering BOWEN Group and its clients forward. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the company with nearly 20 years of experience in finance positions.
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.
Amelia McLarnon, BA, Team Lead, Recruitment Solutions
As Team Lead, Recruitment Solutions, Amelia is instrumental in providing our clients with specialized talent sourcing solutions that are customized to their specific requirements. With more than six years’ experience in human resources, Amelia brings with her the ability to lead BOWEN’s recruitment team while also providing senior recruitment solutions within the IT and Technical spaces.
Before coming to BOWEN, Amelia worked for Korn Ferry Hay Group, a global organizational consulting and executive recruitment firm. Her focus is on finding the right skills and fit for our clients as well as building out BOWEN’s talent pool for future workforce needs.
Amelia holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University.
Lindsay Hatt, BA, Team Lead, Contingent Workforce Management
As Team Lead, Contingent Workforce Management, Lindsay oversees client and contractor daily operations. She strives to maintain an intersectional approach to Human Resource Management to provide clients and contractors with equitable solutions to their needs.
She joined BOWEN in 2018 and has since worked on both the Recruitment Services and Contingent Workforce Management teams providing her with a holistic look at how BOWEN operates to best support its clients and contractors.
Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Arts with a Joint Major in International Development and Women and Gender Studies from St. Francis Xavier University. She is currently pursuing her Diploma in Human Resource Management from the University of Calgary with the continued goal of obtaining her CPHR designation.
Roni Furgeson, DBA, Office Manager
Roni is the energy that keeps BOWEN Group going above and beyond.
As the Office Manager at BOWEN Group, Roni brings individuals together to harness the power of people.
With more than 15 years of office management experience, Roni leads the Corporate Administration team to deliver HR operations and office procedures. Her expertise provides BOWEN Group and its clients with the tools necessary to overcome complex problems with innovative solutions. Whether it’s through correspondence or support, Roni makes sure each individual BOWEN Group works with is cared for.
Roni holds a Diploma of Business Administration in Marketing from Mount Royal University.
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