John Sullivan, president and chief executive officer of The Cadillac Fairview Corporation, was honoured during the second-annual Canadian HR Awards, which recognize the crème de la crème of the HR industry.

During the black-tie gala held on September 17, 2015, Sullivan received the Aird & Berlis LLP Award for Canadian HR Champion – CEO of the Year. With 25 years of real estate experience in acquisitions and dispositions, asset management and development, he continues to oversee the operation and management of the company’s commercial real estate and its growth strategy to support the long-term investment focus of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

Also among the nineteen award winners was Dawn Farahani, people services project manager (North America) at Colliers International, who won the Beyond Boardrooms Award for Canadian HR Rising Star of the Year. The Beneplan Co-Operative Award for HR Team of the Year (fewer than 500 employees in Canada) went to the Artis REIT HR Team, and The Venngo Award for Best Employee Engagement Strategy was given to the Great Wolf Lodge (Jim Pattison Group).

A judging panel vetted hundreds of nominations before exhaustively adjudicating the final selection. The awards recognize companies and individuals across the country who represent excellence in people management.