It was as an assistant to the Executive Director of the Jewish General Hospital that Amina Talib entered the health and social services field in 1992.
“My professional path has introduced me to many areas within the network, and it has been fascinating to trace its evolution over more than 25 years,” says Ms. Talib, who took up her new position in December. “The healthcare landscape is very different from when I was in charge of the telecommunications department at the JGH or a programming officer responsible for teaching at CLSC Côte-des-Neiges.”
“I have also witnessed, since my early days as a labour relations advisor in 2006, many positive changes in that area, in how we support and train managers or simply manage a work team.”
Ms. Talib has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology from McGill University and a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Montreal. She has worked in various directorates and institutions, including the CSSS Cavendish and de la Montagne. As Chief of Labour Relations in our CIUSSS, a position she started in 2015, she formed a team of managers and professionals with whom she developed a new, global model for working that integrated the many sites and their unions—each with their distinctive cultures and mandates—into a single, large organization.
Ms. Talib became Labour Relations Coordinator in January 2017. She was responsible for following up on disciplinary and administrative matters with managers, for the policy regarding civility and the prevention of harassment and violence in the workplace, as well as for the coordination of local negotiations. She has also been involved in formulating the mission and strategic vision of the greatly expanded HR Department. “My objective as a senior manager is to ensure that we are responding to individual staff, as well as teams, efficiently and helpfully,” attests Ms. Talib. “Together, we will build those relationships and work collaboratively to identify solutions. Ultimately, our CIUSSS will benefit from improved performance if our staff feel valued and motivated to uphold our culture of excellence.”
Ms. Talib says that she is humbled to be succeeding Keith Hardie, who was acting Associate Director for several years. “I am very grateful to have had him as a mentor. He paved the way for the ongoing reorganization of HR so that we can strive to meet the needs of everyone we serve. Through his leadership and example, and with the help of DRHCAJ Director Beverly Kravitz, I am eager and confident to take on this role.”
The goals of the new HR Associate Director are to support the development of a culture of collaboration, compassion and excellence. “My greatest wish is for the entire HR team to work together to provide the best possible service to the managers and employees of our organization,” says Ms. Talib.