Heather Black
Summary
Executive Search Professional with 30 years of manufacturing industry experience and a background in marketing, public relations, and business development accompanied by over 6 years’ experience in full-cycle recruitment. Specializing in seeking out top-tier and diverse talent, building relationships with both employers and candidates, and leveraging knowledge and insights of emerging trends to help employers understand the hiring landscape. Passionate about ensuring a positive candidate experience throughout the hiring process.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Managing Director, Talent & Strategy
Connecting for Results
Toronto, ON
01.2020 - Current
- Led the recruitment division, managing customer acquisition, contract execution, and negotiations
- Spearheaded full-cycle recruitment efforts, successfully placing top-tier and diverse talent within the manufacturing industry, resulting in a 25% increase in productivity and a 15% reduction in time-to-fill positions
- Orchestrated comprehensive talent acquisition strategies to identify and engage top-tier candidates, resulting in a 30% increase in diverse hires
- Conduct in-depth intake meetings with hiring managers to understand role requirements, discuss sourcing strategies, develop job postings, conduct interviews, complete reference checks and extend job offers
- Proactively create pipelines of external candidates for key and frequently open positions
Print Industry Consultant
Freely Connect
St. George, ON
01.2018 - 01.2022
- Sold Global customers on moving production to Canada for faster deliver to Canadian customers, matching current production materials and manufacturing processes
- Successfully prospected and sold book printing customer in the UK and Australia and oversaw book production of over 1400 books a day during the peak holiday period
- Led the acquisition of Blacks.ca, securing new business for lay-flat books
- Managed the onboarding process, provided expert guidance on cover materials and book sizes, and oversaw the development of book samples
- Achieved a significant 40% increase in monthly revenue from new clients
- Recommended shipping partners and pricing, handled SLA Agreements and contract negotiations.
Business Development Manager
Fujifilm Canada
Mississauga, ON
01.2011 - 01.2018
- Spearheaded and executed business strategies to grow photo-gifting business resulting in an increase in sales of over $4.5M while maintaining corporate target margin on all products sold
- Prospected, presented and sold photo-gifting programs to customers such as Staples Canada, Walmart Canada, Costco Canada, and Henrys Camera
- Led significant growth of Costco Canada’s personalized photo site by selling in new product lines resulting in 17% increase in revenue
- Developed a new online business channel with a focus on non-seasonal revenue resulting in a 12% increase in revenue
- Led Google Photos Canadian photobook launch, recommended product mix, pricing, book construction and managed contract negotiations.
VP Talent & Client Services
Mary Black Recruiting
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Managed all phases of recruiting from initial sourcing of high-caliber candidates and screening through offer negotiations, placement, and onboarding
- Provided career coaching to candidates, and made suggestions for resume optimization, provided tips for interview preparation, and handled skills assessment testing
- Developed recruitment campaigns which increased candidate sign-ups on the MBR website by 32%
- Maintained the engagement and commitment of clients throughout the recruitment process, managing expectations, providing support in the decision-making process
- Actively participated in industry associations and university programs, to promote opportunities listed on MBRs job board.
VP Sales & Marketing
GalaVu Entertainment Network Inc.
North York, ON
01.1999 - 01.2008
- Directed sales, marketing, and public relations for video-on-demand company with over 8M annual customers
- Sold VOD technology to hotels resulting in $1.2M in annual sales, exceeding target by 20%
- Transformed GalaVu’s guest user interface and monthly collateral materials to market programming choices more effectively, resulting in 17% increase in buy rates
- Researched, developed, and launched new content channels including Better Life TV and KidzTV
- Conceptualized and implemented movie-centric promotions relating to theatrical properties, such as Spy Kids and Harry Potter, resulting in 15% increase in buy rates during promotion periods.
VP Sales & Marketing
Colour Technologies Inc.
Toronto, ON
01.1995 - 01.1999
- Led sales efforts for a $11M pre-press print company specializing in publishing, packaging and point of sale materials and served as driving force behind growth due to acquisition of major account contracts with companies such as LCBO, Molsons, Canadian Living and Sunflight Holidays
- Spearheaded sales strategy implementation, budget planning and contract negotiations
- Personally generated over $2.5M in annual sales while managing a sales team of 6 sales representatives
Education
Public Relations Advanced Diploma -
Humber College
Digital Marketing Certificate (Honors) -
Canadian Marketing Association
Building Brand Equity -
Schulich School of Business
Finance for Non-Financial Managers -
Schulich School of Business
Skills
- 360 Recruitment
- Candidate Sourcing
- Interviews & Screening
- Offer Negotiation
- Contract Negotiation
- Strategic planning
- Business Development
- Mentoring and Training
Volunteer Experieince
- Print Wisdom Mentorship Program, Ryerson University, Career Mentor, 02/2020, Present
- Ontario Printing and Imaging Association, Board of Directors, 01/2021, Present
- Oakville Power Boat Club, Board of Directors, 10/2019, 11/2020
- Million Dollar Smiles, Marketing Director, 2009, 2019
Timeline
Managing Director, Talent & Strategy
Connecting for Results
01.2020 - Current
Print Industry Consultant
Freely Connect
01.2018 - 01.2022
Business Development Manager
Fujifilm Canada
01.2011 - 01.2018
VP Talent & Client Services
Mary Black Recruiting
01.2008 - 01.2010
VP Sales & Marketing
GalaVu Entertainment Network Inc.
01.1999 - 01.2008
VP Sales & Marketing
Colour Technologies Inc.
01.1995 - 01.1999
Public Relations Advanced Diploma -
Humber College
Digital Marketing Certificate (Honors) -
Canadian Marketing Association
Building Brand Equity -
Schulich School of Business
Finance for Non-Financial Managers -
Schulich School of Business
Similar Profiles
Sophie HemburrowSophie Hemburrow
Disability Support Worker at Connecting To AustraliaDisability Support Worker at Connecting To Australia
Ke (KK) WuKe (KK) Wu
Free Lance Interpretor at Connecting NowFree Lance Interpretor at Connecting Now
Ikhinmwin EnoghayinIkhinmwin Enoghayin
Therapeutic Specialist at Connecting FamilyTherapeutic Specialist at Connecting Family
Sangeetha RamanandSangeetha Ramanand
Director of Talent Acquisition | Talent Strategy & Development | HR Operations Leader at Photon InfotechDirector of Talent Acquisition | Talent Strategy & Development | HR Operations Leader at Photon Infotech
Christopher MylesChristopher Myles
Managing Director – Procurement Strategy and Planning at Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada - CIBCManaging Director – Procurement Strategy and Planning at Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada - CIBC