Barbara Sheaves - Atlantic HR and Coaching

Barbara is a seasoned business and HR leader with 25 years in progressively responsible leadership roles in both public and private sectors. Her most recent position was VP of Human Resources in the private sector before starting her own HR Advisory and Coaching company. She has extensive experience leading and coaching teams as well as working with leaders and executives on complex people problems and strategies. Most of her experience has been working in Canadian organizations. However, she spent a year living and working in the Middle East as an HR leader, and it was one of the most interesting and fulfilling of her family and professional life.  

Barbara enjoys leading change, innovation, and collaborating with leaders to foster progressive and diverse workplaces. She strives to build a positive culture through transparency, flexibility, accountability, and finding common ground using practical approaches. Some of her specific skills, experience and competencies include:  

• Two decades as an HR leader and executive in human resource planning, recruitment and retention, labour relations, talent and leadership development, diversity and inclusion, change management, compensation and benefits, policy development, occupational health and safety, performance management, and employee engagement. 
•  Strong business and financial acumen built from a university business education and many years of private and public sector business experience. Barbara has broad operational and leadership experience working closely with various management and executive teams in the public and private sectors. 
• Extensive direct people leadership experience from many years of coaching direct reports and building effective teams. 

Barbara holds a Bachelor of Commerce (co-op) and Masters in Business Administration from Memorial University. She is committed to lifelong learning and continues to develop new skills and knowledge. She holds advanced certifications in compensation management (World At Work), Labour Relations (Queen’s University), Change Management (Prosci), and the Directors Education Program (ICD -Rotman School of Business).  In October 2023, she graduated as a Certified High-Performance Coach (CHPC)  from the High-Performance Institute.