Member Spotlight: Lions Global

Lions Global is 100% Aboriginal owned. An industry leader in the energy sector they are a placement and professional services firm specializing in sourcing top talent, including from women and other minority pools. The CNA recently sat down with RJ Roux, Vice-President, Human Capital Services for Lions Global.

You specialize in acquiring top talent in the energy sector.

We have extensive experience in managing and staffing nuclear projects. In fact, we are the only aboriginal owned professional services company in Ontario that has nuclear and hydro expertise and references.

Sounds like you are pretty unique?

We are. We are very nimble and we place positions of all levels, from junior people who are just starting their careers to Vice-Presidents including subject matter experts. We invest a great deal of time sourcing minorities and women. We are also a member of the CCAB (Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business), and one of our strengths is contributing to member organizations in support of their commitment to the CCAB PAR Program and certification.

What is your approach to finding top talent?

We are unique in our size as we are smaller than other global firms. This way we are more nimble and adapt faster to our clients needs. We are industry specialists focusing our attention on the energy sector. Our clients have access to industry experts that most other firms might not have on staff. We go everywhere to find the right candidates. Colleges and universities, industry seminars, conferences, social media venues, you name it. We like to focus on people with 5-15 years of experience because that is the biggest gap in the energy industry. Basically, the hardest people to find are what we do. It’s the most fun!

What advice would you give someone who’s looking for the next career move?

You have to keep your resume updated. LinkedIn is a great way of networking professionally. If you are looking at a job posting, find out who the job reports to, find them and network with the hiring manager because that is the person with the need. Also make sure you check the content of your resume and that it matches with the roles and responsibilities of the job posting. It is not the quantity of applications you put out there, it’s the quality. You only need one job.  Also, remember to invest in your professional development through continuing education coursework, training, seminars, this is key to managing your career.