About Us
HRO Core Inc. assists organizations and individuals to achieve greater wellness, focus, self awareness and resilience. We do this by working closely together on benefits, wellness programs and mindfulness training and support.
At HRO Core Inc. we are committed to:
Serving our clients with knowledge, passion, energy, and creativity.
Assisting individuals to achieve their unlimited potential.
Continuously improving our processes and ourselves and bringing this to the world of business.
The Team
Bryan burns, MEc, Bcomm - President
Bryan's focus is helping people and organizations be healthier, more effective and more resilient. His work includes teaching mindfulness, consulting on benefits, leading client engagements and other wellness services to support wellbeing. In parallel with his professional life, Bryan has also worked in the field of emotional intelligence and has decades of experience practicing and teaching mindfulness and yoga - initially connecting with mindfulness as a sprint canoer. He has a Masters in E-Commerce from Dalhousie and has been an entrepreneur for nearly 20 years. Nowadays he still loves paddling his SUP board when he's not with his family including two year old baby Jasper.
Jennifer Hicks, CPHR - VICE PRESIDENT & Consultant
Jenn is a dynamic, and strategic human resources consultant, passionate about helping businesses thrive. She enjoys assisting organizations to create engaged, high performing, healthy places for people to work together towards common goals.
Fascinated by organizational psychology, and certified as a human resources professional, she brings a practical approach to best practice advice, while exemplifying a pro-active, customer-driven approach to resolving workplace issues.
This approach has also served her well when meeting the demands of her children, Elisabeth and Jacob, aged 8 and 2, and she is often seen attempting to train her puppy, Captain.
Audra Mccreesh, - Senior Consultant
Audra is a Strategic HR partner who brings a lens for risk mitigation and creative thinking. As a senior leader in corporate HQs she has led people operations for global brands in hospitality, retail and manufacturing in North America and Europe.
Audra holds a deep commitment to Inclusion Diversity Equity Access (IDEA) having won a Canadian IDEA award. She has broad expertise in HR program development, project management, talent acquisition, talent management and employee retention. She is certified in Prosci Change Management, Development Dimensions International (DDI) facilitation, Predictive Index Management, Situational Leadership and Lean Six Sigma (Yellow belt).
Outside of work, Audra volunteers at a local animal rescue charity and is rehabilitating a rescue dog and follows Team McLaren in Formula 1. She is a member of the Board of Skills Canada-Nova Scotia and NSCC Alumni & Advocacy Committee. She holds a Bachelor in Business Management from Cardiff Metropolitan University and an Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management from L’Universite Savoie Mont Blanc.
Liam Cook - Director of Operations and Consultant
Liam is an experienced consultant having worked in various industries in consulting, sales, technology and business development roles. With strong backgrounds in customer service, web development, and software development. He leads Human Resource Information System (HRIS) consulting at HRO Core. He also manages HRO Core's technology and leads operations internally. Outside of his professional life, Liam enjoys golfing, going to the gym, coaching football, Formula 1 and discovering new music. Liam is currently finishing his Computer Science degree at Dalhousie University.
Fiona Cappelli - Junior Consultant
Fiona has a passion for uncovering the needs of organizations within different industries and strives to understand their goals. She gained experience in talent recruitment management for a major contracting and construction group - working with and supporting managers in screening, recruiting, onboarding within regional organizations and organizations with multiple locations alike. Additionally, she has experience in customer service, tourism and the insurance sector.
Outside of work, Fiona enjoys going on nature walks, painting, cooking and spending time with friends and family. She often spends time at her cottage, going skiing in the winter and swimming in the lake during the summer. She is completing a Bachelor of Commerce with a focus on Human Resources and Marketing at Dalhousie University.
Amanda Fox, MIR - Consultant
Amanda is an experienced Human Resources professional with a track record working in the hospitality, finance, and healthcare sectors. Her background includes full-cycle recruitment, policy development and implementation, health & safety leadership and case management, incident investigations, performance management, compliance, HR audits, and establishment of HR in startups. Amanda has a Master of Industrial Relations (MIR) from Queen’s University, Certificate in Employment Relations, and an undergraduate degree in Sociology. She has completed her Employment Law Certificate at Cornell University. Outside of work Amanda can be found exploring local thrift stores, finding new bakeries to try, and adding to her overflowing collection of books.
Carolyn Dawson - Consultant
Within Human Resources, Carolyn focused on helping with or spearheading recruitment, on-boarding process development, HRIS launches, benefits, and change management within the private and public sectors.
When she’s not on the job or in lectures, Carolyn loves hiking with her dog, discovering new music from around the globe, and continuing to build her coaching knowledge
Shawna Grayer - Junior HR Consultant
Shawna is a dedicated and driven Junior HR Consultant with a passion for cultivating inclusive workplaces and optimizing organizational performance through strategic HR initiatives. Shawna’s background in the hospitality industry provides her with valuable experience to support HRO Core clients. She has a strong academic foundation complemented by a comprehensive understanding of HR strategies, talent acquisition, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Shawna leverages her blend of practical experience and HR education to introduce progressive initiatives that enhance organizational culture and performance. Outside of her professional pursuits, Shawna finds joy in maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular outdoor runs, pilates classes, and gym sessions. She enjoys spending time with friends and is an avid reader. Shawna is completing the final requirements for an Advanced Diploma in Human Resources at Georgian College.
Luisa El Amouri - Junior Developer
Luisa’s work is focussed in supporting the technology needs of HRO Core clients and our internal technology needs. Luisa has experience in education and outreach having represented the Dalhousie University Faculty of Computer Science at tech events and high schools, presenting to hundreds of secondary students across Nova Scotia and facilitating connections to opportunities and resources within the field of Computer Science. In this role, she served as an ambassador for under-represented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering and Management (STEM). She was accepted in 2023 to participate in the ICTC Cybersecurity Training Program which includes completing Microsoft certifications in Security and Artificial Intelligence. Her background in these areas enable her to be dynamic and versatile as a developer and she has a passion for designing, coding and problem solving. Outside of work, Luisa finds joy in reading, traveling and creating in mediums such as oil painting, music and game development. She is completing a Bachelor of Computer Science at Dalhousie.