Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, October 2025 – Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national representative organization for Inuit in Canada, has announced the appointment of Diana Richards as its new Director, Human Resources and Operations. In her new role, Diana will be responsible for developing and implementing HR strategies that align with ITK’s strategic plan, focusing on talent acquisition, workplace wellness, organizational development, and cultural inclusion.
Diana Richards brings more than 15 years of progressive HR leadership experience, spanning both private and public sectors, where she has built a reputation for designing people strategies that strengthen organizational culture, drive operational excellence, and foster inclusivity.
Most recently, Diana served as Director of People and Culture at 1VALET, where she led the company’s comprehensive HR transformation, aligning all aspects of the employee lifecycle with corporate strategy. She established and executed a robust HR framework covering performance management, compensation design, health and safety, and total rewards programs. Within her first few months, she implemented cost-saving measures that generated $107,000 in savings, while enhancing organizational effectiveness and compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Before joining 1VALET, Diana held the role of Human Resources Lead – North America at HOIST, where she provided strategic HR consulting and governance across Canada and the United States, with additional advisory reach into LATAM and the Middle East. Her efforts focused on leadership development, succession planning, and compliance management, contributing to stronger workforce capability and regional integration.
Earlier in her career, Diana served as Global HR Business Partner to the Reverse Engineering Business Unit at TechInsights, supporting teams across five countries and leading initiatives in resource planning, compensation, and succession management. She optimized organizational design and rolled out a 9-box succession planning framework, strengthening workforce resilience and performance. Prior to this, at Babcock Canada Inc., she contributed to national HR and talent acquisition strategy, helping the company improve its recruitment, diversity, and employee engagement programs.
Diana’s early professional journey includes key HR and recruiting roles at Manpower, Nuance Communications, Hays, David Aplin Group, and Robert Half, where she honed her skills in talent acquisition, policy development, and workforce planning. Her diverse background across technology, engineering, and consulting sectors has shaped her people-first approach to leadership and transformation.
About Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK)
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) is the national representative organization for Inuit in Canada, advocating for the rights and interests of Inuit across Inuit Nunangat — the Inuit homeland encompassing 51 communities within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador). Inuit Nunangat represents 40 percent of Canada’s land area and 72 percent of its coastline.
Through a democratic governance structure, ITK works to influence and advance policies, programs, and services that address social, cultural, political, and environmental issues impacting Inuit communities. With Diana Richards’ leadership in HR and operations, ITK strengthens its commitment to increasing Inuit representation, advancing cultural competency, and fostering inclusive organizational growth aligned with its national mission.
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