2004 Winner of the Morley Gunderson Prize in Industrial Relations

Richard Dixon

Richard Dixon joined the Senior Management Team of NAV Canada in March 2003 as Vice President and Human Resources Officer, where he is responsible for all critical human resource functions of the company, including employee and labour relations. Richard’s career has progressed through ever-increasing responsibilities in both human resource management and labour relations, beginning at Abitibi Price, then Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Unisource Canada and CN Rail where he served as Assistant Vice President Labour Relations, Vice President Labour Relations and Employment Legislation and finally as Vice President Human Resources, Human Resources from 1997 to 2002.

During his tenure at CN Rail, Richard was instrumental in improving the relationship between company and union leaders. At the same time, he served as Chairman of the Council of Industrial Relations Executives, a learning and networking organization within the Conference Board of Canada. As one of six experts on an Advisory Committee to the Conference Board of Canada, Richard contributed to the research and publication in 2004 of an important study, The Canadian Industrial Relations System: Current Challenges and Future Options. Richard has also served as an executive member of FETCO, the Federally Regulated Employers � Transportation and Communications organization which represents employers and employer associations employing approximately 400,000 people.

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After earning his MIR degree in 1980, Richard served as the first President of the MIR Alumni Association. He has also been a constant and long-standing supporter of the Centre Library, and most recently has been a significant donor to the MIR 25th Anniversary OGS Fellowship. In 2003, Richard presented a workshop concerning pensions as a bargaining issue at the CIR Alumni Showcase, bringing his customary thorough, ethical, and progressive thinking back to the Centre.