Mr. Mark Derbyshire

Mark Derbyshire, Chief Talent Officer at the Wittington Fashion Retail Group and Vice-president at Wittington Investments Ltd. in Toronto, was born in Nova Scotia and spent his formative years in Edmonton, helping his father stocking shelves at the family-owned Canadian Tire.

Mr. Derbyshire headed from an MBA at the University Montana to a PhD in organizational behaviour at the University of San Jose. Passionate about retail, after a stint at Canadian Tire as vice president, he realized his full potential for identifying and inspiring potential talent as Vice President, Human Resources at Holt Renfrew.

Mark Derbyshire
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Mark Derbyshire
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Mark Derbyshire

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Mark Derbyshire

Based in Toronto, Mark Derbyshire leads the Consumer Markets Practice in Canada.He also serves Russell Reynolds Associates' clients in the Consumer Markets, Retail, Luxury Branded Apparel, Leisure and Hospitality, and Entertainment and Media Practices.He works with prestigious clients in Canada, the United States and Europe recruiting the executive suite (CEO, President, CFO, COO) along with general managers, board members and senior vice presidents in a variety of functional roles.Mark's expertise ranges from operations to sales and marketing to human resources and finance.

Previous Experience Mark has more than 14 years of industry and consulting experience and has worked in both Canada and the United States.Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates in 2001, Mark was a Vice President/Managing Director for Canadian Tire, where he was responsible for the competitive operation initiatives for this $6 billion national retailer.Areas of functional expertise included marketing, merchandising, store operations, and human resources and training.He is credited for founding Canadian Tire University, where he led the e-training and development of more than 32,000 employees.Mark is recognized as an industry specialist in organizational development and competitive operations.

Additional Professional Activities Mark regularly speaks to professional audiences on the changing environment and impact of Canadian retailing.He is an active member of the Canadian Retail Council and the Strategic Leadership Forum in Canada.

Education Mark received his B.Sc. degree in marketing and human resources and his M.B.A. degree focused on strategic management from the University of Montana.He received his Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University San Jose in cooperation with Queen's University.

Mr. Derbyshire can be reached at mderbyshire@russellreynolds.com.

Mark Derbyshire
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Mark Derbyshire
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Mark Derbyshire

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Mark Derbyshire

Mark Derbyshire, conducts assignments for clients in retailing, fashion, manufacturing, and consumer durables.Mr. Derbyshire has more than twelve years' experience in retail and has worked in both Canada and the United States.

Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Mr. Derbyshire was a Managing Director/Vice President of Canadian Tire University for the Canadian Tire Dealers' Association and Canadian Tire Corporation.In this role, he led the training and development of more than 32,000 employees and was recognized as an industry specialist in organizational development and competitive operations.

Mr. Derbyshire received his Doctorate in organizational behaviour from the University of San Jose in cooperation with Queen's University, his M.B.A. degree focusing on strategic management and his B.S. degree from the University of Montana.

Based in Toronto, Mr. Derbyshire can be reached at mderbyshire@russellreynolds.com.

Mark Derbyshire advances to the position of Chief Talent Officer with the Wittington Fashion Retail Group & Vice President, Wittington Investments, Limited, effective May 28th, 2007.

Mark Derbyshire, Executive Director and Head of the Consumer and Retail Practice Canada, and his team have extensive experience working directly in the consumer and retail industry, allowing them to employ a broad network of resources and experience.

Mark Derbyshire brings more than 13 years experience in retail to Russell Reynolds Associates.He has worked in both Canada and the United States, and has held senior positions within consulting and industry.Mark Derbyshire holds a Doctorate in organizational behaviour from the University of San Jose in cooperation with Queen's University, a Master's in Business Administration focusing on strategic management and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Montana.

Collectively, within the Consumer and Retail practice, associates have worked 38 years in the consumer and retail industry and bring in-depth knowledge and first-hand experience to its searches.

"Our clients tell us the reason they keep coming back to Russell Reynolds Associates is the quality and speed in which we complete each search," said Derbyshire."We understand first-hand the language, atmosphere and leadership characteristics necessary for candidate success in these industries that enable us to attract the right talent - quickly."

The new practice will include executive searches for clients in retail and consumer products, including consumer durables and packaged goods, consumer services, leisure and hospitality, entertainment, retailing, luxury and branded apparel markets.

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Mark Derbyshire, Russell Reynolds Associates, Tel: (416) 364-3355

Mark Derbyshire, executive director at Russell Reynolds Associates and O'Hearn's boss, agrees with his assistant's comments, and adds that frequent quality communication is also essential.

"Both managers and employees need to work at keeping the lines of communication open.
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"There are lots of ways to keep communication flowing with your boss," says Derbyshire."Figure out what method will work best with your manager.And when you do communicate with him or her, ensure that you are focusing on providing 'need to know' data, not just a lot of non-essential 'nice to know' information."

For example, if you're forwarding a lengthy article for your manager's review, add your own comments in the margin highlighting the essential things he or she will likely want to look at.

Of course, some people find themselves working for a boss that they consider to be hard to work with.
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"When you have a choice in the matter, be very selective about who you work with," says Derbyshire."When being interviewed for a new job, try to get a handle on the style of the person who would be your boss and look carefully at the fit between the two of you before you accept a new position."

What if you inherit a boss that you find to be difficult, or the manager who seemed so pleasant in the interview turns out to be a Jekyll-and-Hyde kind of personality?Even if you have a truly difficult boss, try to learn what you can from the situation, but don't be complacent about your circumstances, suggests Derbyshire.

"It's virtually impossible to get others to change their personality," he says."After a reasonable period, you may need to consider moving on if you truly find it impossible to build a good relationship with your boss.Life is too short to spend most of your waking hours feeling miserable in a job."

Mark Derbyshire, Vice President, Human Resources, Holt Renfrew

Mark Derbyshire joins as new head of Retail and Consumer search.

TORONTO , March 8 /CNW / - Paul Cantor , Managing Director of Russell Reynolds Associates Canada , is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Derbyshire to the position of Executive Director and head of Retail and Consumer search , effective March 15 , 2001.
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Dr. Derbyshire most recently served as a Managing Director of Canadian Tire University for the Canadian Tire Dealers' Association and Canadian Tire Corporation.In his role , he lead the training and development of more than 32 , 000 employees and was recognized as an industry specialist in organizational development and competitive operations.Prior to joining Canadian Tire , he was a Director in the area of human resources and strategic management change for HRA Consulting.

Dr. Derbyshire holds a PhD. in organizational behaviour from the University of San Jose in cooperation with Queen's University and an M.B.A. focusing on strategic management from the University of Montana.

Founded in 1969 , Russell Reynolds Associates is one of the world's leading executive recruiting firms.Through a global network of 35 wholly owned offices , the firm's professionals conduct executive recruiting assignments in a range of industries for public and private organizations of all sizes.

In Canada , the firm has offices in both Toronto and Calgary and serves a wide range of domestic and foreign clients across all industries including consumer markets , financial services , healthcare , industrial manufacturing and distribution , natural resources , not-for-profit and technology sectors.The firm's web site is located at www.russellreynolds.com.