[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/haleyweb.jpg” caption=”Mark Haley”]In his final year of university some 20 years ago, Mark Haley helped Acadia win the national football championship. The former outside linebacker and defensive tackle is back at university this fall as a member of a new team.

Haley has been hired to a new position created at McMaster, assistant vice-president human resources, and he's looking forward to
being part of another winning team.

“McMaster is a school with a national reputation for excellence in research and education, but at the same time people would like to see it do better. When you're good and you want to get better it's an exciting opportunity; one that I find very appealing,” says Haley.

He begins his duties at McMaster today, Monday, Oct. 2.

Haley has spent the last 11 years in Alberta where he has worked in a
variety of executive leadership positions within the province's health care industry.

Since November 1992, he has been the senior staff member of human resources management services for the Provincial Health Authorities of Alberta (formerly the Alberta Healthcare Association) in Edmonton.

In this capacity, he has created and led province-wide human resources
programs, including the development and management of a comprehensive health benefits package for 48 customer employers with over 22,000 employees.

At McMaster, Haley will be responsible for developing the
vision, strategic direction and long-range plans relating to the University's human resources policies and programs. He'll
also make important recommendations concerning the allocation of resources to support the development of people at McMaster.

He will drive McMaster's goal of achieving “employer of choice” status.

His work will focus on the attributes that distinguish institutions as
employers of choice: the “hard issues” such as compensation, and the “soft issues” such as collegiality and respect and “future issues” such as opportunities for staff growth and development.