Debra Finlayson
Debra Finlayson is a published academic author, diplomatic people advocate, change leader, meaningful connector and social trailblazer, who holds herself to the highest professional standards. She is a (CPHR) Chartered Professional in Human Resources, Canada, and (SHRM-CP), Society of Human Resources - Certified Professional, U.S. She has taught the two-day CHRP (CPHR) exam preparatory workshop, and since 2017, a Canadian HR SME for a global team of exam developers for the SHRM-CP designation, Virginia, U.S.
Debra’s education in leadership, change management, business administration, human resources and adult learning, combined with her 15-plus years’ experience as a senior HR professional, relationship/project manager, educator and community leader, guides her authoring and instructional approach at Simon Fraser University. Debra specializes in both classroom and online instruction, curricula development, program evaluation and review, formative and summative assessments and she embraces synchronous tools that increase her instructional efficacy.
In 2016 and originating from her dissertation research, Debra co-published academically with her dissertation supervisor, linking followership and reputation in a global book titled, Followership in Action: Cases and Commentaries (Emerald Group Publishing, U.K.). This achievement resulted in her being chosen as a ‘2016 Social Trailblazer Finalist’ in the Women in Business Awards at the Surrey Board of Trade. In 2021, Debra published an article based on her practice session at the inaugural Global Followership conference in 2019, ‘A Case for Increasing Exemplary Followership in Organizations,’ in the Industrial and Commercial Training Journal (Emerald Group Publishing, U.K.) Debra’s second Global Followership Conference presentation linking Followership and Allyship, was titled 'The Followership Ally', founded from action research specific to Indigenous allyship, and was informed and permitted by representatives of the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc Nation.