Ms. Mary McLaren

Director General, NRC Human Resources Branch

Mary McLaren joined NRC as the Director General of Human Resources in September 2001. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree and spent most of her career in the Department of National Defence, first in the field of chemical and textile engineering and later in the area of procurement and supply management. She worked for the last ten years at the Executive level where her responsibilities included: strategic planning, human resources, provision of corporate support services for a large and diverse division, as well as comptrollership for the departmental material budget.

Mrs. McLaren also gained extensive experience in process reengineering and change management, as a core member of the departmental restructuring team of National Defence and as the leader of the Civilian Personnel Administration Services restructuring. Her last position at DND was Director of Strategic Human Resources Analysis.

Mary McLaren was appointed Usher of the Black Rod for the Senate of Canada on November 10th 1997, and is the first woman in Canadian history to hold this ceremonial position that has been part of British parliamentary tradition for over 600 years.