Bimbo Canada

Leslee Wills is Vice President, People and Corporate Affairs at Bimbo Canada, a division of Grupo Bimbo—the world’s largest baking company. Since 2021, she has led the company’s people strategy, focusing on growth through talent, well-being, and safety. With more than 25 years of experience in HR and labor relations across various industries, including healthcare, logistics, and consumer goods, Les is recognized for her ability to drive cultural transformation and develop pragmatic, people-first solutions.

From Strategic HR Leader to Culture Shaper

I’ve spent 25 years building a career as an HR leader focused on driving sustainable change and embedding “people first” values into complex organizations. Since 2021, I’ve served as Vice President, People and Corporate Affairs at Bimbo Canada, championing “The Bimbo Way,” emphasizing a commitment to put people first, lead with purpose, and do what’s right.

I joined Bimbo Canada in 2008, holding progressive HR leadership roles after earlier stints at Coca-Cola, Lyreco Canada, and William Osler Health Centre. My expertise spans culture transformation, labor relations, corporate affairs, talent, M&A, and restructuring. Recognized among Canadian Grocer’s Star Women in Grocery in 2023, I advise multiple boards and hold an LLM from Osgoode Hall, a BPHE from Ottawa and a Pro. Dir certification.

Moving Beyond a Checklist Mentality

Too many organizations still treat safety as a task— something to check off a list. But that mindset doesn’t drive real change. Safety has to become the way we work, not just something we do. Like wearing a seatbelt, it should become second nature. The real challenge is embedding that mindset so deeply that it’s just how things are done. In a culture grounded in care, safety becomes more than a compliance obligation—it becomes a shared commitment to one another, ensuring every associate goes home safely, every single day. HR plays a critical role in making that shift happen.

Using Data and AI to Predict, Not Just React

We’re still learning how best to use AI and automation, but the opportunity is clear. One area I’m exploring with my team is how we shift from investigating past incidents to predicting where risks might occur.

“When safety becomes part of your culture, not just something that sits on your list of things to do, that’s when real change happens”

When we can combine HR data—like turnover, engagement, and training—with safety data, we start to see patterns. That insight lets us proactively address risks, not just react to them. Imagine being able to say: “In this facility, new Canadians or associates with fewer years of service are more prone to certain incidents.” That’s not about stereotyping; it’s about tailoring training, support, and communication to reduce risks. It’s about using data to make safety smarter and more human.

A Safety Journey That Changed the Culture

About seven years ago, I was vocal about our lack of focus on safety, and in true “be careful what you wish for” fashion, it was handed to me to fix. I had no formal safety background. But what I did have was a deep understanding of our culture and a passion for driving change.

We called it our “safety journey.” The aim was to shift from fragmented, transactional efforts to a unified, human-centric approach where safety was truly prioritized. Today, if you asked any one of our 4,000 associates what matters most at Bimbo Canada, they’d likely say safety and well-being. That’s a massive shift.

And it’s had real results: injuries have dropped by almost 70 percent. More importantly, safety has become part of our identity. It’s no longer a separate function— it’s how we work. I am tremendously proud of that.

Rethinking HR’s Role in Safety

I’d embed safety into every stage of the associate experience, starting from recruitment. Hire for a safety mindset, not just for skills. Make safety visible in job descriptions, onboarding, and training—so new associates immediately understand it’s the priority.

On the leadership side, we need to equip people not to become safety experts, but to be culture carriers. That includes understanding psychological safety and wellbeing, which are more important than ever.

And finally, HR needs to step up with real insights. We have the data to connect the dots between associate engagement, training, and safety to uncover hidden risks before they become incidents and create meaningful change.

Emerging Safety Risks: How can HR Lead the Response

Psychological safety and mental health are at the top of my list. As work becomes more complex and fast-paced, mental well-being isn’t just an HR issue—it’s a safety issue. We need to destigmatize therapy and mental health conversations, make them as normal as going to the dentist. That starts with leadership.

Hybrid work also brings unique safety challenges: isolation, burnout, and ergonomics. We need to rethink policies and training for non-traditional work environments.

And then there’s workforce diversity. As we welcome more new Canadians, older workers, and people with varied language skills, we have to rethink how we communicate on the shop floor. One example I love comes from our bakery in Montreal, where visual flags—like the British flag representing a specific ingredient—are used alongside written instructions. It’s a small thing, but it helps ensure understanding across languages. That kind of inclusion improves both safety and dignity at work.

Making Safety Culture Personal

Make it personal. Safety isn’t just a policy —it’s about people, their families, and their futures. Real culture change happens when leaders show that safety is about looking out for each other, not just following rules.

Because safety isn’t about protecting you from something—it’s about protecting you for something: the life you live outside of work. So, to anyone in HR or leadership: don’t wait for perfection, don’t wait for permission. Start the conversation. Drive the culture. Lead with people first. It starts with you.