Marlene Higgins oversees human resources for over 5,400 employees of Kal Tire across 250 stores in Canada and 17 countries as part of their Mining Tire Group. As a privately-owned company, Kal Tire's global expansion strategy involves careful acquisitions which Marlene assesses in terms of executive and operational leadership. She views her role in integrating acquired companies with different cultures as combining business anthropology with human resources in order to quantify opportunities in new markets. When companies join Kal Tire, Marlene provides HR support so that local operations can grow according to their own markets.

1. Client: HRMA / Size: Full Page 9.8” X 13.4” / CMYK / Business Examiner
Meet an HR professional who is driving global growth.
Marlene Higgins oversees HR operations of more than 5,400 Kal Tire employees in over 250 Canadian stores,
as well as those who are part of Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, in 17 countries.
A privately-owned company, Kal Tire is a BC success story. Its global expansion strategy is based on careful
acquisitions, which includes Marlene’s assessment of executive and operational team capital. She views her
role of integrating existing companies with different languages, cultures and business practices as a unique
combination of business anthropologist and HR architect. “Leadership capital isn’t reflected on a balance
sheet, yet it’s essential to quantifying the opportunity in new markets,” says Marlene. “When an acquisition
becomes part of the Kal Tire family, we provide HR infrastructure so each local company is empowered to
grow in their markets, their way.”
Learn more about leading
human resource professionals at
weareHR.ca
“Empowering
operational leaders is
key to our success.
”Marlene Higgins, MBA, CHRP
Global Head and Director of HR
Kal Tire