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We sat down with Bellwoods’ new Vice President, People, Culture and Operations to learn more about his approach to leadership, goals for the position and favourite ’70s pop group.
This spring, we welcomed a new member to the executive team, as Adrian Puopolo joined Bellwoods as the Vice President, People, Culture and Operations.
Not only is Adrian new to Bellwoods, but he’s taking on a newly created portfolio, leading a diverse team that spans everything from human resources to facilities oversight. And while the role is varied, Adrian says his approach comes down to one thing: making sure employees feel genuinely connected to the job they do and the people they work with.
We sat down with Adrian to learn more about his leadership style, plans for the position and not-so-secret obsession with all things ABBA.
Bellwoods: What drew you to work in human resources?
Adrian Puopolo: I love working in environments that thrive based on engaging people. I also genuinely like being there for people. Many times, I’ve been in meetings where someone is going through something difficult, and the best thing I can do to support them is show up as a human being. Challenging things might have come up in that meeting, but it’s about what we can do together to help resolve the situation.
BW: Why did the position at Bellwoods catch your interest?
AP: I spent some time considering my next move career-wise. I toyed with different opportunities, but as I explored options, nothing was inspiring me. I realized I wanted to put my energy and focus into advancing the mission and vision of an organization like Bellwoods. I started thinking about the impact Bellwoods has on clients by removing barriers. We live in a very ableist world, so to be a small part of a solution to that challenge is profound.
BW: What’s your approach when it comes to leading people?
AP: Fundamentally, I think an organization can and should be centered around employee engagement. If folks feel connected to the values of their workplace, to their team members, to leadership, other things start to sing in harmony. And having operations as part of my portfolio, I can look at how the systems and structures of Bellwoods can support employee engagement too.
Ultimately, I want people to think “I am here because I want to be here.” And we all have challenging days, the long Mondays, but work should be something that makes your heart sing.
BW: What’s one thing you’ve learned since starting here?
AP: What stands out is how committed everyone is. I’ve been out as much as possible meeting folks and talking to those working on the frontlines. Seeing employees in action supporting clients and supporting each other is really wonderful.
BW: What are you looking forward to in your role?
AP: Coming back to employee engagement, I want to get a sense of how people feel. It’s been a while since we’ve asked staff about that directly. I’m looking forward to prioritizing an employee engagement survey.
I’d also really like to get connected myself. I’m not the kind of person who wants to lock themselves away in the office. I want to meet people to get a sense of where I can support their work and what might need to shift.
BW: What are your interests outside of work?
I really love to travel, especially to Sweden. I’m fascinated by Swedish culture and I’m a massive ABBA fan. My first memory of music is when I was two and my mom was playing an ABBA 8-track. That’s where it all started.
So I love visiting Stockholm. It’s an archipelago and just beautiful. The people are lovely too. And, they have an ABBA museum.
If you see Adrian around in the coming weeks, take a moment to say hello, introduce yourself and share your thoughts on all things work culture and ’70s pop music.