As the Director of Human Resources at the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, Tracey Villeneuve is focused on cultivating and fostering a positive work culture through her supportive and impactful approach. Responsible for overseeing a wide range of HR functions, including total rewards, talent acquisition, talent management, employer branding, health and safety, and so much more.

Her OSEG journey began 10 years ago with the simple goal of combining her love of sports with the desire to work hands-on with people, which has turned into something really special. She started with OSEG as a Payroll Specialist and has since held numerous different roles, advancing her career in the process.

“I was always interested in HR, but I started my career in more of a finance role,” Villeneuve said. “I worked in payroll, that sometimes sits in finance, and sometimes it’s HR, so HR intrigued me, and I started to go down the HR path. I realized that I’m very passionate about people.”

One of Villeneuve’s many roles have included responsibility of the CFL Salary Expenditure Cap, player compensation, benefits, and pension for the Ottawa REDBLACKS. In 2019, she was nominated for the Jane Mawby Tribute Award, which “recognizes a highly valued, yet too often unsung, current employee at the club or league level,” according to the CFL.

It’s one of the many things Villeneuve highlights as her key achievements in her time at OSEG, right next to her professional growth over the past 10 years.

“[I’m very proud of] how my career has evolved over the past 10 years,” Villeneuve said. “Starting as a Payroll Specialist, and evolving into the Director of HR. It’s very meaningful to me, and I’m super proud of that.”

Quick to share the credit, Villeneuve beams when talking about her colleagues who have played a big role in helping her advance and have helped OSEG win the Most Admired Corporate Culture Award in 2022, which they repeated in 2023.

“I’m really proud of our HR team,” Villeneuve said. “We have a strong team of HR professionals, and I feel like I can rely on them, they are just incredible. I love how we all collaborate on things.”

On any given day, Villeneuve says life can get a little busy, but it’s helping others that keeps her going.

“I’m there as a coach and mentor for my team, and also an advisor for employees to help them navigate situations that they may need guidance with,” Villeneuve said. “There are always ways to handle situations that have a positive outcome, and I hope that one of the things that makes me good at what I do is that people trust me enough to believe that I can give them good feedback and mentorship.”

Had she been asked 10 years ago, Villeneuve says she’s not sure she ever would have thought she’d hit this milestone, but falling in love with her job has kept her coming back all these years.

“I’ve stuck around because I love it,” Villeneuve said. “No one year has ever been the same, it’s always changing, and there’s always something new happening. Even things with our tenant teams, we now have a women’s hockey and soccer team, and while that may not directly impact me, it does impact the employee experience.”

Villeneuve says she’ll never forget where she was sitting for the 2016 Grey Cup, with all the confetti flying around, or the East Final game in Ottawa, but the small things are what stand out the most.

“There are the big-ticket items like the Grey Cup and the East Final, but there are other little things [that other people don’t get to experience],” Villeneuve said. “Coming back from the Grey Cup in Toronto on the train and being on a conference call to help organize our staff for the parade. Where would you have the opportunity to do stuff like that? It’s super cool.”

Engrained in the OSEG experience, Villeneuve still sees more to accomplish. To borrow an old motto from the Ottawa 67’s, “No Quit” is the perfect way to describe her relentless pursuit of improvement.

“I want to continue to make an impact,” Villeneuve said. “Though it’s not a part of our job description to drive culture, I do believe that it starts with us in HR. We are the ones to engage with the employees from the candidate experience, all the way through to the hiring process and becoming an employee. I want to continue to contribute positively to that employee experience and I hope that becomes my legacy at OSEG.”