Retail Council of Canada honours Mr. Bill Ferguson of Home Hardware with HR Lifetime Achievement Award

TORONTO, May 5, 2015 /CNW/ - On April 1^st, Retail Council of Canada (RCC) honoured Mr. Bill Ferguson.

A veteran Home Hardware employee, Mr. Ferguson's roles within the company include Store Manager, three years as an Area Manager, 16 years as a Marketing Manager and 15 years in his role as Director, Dealer Support. Mr. Ferguson was a founding supporter of Retail Council of Canada's Retail as a Career Scholarship program, a program that supports hundreds of future retail leaders. Learn more about the Retail as a Career Scholarship program: RetailCouncil.org/education/retail-as-a-career-scholarship-program.  Mr. Ferguson also provided his industry expertise during the development of Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Retail Institute training tools and courses, which he implemented at Home Hardware. Learn more about the Canadian Retail Institute: RetailCouncil.org/education/certification-training-courses.

"We are proud to have presented the HR Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. Bill Ferguson, a huge proponent of retail as a career and a highly engaged member of Retail Council of Canada," said Ms. Diane J. Brisebois, President & CEO, Retail Council of Canada. "Throughout his admirable career, he has shown true passion for Canada's retail industry and we are honoured to celebrate Bill and his accomplishments."

This special presentation took place at RCC's 2015 Retail Human Resources Conference where HR professionals from retailers across the country came together to learn, network, and connect with new suppliers and vendors. Senior executives from Hudson's Bay, MEC, Walmart Canada, London Drugs, Loblaw Companies Limited, and other major brands explored topics ranging from strategy planning to social media recruitment innovations. Learn more about the 2015 Retail HR Conference: RCCHRconference.ca.

The remainder of the 2015 Excellence in Retailing Awards will be presented on June 2^nd during a special gala as part of the STORE 2015 Conference. For full information on all award categories and to purchase gala tickets, visit RetailAwards.ca.

Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is the Voice of Retail in Canada representing more than 45,000 store fronts of all retail formats, including department, specialty, discount, and independent stores, and online merchants in general merchandise, grocery and drugs.  Its membership represents over 75% of all retail sales in Canada.  RCC is a strong advocate for retailing in Canada and works with all levels of government and other stakeholders to support employment growth and career opportunities in retail, to promote and sustain retail investments in communities from coast-to-coast, and to enhance consumer choice and industry competitiveness. RCC also provides its members with a full range of services and programs including education and training, benchmarking and best practices, networking, advocacy, and industry information. RetailCouncil.org @RetailCouncil #STORE2015

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada

Colin Asuncion, Retail Council of Canada, [email protected], 416.467.3782