Page 8 - CCCA 247020 Magazine Spring 2016

{ ProfIle }

Changing the Face

of In-house

By Michael Dempster

naveen Mehta reads with avidity the latest
research in neuroscience, neurolinguistics
and emotional intelligence—subjects that
help him better understand why and how
human beings “tick” the way we do.

t’s a fascination spawned in 1970s To- It’s a busy but good life, a life his par-
ronto when people, with impunity, ents worried about after immigrating to
itossed around racial and other slurs. Toronto from India in 1970 with his two
This curiosity serves him well today as older sisters. Both parents were fuent in
General Counsel and Director of Human English and held two Masters degrees
Rights, Equity and Diversity at UFCW each. But accreditation standards pushed
Canada, and as an award-winning diversity his father into a string of factory jobs over
and inclusion strategist. his career, and his mother into healthcare
Naveen Mehta is a life-long learner, as an aide. And there was racism.
always trying something new. This sea- “We lived in a time where racial slurs
son, at age 44, it’s ice hockey: 10 weeks were open,” says Mehta, born in 1971. “It
of skills development followed by actual was a diffcult time. It was quite a shock
games. “It’s quite the sight to see,” he to my parents, who were trying to under-
laughs about learning to do cross-overs stand what threat we were as newcomers.”
properly. “I’m really enjoying the beer It piqued an interest in the social in-
and nachos afterwards.” teraction of human beings: “I was curious
Mehta’s also taking up conversational what affected these individuals to make
Spanish—he has varying proficiencies them view us as so different.” And like the
in four South Asian languages—and radios he dismantled and then reassem-
hopes to begin guitar lessons next year. bled as a youngster, he needed to fgure
Naveen and his wife have three active out the mechanics of it all.
children from the ages of 5 to 11 years, Those formative years provided
all hockey players. heartfelt experiences that fuel him in an

8 CCCa MaGazInE | SPRInG 2016 PRInTEMPS