Kelly Davis

Kelly Davis is the Chief People Officer (CPO) at Gowling WLG, where she is accountable for advancing the firm’s commitment to prioritizing its people. In this role, Kelly is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment that encourages learning, mentoring, collaboration and community building, ensuring that everyone can thrive.

As Gowling WLG’s first CPO, Kelly leads the firm’s HR, legal talent, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), wellness, benefits and learning & development functions. She is responsible for creating an integrated overarching people strategy – inclusive of all legal professionals and business services team members – to develop, support and retain the firm’s people as its most important asset.

With over 20 years of leadership experience as a senior human resources executive, Kelly has worked with national and global employers in a variety of industries. Prior to joining Gowling WLG, she served as the CPO at Sunwing Travel Group, where she led a global talent team overseeing HR, total rewards, DEI and learning and development for 24,000 employees across 14 countries.

Kelly is actively engaged in supporting the broader community. She currently sits on the board of the Strategic Capability Network and is a proud member of the International Women’s Forum of Canada.  Notably, Kelly served as the co-chair of the BlackNorth Initiative’s CEO Pledge Committee from 2020 to 2022. Additionally, she spent a six-year board term as a board director and chair of the HR & Governance Committee for White Ribbon, the world’s largest movement working to end gender-based violence.