About Us

Leadership

Meet the executive team of O. C. Tanner. The leaders. The motivators. The people who keep our company at the forefront of the industry and inspire everyone in the organization to do great work.

Dave Petersen




Dave Petersen
Chief Executive Officer
David Petersen began his career at O.C. Tanner in 1983 as market research manager. He went on to hold leadership positions in the company's Information Systems, Purchasing, Sales Promotion, Manufacturing and Client Relations departments. Petersen holds a bachelor's degree in international business from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from Thunderbird American Graduate School of International Management.

John McVeigh


John McVeigh
President (Canada)
Senior Vice President
Global Sales
John McVeigh is President of O.C. Tanner Recognition Company Limited and Senior Vice President of Global Sales, and has previously held the positions of Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Canada, and Regional Sales Manager. John also is a member of the Board of Directors of O.C. Tanner Recognition Company Limited and is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). John has been with O.C. Tanner since 1997 and has personally developed and implemented hundreds of unique, culturally relevant recognition solutions with clients around the globe.

Chris Vyse




Chris Vyse, Vice President
Sales and Marketing
Chris Vyse is Vice President, Sales and Marketing of O.C. Tanner Recognition Company Limited. Chris also is a member of the company's Board of Directors and has been with O.C. Tanner since 2007. Chris graduated from Queen's University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and with a Masters of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario.

Jolene Zapfe



Jennifer Gates
Vice President,
Finance & Operations
A mind for numbers and a talent for inspiring people, Jennifer Gates leads finance, production, purchasing, client services and human resources efforts in Canada. She firmly believes in empowering people, understanding it’s important to arm employees with the right tools so they can deliver great work. Jennifer has an M.B.A. from McMaster University and a C.G.A. designation. When she isn’t overseeing operations in Burlington, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two children.

Our Management Team Shares Its Commitment:

Debbie Buswell




Debbie Buswell
Client Relations Manager
We pride ourselves in creating a partnership with each of our clients to ensure total satisfaction. Our Client Care Team will efficiently handle and process your orders, ship awards to meet your needs, and be available to respond to any inquiries you may have. This commitment is made on behalf of myself and the entire Client Relations team.

Paul Cantlon



Paul Cantlon
Tanner Improvement
System Manager
We take great pride in our Quality Management System known as the Tanner Improvement System (TIS). It defines the way O.C. Tanner Company works, learns and improves. Our system is modeled on great customer service, lean principles and practices, and Six Sigma-based improvements. Every process step, every improvement event is an opportunity to test our hypotheses about the best ways to work. This in turn, creates continuous opportunities to learn and improve. O.C. Tanner Recognition Company Limited is certified to the ISO 9001:2008 standard, as the organization continues its pursuit of excellence. The well being of our employees is a top priority because our employees are our greatest resource. It is for this reason that our company utilizes an effective Joint Health & Safety Committee, provides on-going training and review of policies and best practices, and has participated in the WSIB Safety Group Program for the past five years. We also appreciate our earth and with the leadership of our Green Committee, continually seek ways in which we can be more environmentally responsible.

Joan Gould




Joan Gould
Purchasing Manager
Each year O.C. Tanner reviews hundreds of potential items to freshen our product line. We will review, on an on-going basis, the awards in every program to make certain they are current, effective in their use, and appealing to your employees. This commitment is made on behalf of myself and the entire Purchasing and Product Development teams.

James Nold




James Nold
Production Manager
O.C. Tanner Recognition Company Limited has been, and continues to be, involved in an aggressive program to maintain and improve our quality performance. All Tanner-manufactured awards are backed by an unconditional, lifetime guarantee. We commit to produce the highest possible quality award to honour each program. This commitment is made on behalf of myself and more than 40 skilled manufacturing people who take personal pride in every award we craft.

Bob Semmens




Bob Semmens
Accounting Manager
O.C. Tanner is dedicated to maintaining its good corporate citizenship through timely payments to our taxing authorities and reporting to various governmental bodies. Our Accounts Payable team's goal is to maintain positive relationships with our vendor network ensuring a continuous supply of quality products for our clients. This commitment is made on behalf of myself and the entire Accounting team.