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The Panel Includes:
The Honourable Sheila Copps, President, Sheila Copps & Associates, Former Deputy Prime Minister
The Honourable Barbara McDougall, Advisor, Aird & Berlis, Former Member of Parliament
Jennifer Lawless, ph.D Associate Professor, Department of Government, Director, Women & Politics Institute, School of Public Affairs, American University
Peggy Nash, MP, Parkdale – High Park, Federal NDP Leadership Candidate

If you don’t speak for yourself someone else will speak for you — but not necessarily with your interests in mind. Join Women of Influence and Equal Voice on December 2nd as we explore how women make their mark in a political climate that is complex, chaotic and often unforgiving. With Canada currently ranked at 39th in the world in terms of female representation, the need for more women to run has never been greater. So what’s the hold up? Why is it so important that more women seek this responsibility? How do female representatives make a meaningful impact in a profession still largely dominated by men? Is work life balance actually possible and is the relentless public scrutiny worth it? Isabel Bassett, former Ontario Minister and EV National Award Recipient, will tackle these questions head on. Hear what female politicians from across the spectrum have to say about a wide range of hot topics and what drives these trailblazers to continually make strides for women in Canada and around the world.

According to Equal Voice, Women represent:

25% of federally elected MPs
22% of provincial and territorial
25% of municipal councillors
16% of mayoral positions

During a period of significant change in the domestic and global landscapes, is the voice of women strong enough?

To continue to view the speech, click the arrow to the right of the video screen.

Highlights:

•  Power exists. Someone’s going to have it. Why shouldn’t it be you?
• Before we tackle the family balance issue that women in politics face, we need to make sure women think to run. It’s not an absence of fear that drives us to advance in politics. It’s overcoming the fear.
• Set a goal. Understand your goals and practice them. Complete and practice “the ask”.
• Whatever gives you anxiety is often the place you need to go. It can be the place with the most energy and a place where you will grow.

Highlights

• Be in the moment – the past is gone (you cannot change it) and the future is yet here.
• Speak from the “I”. No one can fault you for what you feel – you own your own feelings and beliefs.
• Search and hold onto your own true self – be authentic. Be proud to live your values. If you are pushed or compromised, remember there is such a thing as free will choice.
• If you have issues or problems, bring solutions to the table.
• Try and create your own job. As Amelia Earhart said: “The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune.”
• No more “sorry” or “should”.
• Take risks. Great reward requires great risks. Decide whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying.
• Expect greatness, you deserve it.

BIO

Pamela D. Strand, born and raised in Toronto, Ontario is a Professional Geologist (“P. Geol”) is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Bachelor of Science, Geology Degree, 1988) and the University of Western Ontario (Master of Science in Geology, 1993).

Since 1997 to the present, Pam founded and has held the position of President, CEO and Director of Shear Minerals Ltd., a TSX-V (SRM) listed public company exploring in Canada’s North for diamonds. Pamela has been involved with projects such as Shear’s Churchill Diamond Project where 88 kimberlites were discovered and the project was taken from a pure exploration idea to one of Canada’s ever advancing diamond project.

She has over 10 years of geological industry-related experience predominately in exploration in Canada’s North, in addition to government experience, holding the position of District Geologist with DIAND in Yellowknife where she also resided during the 1990’s.

Pamela is a Professional Geologist with both APEGGA (Alberta) and NAPEGG (NWT and Nunavut). She is also a Director of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, and a Director of Firestone Ventures Ltd. (FV:TSXV), Northern Tiger Resources (NTR:TSVX) Takara Resources Inc. (TKK:TSXV), and St. Eugene Mining Corp. (SEM:TSXV) all publicly listed companies. Her involvement also includes various advisory roles with several private and public companies. Pamela was the recipient of the Edmonton Global Woman of Vision Award in March of 2003 as well as the recipient of the Edmonton Consumers Choice Business Woman of the Year Award in 2005.

Pamela is a Director on the Alberta Chamber of Resources and Vice President (Nunavut) & Director of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines as well as past president of the Edmonton Geological Society.

To continue to view the speech, click the arrow to the right of the video screen.

Highlights

• It was in accepting opportunities that my path developed.
• It’s not so much the job title, it’s about loving a job’s characteristics.
• We’re looking for diversity on a board. Not a single opinion, not one single suit.
• On starting during the recession: It’s about respectful interactions, backbone and values. The social environment on boards is very important and fragile.
• My path only became a path with the benefit of hindsight. There was no map.
  

  BIO

  Gail Cook-Bennett is Chair of the Board of Manulife Financial Corporation and The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Ltd. She assumed her role as Chair in October 2008 after having served ten years as the founding Chair of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Over the last 33 years she has served as a director of a number of major corporations; chaired Audit, Pension, Investment and Corporate Governance Committees; and, been a member of Executive, Finance, Management Resources and Compensation, and Independent committees.She is a Member of the Order of Canada, holds Doctor of Laws degrees (honoris causa) from Carleton University and from York University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

  In addition to her current role as Chair of Manulife Financial, she is a director of Emera. Her past corporate directorships include, among others, the TD Bank, Mackenzie Financial, Enbridge Consumers Gas, Petro Canada, Cadillac Fairview, and Transcontinental.

  Dr. Cook-Bennett has served on several Crown, professional and not-for-profit boards. While a member of the Board of the Bank of Canada, she chaired the Special Committee of the Board charged with appointing, with the approval of the Governor in Council, the Governor and Senior Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada. She has chaired the General Services Sectoral Advisory Group to the Minister of International Trade and was a member of The Advisory Committee on Financing (providing advice to the Federal Minister of Finance) and served on the Canadian delegation to the Trilateral Commission. She is a member of the Chairman’s Forum (a group of non-executive Chairs of U.S. and Canadian corporate boards) and of the Board of Directors, Institute of Corporate Directors.

  She is a member of the Territorial Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, the Campaign Advisory Board of Bridgepoint Health Foundation, the President’s Advisory Council, Carleton University as well as the Leadership Council, School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University. Dr. Cook-Bennett has served as a mentor for Women on Board.

  Born in Ottawa, Dr. Cook-Bennett holds a B.A. (Hons.) in Economics from Carleton University (1962) and an M.A. (1965) and Ph.D. (1968) in Economics from the University of Michigan. She has held academic positions at the University of Toronto (1968-74) and served as Executive Vice President of the C.D. Howe Institute in Montreal (1974-78) and as Vice Chair of Bennecon Ltd., Management Consultants (1982-1998).

• « On trouve des mentors un peu partout au quotidien : il suffit d’ouvrir l’œil. »
•   Les véritables leaders s’entourent de personnes meilleures qu’elles.
• « Écoutez deux fois plus que vous parlez », car vous avez deux oreilles et une seule bouche : ce principe vous fera avancer.

Biographie

Mme Marie-Josée Lamothe est Vice-présidente, Chef de la direction marketing & des communications corporatives chez L’Oréal Canada.

Avec 20 ans d’expérience dans l’univers concurrentiel de la beauté, Mme. Lamothe est reconnue pour son expertise en branding international des biens de consommation. Elle a rejoint la division des produits de luxe de L’Oréal Canada en 2005 en tant que Viceprésidente et Directrice générale, après avoir occupé le poste de Directrice Marketing International, pour la coloration L’Oréal Paris, en France. Dans ce rôle, Mme Lamothe a dirigé l’équipe de développement de produits qui a créé et perfectionné de nombreux produits L’Oréal qui peuvent maintenant être trouvés dans plus de 120 pays à travers le monde.

Mme Lamothe a complété le programme général de gestion INSEAD de L’Oréal, en France, et a obtenu un double baccalauréat avec honneur en économie et en mathématiques, de l’Université de Montréal.

Elle siège aux Conseils d’administration du théâtre expérimental de L’Espace GO et des Normes canadiennes de la publicité. Elle est aussi membre de jurys au niveau de plusieurs commissions et associations canadiennes dans le domaine du marketing et de la communication et donne régulièrement des conférences au sein de l’industrie pharmaceutique et des biens de consommation.

Mme Lamothe participe annuellement à l’Opération retour à l’école organisée par la Chambre de Commerce du Montréal Métropolitain et est activement impliquée auprès d’enfants anaphylactiques.

Au-delà de ses implications sociales, son parcours marketing rempli de succès à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur du Canada, son expérience commerciale très complète, et sa forte connaissance du domaine des communications lui confèrent un regard très dynamique sur le marché de la beauté au Canada.

Highlights

• Take leadership, don’t wait for it. Inspire, empower lives, and believe you have the ability to change the world.
• Don’t mess with mother nature; it’s bigger than you.
• Recognize where you are comfortable and set yourself up for success there.
• Stand up for what you believe in even when others ignore or try to silence your voice.
• When faced with a challenge allow this adversity to reinforce the importance of partnerships between colleagues and friends. Rely on each other and use each other to get ahead.
• Be passionate about your job it makes it much easier to go to work every day.

BIO

Kim Sturgess is CEO and founder of Alberta WaterSMART, a not-for-profit organization committed to developing and improving the management of Alberta’s water resources. Kim is also President of Guigne Advanced Materials Ltd., a company that she co-founded in 2002, which develops wear resistant industrial products. From 2003 until 2005, Kim was the President and CEO of Pan Terra Industries Inc., a publicly traded Calgary based construction services company.

Kim was President and CEO of Revolve Magnetic Bearings Inc. until 2001. This company produces magnetic bearing products for high-speed industrial rotating equipment and was sold to SKF of Sweden in 2000. She was President and CEO of the precursor company Revolve Technologies Inc., which additionally produced dry gas seal products and services into the same markets. Kim led the spin out of Revolve from NOVA Corporation in 1992. Prior to founding Revolve, Kim was the Manager of the seal and bearing group at NOVA beginning in 1990.

Previously, Kim was a Vice President at Greyhound Lines of Canada. Upon completion of her M.B.A. in 1984, she spent four years at McKinsey and Company as a management consultant focussing on technology, energy and transportation projects. She began her career in 1977 at the National Energy Board as a gas pipelines engineer, and then spent five years at Esso Resources Canada Ltd. as a reservoir engineer and business analyst.

Kim has thirty years of experience serving on the boards of directors of a number of corporate and not-for-profit organizations all across Canada. She currently serves on the board of CCI Thermal Technologies Inc. in Edmonton, the Calgary Airport Authority in Calgary, the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company in Toronto, Alberta WaterSMART in Calgary, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Previously, Kim served on the boards of her employer companies, including Pan Terra Industries, and the Revolve companies. She has also served on the boards of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the National Research Council, the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta, the Alberta Water Council, Alberta Innovates: Energy and Environment Solutions, the Alberta Economic Development Authority, the Trustees of Queen’s University, Queen’s Centre for Enterprise Development, the International Women’s Forum, the Calgary Science Centre, and the Queen’s University Book Store. On these boards, she served in a number of leadership roles, including Board Chair, Executive Committee member, Finance Committee Chair, Infrastructure and Environment Committee Chair, and Treasurer.

Kim is a life member of the Queen’s University Council, and has served as a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, the World Presidents’ Organization, the International Women’s Forum, the Chairman’s Circle of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, the Advisory Board for the Institute for Aerospace Research, and the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation.

Kim was honoured with both the Distinguished Service Award and Alumni Achievement Award from Queen’s University, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Science and Technology, and the Alberta Centennial Medal. In 2007 she was named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and a Calgary Woman of Vision. She is a registered Professional Engineer and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Kim graduated from Queen’s University with a BSc. in Engineering Physics, from the University of Western Ontario with an M.B.A. with Distinction, and from the ICD Corporate Governance College Directors Education Program.