At OMERS, diversity and inclusion isn’t just a goal on the horizon. Satish Rai, Chief Investment Officer with OMERS, explains how the organization has created a culture that puts respect and support first, with policies and daily actions that reinforce their inclusive message. By Hailey Eisen There’s no shortage of conversations about […]
In the often male-dominated tech industry, it’s rare to find a company with a good representation of women. At Wattpad, women are the majority, visible and in positions of power at every level. Allen Lau, co-founder and CEO, looks to his employees for guidance and diverse perspectives on what’s needed for an inclusive environment, and […]
Catherine Velie believes that the idea of “having it all” puts too much pressure on women. But she’s still found her own way to balance her role as general manager of the Delta Toronto hotel with marriage and motherhood — thanks to defined boundaries, a network that’s willing to lend a hand, and a supportive […]
Shirin Behzadi is Chief Executive Officer of Home Franchise Concepts (HFC), which recently celebrated its 26th year as the top-selling family of direct-to-consumer brands in the home-related goods and services space. Under Behzadi’s direction, HFC has grown into one of the largest and most respected franchisors in the U.S., on track to reach $700 million […]
Debbie McGrath is an award-winning business strategy and marketing and communications expert with deep experience in professional services, financial services, real estate services and consumer retail industries. Best described as a visionary and architect of winning marketing campaigns and developer of client-first business initiatives this University of Western Ontario graduate and three-time RBC Canadian Women […]
Prior to 2014, Eva Wong had never started a business. Today, she is the leading lady of one of Canada’s largest fintech companies. By Kristen Sears Eva Wong doesn’t have the technical background or entrepreneurial experience that one might expect of a fintech startup founder. Before she launched the Toronto-based credit education […]
When Heather Stewart took over at BBE Expediting — a supply chain service provider and logistics company serving the Canadian North — she knew she needed to diversify the “feast or famine” business. So they developed the GoBox app to enable carriers to bid live on shipping jobs, with the expectation it would be used […]
As the Chair of the Scotiabank Alliance for Mental Health (SAMH), Karen Jordan is helping to deliver the message that mental health issues can impact us all — either directly or through a family member, friend or colleague. She’s also working to reduce the stigma around getting help, and making sure everyone at Scotiabank (and […]
Jacqueline Dupuis is the executive director of the Vancouver International Film Festival, also known as VIFF. Since joining the organization over six years ago, she has played a major role in transforming the event into an internationally recognized celebration of screen-based and immersive storytelling that acts as a catalyst for creators’ development. Prior to leading […]
Holly Ransom is the CEO of Emergent, a specialized consulting firm focused on building the capacity of organizations to execute change. At just 28 years old, she is one of the world’s most highly regarded thought leaders, asking the tough questions to reveal the emerging trends and challenges affecting businesses and working professionals today. […]
As an Integration Consultant for Disney in Orlando, Emily Chambers helps develop forecasting models and algorithms to keep the magic running smoothly — like her latest gig, ensuring Frozen on Broadway is a success. How did she get her dream job, bringing her passion for statistics to the happiest place on earth? Taking advantage of […]
Jennifer Bernard President & CEO, Women’s College Hospital Foundation This summer, Women’s College Hospital Foundation announced its new President & CEO, Jennifer Bernard. With over 20 years of experience as a fundraising executive, as well as the role of Vice President of Development for McMaster Children’s Hospital Foundation and stints at Ontario Science […]
Chrystia Freeland Minister of Foreign Affairs Included on this list for the second year in a row, for the last year Chrystia Freeland has been one of the hardest working Ministers in the Canadian government. With a once harmonious relationship with the United States facing a more tenuous future, her role as the […]
Brenda Lucki Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police When Brenda Lucki’s career in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police began over three decades ago, there were no women in leadership positions. Today, as the first female permanent leader of the RCMP, Lucki is finally at the top. Selected by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for her […]
Janice Fukakusa Chancellor, Ryerson University This year, Ryerson University appointed Janice Fukakusa as its Chancellor, making her the first woman to ever hold the position. A financial services expert, innovation champion and diversity leader, Fukakusa will be the ceremonial head of the university, act as an ambassador for Ryerson on local, national and […]
Melody Adhami COO of Havas Canada At just 27 years old, Melody Adhami made a move that so many of us only dream of: she left her comfortable corporate job for the entrepreneur-life, starting Plastic, a full-service mobile marketing agency. At the time, the app store didn’t even exist, making the idea of […]
Christiane Bergevin Chair of the Board of Directors, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Christiane Bergevin is a force to be reckoned with in the corporate world. An executive with positions as President of SNC-Lavalin Capital and Executive Vice President at Desjardins Group behind her, she and her teams have arranged in excess of […]
When Allison Christilaw and her husband sold their successful management consulting firm to Deloitte, she was taken on as a partner in the firm. A few years later she was striking out on her own path to create Reddin Global — and she’s still on that journey today. By Shelley White […]
As a young girl, Shirlie Delacherois was aware of her Aboriginal heritage, but didn’t fully appreciate its value until much later in life. It was after a 20-year career at Scotiabank that Shirlie had the opportunity to continue the bank’s long history of supporting Aboriginal Peoples — by stepping into the role of Senior Aboriginal […]
Raised in India by refugees, Kalsang Tanzin has had a long journey to where she is today: living in Toronto, working in her dream job at LinkedIn, and pursuing an Executive MBA at Smith School of Business. By Hailey Eisen Kalsang Tanzin recalls watching The Lion King as a child and her […]
In 2007, Leigh started working at Staples as a Management Trainee and has worked her way up. Today, she is responsible for the facility maintenance, repair, and service related programs for all Canadian properties (305+ locations) as well as setting the sustainability agenda and identifying key focus areas for the company. For her efforts, Leigh […]
Dr. Catherine Chandler-Crichlow is the President & Chief Human Capital Officer of 3C Workforce Solutions. With close to 30 years of experience in human capital research and development, she has worked on a range of initiatives that span private, public and voluntary institutions in Canada, Central Europe, Latin America, South-East Asia and the Caribbean. An […]
As Director of Sales Effectiveness at Scotiabank, as well as lead champion for Scotiabank’s Toronto Pride Employee Resource Group, Val Walls is always asking herself: How can I touch, move, inspire and make a difference? She shares how she’s driving change — and creating an inclusive vision of LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans+) […]
Britt founded Flawless by Friday at the age of 27 to help make everyone feel like the most flawless version of themselves — for life’s big moments and even just for every day. Growing up as one of five girls on a farm north of Toronto, Britt was the resident makeup artist, hairdresser and skincare consultant. […]
As the President and CEO of Jobs in Education and Viewpoint Leadership, Rumeet works to enable opportunities in education, learning and development. She was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN and have been featured in Forbes.com as a ‘Generation Entrepreneur’. Rumeet has also given two TEDx talks and addressed the […]
Jennifer’s 20 year career in the financial services industry has included senior roles in investment banking, venture capital, and global risk management. In 2017, she was named the new CEO of Toronto Financial Services Alliance (TFSA). Prior to joining TFSA, Jennifer was the President & CEO of Women in Capital Markets (WCM), Canada’s largest industry […]
Sue has been a key partner in the development and execution of the real estate sales and marketing strategies across North America for over 17 years. Since joining Empire Communities in 2015, her team’s work has been recognized both locally and internationally through numerous marketing awards of excellence. As a passionate marketer, Sue has held […]
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