Women Investing in Women – How one of Canada’s Top CEOs is Driving the Future for Female Entrepreneurs
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Dawn Farrell, President & Chief Executive Officer, TransAlta Corporation
Dawn Farrell is President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta Corporation, Canada’s largest investor-owned renewable energy provider with a track record as one of the country’s Top 50 Socially Responsible Companies. With over 30 years of experience in the electric energy industry, Dawn climbed the ranks through a number of senior management positions at TransAlta and BC Hydro, including Chief Operating Officer, before being tapped to take over as CEO in 2012.
But Dawn’s impact on the Canadian economy extends far beyond her role as President & CEO of TransAlta. A passionate advocate for women in leadership, Dawn is committed to leveraging her influence to drive change.
Not only does she sit on The Conference Board of Canada, Business Council of Canada and Chemours, but earlier this year Dawn was appointed as one of 10 females to the Canada-US Council for the Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders. This critical task force is charged with conducting extensive work across five pillars. Dawn and Deborah Gillis of Catalyst are leading the evolution of the pillar for attracting women to career paths where they build scalable and global businesses. They are passionate in their view that attracting more women onto the entrepreneurial side of the ledger is critically important for growing and sustaining a competitive North American market.
Join us for the Season Finale of the Women of Influence Luncheon Series to find out how Dawn climbed the ranks to take the top position at TransAlta, what it takes to be an effective leader in challenging economic climates, and how she plans to drive the future participation of female entrepreneurs across the country.
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[woitab title=”ABOUT THE WOMEN OF INFLUENCE LUNCHEON SERIES” active=”active”]Join Women of Influence and Presenting Sponsor Scotiabank as we showcase North America’s most accomplished and influential women who share their stories of professional success and personal triumph on their rise to the top. Since 1994, the series has shared the dreams, accomplishments and challenges of high profile women in business, government, sciences and the arts. Our highly regarded speakers provide proven advice and inspiration in an environment that promotes networking, learning and growing. This flagship event series is hosted in Toronto and Calgary and inspires over 5,000+ aspiring women leaders each year.[/woitab]
[woitab title=”DAWN FARRELL BIOGRAPHY”]Dawn Farrell is President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta Corporation, a director of TransAlta Corporation, a director of The Chemours Company and a member of the Trilateral Commission. She also sits on the boards of The Conference Board of Canada and the Business Council of Canada and is a member of The CanadaU.S. Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and
Business Leaders.
Dawn has 30 years of experience in the electric energy industry, having held a number of senior management positions at TransAlta and BC Hydro. Her business experience spans a variety of areasin finance, business development, strategic planning, commercial operations, energy marketing and sustainable development. Her past directorships include the Calgary Stampede, Mount Royal University Board of Governors, Fording Coal Income Fund, New Relationship Trust Fund, Mount Royal University Foundation and
Vision Quest Windelectric.
Dawn holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in Finance and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Calgary (Calgary, AB). She has also attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA). From 2008-2009, Dawn served as Co-Chair of the Government of Canada’s Wind Technology Roadmap Industry Steering Committee. In 2012, she was appointed to the Alberta Energy Deputy Minister’s Electricity Advisory Group. She also served on the Canadian Federal Government’s Advisory Council for Promoting Women on Boards headed by the Honourable Rona Ambrose.
Dawn is an active supporter of the community. Today, she serves as a Community Champion for Momentum, a Calgary organization that partners with people living on low incomes and inspires the
development of local economies, and in 2013, she joined Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson to serve as Co-Chair of Calgary’s 2013 United Way Campaign.
She spends all of her personal time with her husband Brendon and her family.[/woitab]
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