CALGARY INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS // WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
CALGARY INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS LEADERS ACROSS CALGARY CELEBRATE THE STRENGTH GENDER DIVERSITY BRINGS TO BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY BY NATALIE NOBLE
O
n April 27th, the Calgary Influential Women in Business (CIWB) Awards will be presented by sponsors National Bank Financial Inc. and TransAlta Corporation. Each of the six outstanding professionals recognized supports female leadership across the city and demonstrates a passion for elevating those around them by broadening representation at the table. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTED BY TD BANK GROUP
DAWN FARRELL,
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AND CHANCELLOR MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY
AND RECENTLY RETIRED CEO AND PRESIDENT TRANSALTA CORPORATION
Dawn Farrell, chancellor at Mount Royal University, says it’s “magical” to work on diverse teams drawing on individual strengths. She first experienced that magic in 2004 at BC Hydro under the leadership of Bob Elton. “He had a passion for diversity and deliberately created a diverse team of men and women,” says Farrell. “To benefit from diversity, you must accept that each of us – with our experiences, genders, habits, talents and weaknesses – brings something different to the mix. We must love these differences and draw from them when making decisions and driving change.” As CEO at TransAlta Corporation for over nine years, Farrell ensured her management team was diverse and worked with
the board chair to put over 30 per cent female representation on the board, setting a goal for 50/50 by 2030. “We became students on how to use diverse teams to make better decisions,” she says. Farrell is also devoted to mentoring women to take on leadership positions. “My belief is that there are very few environments where women will be ‘given’ the opportunity to be heard. With mentorship by those who have ‘been in the room,’ women can learn to lean in, be respected and be heard. It’s key that they play hard, stand back up after every failure and just stay in the game. It just takes courage and they all have that at their core.”
ABOVE: DAWN FARRELL, CHANCELLOR AT MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY.
BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // APRIL 2022
57
