Meet Rhiannon Rosalind, President

Rhiannon has been named one of Canada’s Change Agents by Canadian Business Magazine and was awarded WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award. As an advocate for youth, she has been instrumental in developing seven national programs under the Jr. Economic Club banner that have impacted over 50,000 young Canadians and provided over $150,000 in academic scholarships.

The following interview excerpts have been edited for clarity and brevity.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TOWARD A CAREER WITHIN THE FINANCE INDUSTRY? WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO MAKE ADVOCACY A KEY COMPONENT OF YOUR CAREER? I have always been deeply interested in the study of systems—political, economic, and social. When the opportunity to work for The Economic Club presented itself after graduating university, I knew it was an opportunity that I couldn’t let pass me by. Early on, it felt like I was drinking from a firehose. There was so much to learn. I became more aware of the voices that weren’t represented in the boardrooms and in the C-suite, and I began to advocate for change. In many ways, I was struggling to fit in, as I often found myself the only young person or woman in the room—I wanted to change that, not only for myself, but for other groups that didn’t have a seat at the table. I never imagined that the advocacy work would become such a huge part of what I was doing, but it gave me a deeper purpose and helped me shape my own identity as a leader.

HOW HAVE YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, BOTH GROWING UP AND AS A 26-YEAR-OLD CEO, SHAPED YOUR CAREER AND LIFE GOALS? IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR 26-YEAR-OLD SELF ADVICE KNOWING WHAT YOU DO TODAY, WHAT WOULD THAT ADVICE BE? My family struggled growing up; money was tight, and there were many different challenges that we faced. I was not a good student during my younger years, and as a result, my confidence was low. I never really felt smart, so I started to look for validation outside of the classroom, and by grade 10, I completely flunked out. I knew that the path that I was on wasn’t the right one, and so I made a promise to myself to do better and make a change. I got back into school and worked through my self-esteem issues to develop better habits. When I got to university, it was the first time I ever felt clever, because I was studying topics that I was passionate about. I would never have imagined that I would end up a 26-year-old CEO running The Economic Club of Canada. I’m not perfect and I’ve made many mistakes along the way, but one thing that’s allowed me to be successful is my ability to be vulnerable. I’m not afraid to ask for help, admit when I’m wrong, and be honest about where I come from.

HOW IS THE REPUTATION OF WOMEN IN FINANCE CHANGING? WHAT CAN WE DO TO BETTER FACILITATE THIS CHANGE? To make change, we need to see more representative leadership. There are certain industries, like finance, where we just aren’t seeing the kind of progress we would like. We need to embrace the fact that there are systemic barriers at play that keep women, BIPOC, and youth underrepresented. Change can only happen if we bring more awareness to the parts of our economy and system that aren’t welcoming or working for different groups. Rather than expecting people to change to fit into the system, we need to change the system to fit the needs of people. To me, this means feminizing our approach to business through a deeper emphasis on emotional intelligence, collaboration, creativity, and connection to the planet. At the end of the day, finance is about value exchange, and we need to modernize our approach to value exchange by recognizing things like personal well-being, community safety, and reconciliation as key performance indicators in the marketplace, alongside profitability.

HOW CAN CURRENT WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES BETTER SERVE THE NEXT GENERATION OF WOMEN ENTERING THE BUSINESS? Current leaders can help future leaders by being themselves. When we find ourselves in a place of power, we have the ability to set the stage for change. I have learned to embrace my youth and femininity in my role, and by doing this, it gives women who come after me the permission to do the same. Mentorship can help, sponsorship can help, but the most valuable thing is leading by example. Just like Gandhi

said: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Women leaders have an opportunity to transform the system just by taking up space and doing things differently.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO BETTER ADVOCATE AGAINST RACISM AND EXCLUSION ON BAY STREET AND BEYOND IN OTHER BUSINESSES? In any troubled relationship, healing can only begin when we embrace honesty and communication. I’ve always believed in the premise that reconciliation cannot happen without first embracing the truth. There are many unpleasant truths about our economy, our corporate infrastructure, our education systems, and our political systems that we must face together as a collective. We have a journey ahead of us that involves unlearning many patterns and behaviours that have become deeply engrained and hidden in our subconscious. We need leaders to courageously admit that they don’t have all the answers. We need to break bread together, speak at the same tables, and work as a collective to design solutions that are truly representative. We need to try new things, break out of autopilot, and focus on evolving our consciousness.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE CHANGE IN THEIR INDUSTRY AND BEYOND? Change starts from within, so my advice is to first practice on yourself. Identify a few key areas in your own life where you would like to see improvement. Better communication, personal wellbeing, or more environmentally sustainable habits are all easy to talk about and less easy to implement. However, I know through my own life experience that change is possible—not just for ourselves but for our systems. If you master making change within yourself, you can use that knowledge to lead others to do the same. The collective solutions that we crave start with a majority of people taking small and personal action. WHO DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST, WHY? I admire Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Buffy Sainte-Marie, Oprah Winfrey, and many others who have risen from adversity and used their lives as a tool for change. The person I want to admire the most is myself, though. I’m working on improving my own self-love and admiration every day. It’s something we aren’t taught to do, and it’s something we all struggle with. In a time when there is so much hate and shame and confusion in our world, self-love can be a rebellious act.

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I have had the privilege of sharing stages with many world-renowned leaders and receiving many accolades and awards, but I’m most proud of my ability to make people feel heard, seen, and valued. It’s something I consciously work at—to embrace others, to intuitively read when someone feels left out, and to make an effort to include them. These are the values that I am most proud to cultivate within myself and share with others.

WHAT ARE YOU READING, WATCHING, AND/OR LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My two favourite podcasts of the moment are EXPANDED Podcast with Lacey Philips and Mark Groves Podcast. Both of these feature raw and honest conversations around behaviour change, unlearning, and personal and collective transformation—all topics that inspire me. I’m also currently reading 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph. I am interested in learning and working with Indigenous leaders and better understanding the systemic barriers that are built into our current political and economic structures. It’s a fascinating read, and I highly recommend it to all Canadians.