Advancing Women's Leadership

Most professional opportunities in life blossom at the juncture of hard work meeting opportunity. If you don’t put in the hard work in advance, it’s pretty hard to get opportunities to come your way and then leverage those opportunities into new experiences.

It's important to have confidence that you're as smart as anyone else and understand that you bring something unique to the board room table or your employer. Know that life can be hard sometimes, but that by believing in yourself and having resilience in the belief that nothing lasts forever, you can overcome a wide array of obstacles.

Leverage the power of the team. By understanding others' strengths and weaknesses and valuing all voices in an inclusive leadership style, you can pull the organization forward and make difficult decisions while not compromising your personal values.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to deviate off the path well-trodden and take some risks in your career. The personal awards can be immeasurable in the journey of life.

If you could say anything to your 20-year-old self, what would it be?

Do something that scares you. If you fail, learn what you can, pick yourself up, and try again — you'll build resilience. If you succeed, you'll build confidence to tackle the next challenge that's ahead of you. I believe both resilience and confi dence are muscles you can build.

The fintech industry has made some amazing strides to bridge the gender gap, but work still needs to be done. How do you hope to see the industry continue to improve and evolve?

More women and more diversity! Across the board, from founders to technical and non-technical roles, and at all levels, we need more representation and diversity of thought. With more diverse founders and leaders, we'll tackle more problems and find better solutions.

As a woman entrepreneur, what professional challenges have you faced?

When I look back to when I first started BBTV, I do feel as though I 've had to really prove myself, especially when we were looking for early investment. Our business is very technical and I think a lot of the discussions we had in the earlier days highlighted the need for me to really highlight my expertise.

Would I have faced the same level of scrutiny if I was male? It’s tough to say, but the advice that I give all young entrepreneurs, whether male or female, is to work harder than everyone else and show that you understand your space and the business opportunity inside out. If you show the commitment and the level of intelligence needed to get ahead, people can’t ignore you.

If I were to ask you to name a female founding executive, a CEO like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, or Jeff Bezos, there are not many. We need more examples. I hope to inspire the female leaders of tomorrow by demonstrating that it's possible.

I want young women to think that “She’s done it, so I can do it, too,” and I encourage everyone in this room to do the same thing.

Advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Workplace

Every year on March 8th, workplaces around the world celebrate International Women’s Day by recognizing women within their workforce and demonstrating their commitment to advancing gender equality. This year’s theme in Canada, Women Inspiring Women, provides an opportunity for organizations to acknowledge the women who paved the way and those who continue to demonstrate leadership.

At Global Compact Network Canada, the Canadian chapter of the United Nations Global Compact, we believe that advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace is an integral component of corporate human rights and the foundation of resilient,

agile, and competitive organizations.

We’ve worked with countless Canadian businesses that are committed to advancing women’s representation, but progress across the country remains slow. Systemic genderbased barriers prevent equity of opportunity, and organizational constraints related to capacity, resources, and know-how can be challenging to overcome.

One key action that business leaders can take today is signing the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) — a framework for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Another strong step is gathering baseline gender equality data to check the pulse of your organization. Com-

pleting the WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool will provide a concrete, data-driven assessment of your organization’s status and help identify opportunities for improvement. With this information in hand, your organization can develop an action plan with realistic but ambitious representation targets, supporting goals to strengthen inclusion, and appropriate accountability mechanisms and resources to deliver your plan.

It can be overwhelming to tackle systemic discrimination, but organizations that fail to work purposefully toward building principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion into the core of their operations and identity will be left behind. Every organization needs to begin somewhere, even if your first step is a small step.

Sign the Women’s Empowerment Principles and work toward advancing gender equality in the workplace, marketplace, and community at unglobalcompact.org

Brittany Gataveckas

Brittany Gataveckas Lead, Social Sustainability, Global Compact Network Canada

Read the full interviews at innovatingcanada.ca

As the first racialized female president of the Canadian Bar Association, what advice can you lend to women trying to overcome obstacles in their professional careers?

Vivene Salmon President, Canadian Bar Association; Founder & CLO, F8th Inc.

Eva Wong Co-Founder & COO, Borrowell

Shahrzad Rafati Chairperson and CEO, BBTV Holding

A women-founded and led sports media brand that’s levelling the playing field in sports thegistsports.com

Leading by Example: At TD, Empowerment is Measurable

Changing the face of leadership in any industry is a journey. At TD, maps are being redrawn and metrics quantified to help chart a clear and steady course. D.F. McCourt

From a societal perspective, diversity in leadership is a win unto itself. But, as organizations like TD recognize, explicitly supporting and encouraging that sea-change is also a business imperative. Canada’s talent pool is deep and varied, and those who are drawing from all of its reserves are equipping themselves best for the challenges of tomorrow.

regarding women in leadership. As someone who respects numbers a great deal, she further believes that it is critical for progress to be measured and quantified, lest we pat ourselves on the back too early.

“At TD, we recognized that change was very much going to be a journey,” says Morris.

“So we started by setting measurable targets for underrepresented groups with a formal, strategic and disciplined approach. We set a goal of 40% women in senior leadership roles, and we met that target in 2020. This year, we’re setting new goals to continue this progress while working towards true gender equity for women, including equity across differences of race and sexual orientation.”

The snowball effect of incremental change

TD believes that in order to build capacity for innovation and drive results, diversity needs to be top-of-mind, engaging all backgrounds, skillsets and mindsets to create value in a unique and inclusive environment. “It's much easier for someone to envision themselves in more senior or leadership positions if they see people who they feel represent them already in those positions,” explains Jennifer Page, VP and Head of Treasury and Financial Modelling at TD. “It’s a sort of self-perpetuating barrier that holds women back from putting their hand up. Early on, I was very much looking for women role models in my field and they just didn't exist.”

We are more than one thing Page and Morris both emphasize that women in leadership is just one dimension in the complex equation of diversity, equity, and inclusion. And, in charting a strong course forward, these variables cannot be separated from one another. They must be considered as a whole. “People bring their whole selves to work,” says Morris. “I think intersectionality allows us to understand how different aspects of people's identity contribute to their unique perspectives, how they show up with their teams, and how bias and discrimination can overlap. It's all connected.”

Page, who is of Manitoba Métis heritage herself, points out that, for example, Indigenous representation remains almost non-existent at the leadership level in corporate Canada. What gives her hope, however, is a shift in the way TD thinks about leadership.

“At the heart of it, there is a very practical way in which diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential in terms of attracting and retaining talent as well as achieving business outcomes,” says Christine Morris, Senior Executive Vice President and Chair of Women in Leadership at TD Bank Group. “It brings the best outcome for the individual talent, both professionally and personally, as well as for TD.”

Morris has been with TD for 30 years now. She characterizes the organization as having always been open and forward-thinking, but also acknowledges that many systemic issues needed to be addressed, especially

Page recalls feeling alone early in her career, as a woman in the new and highly technical STEM field of quantitative finance at the intersection of economics, statistics, and computer programming. She recalls also how critical allyship and support from leaders at TD was in breaking through the invisible barriers in her path. “I was very fortunate in that, even though all my managers throughout my career have been men, save one, those male leaders always pushed me and encouraged me to find out what I was capable of,” says Page. “They gave me opportunities before I even asked for them, and that made a huge difference in my career.”

This is exactly the sort of internal support network that TD is working so hard to formalize, so that strong leadership and allyship can provide a clear ladder to diversity through all levels of the organization. “A really important part of our strategy is the Women –in Leadership Allies program,” says Morris. “This is an initiative designed to engage men and allies from across the organization on gender equity and diversity. I've been really impressed with the strong support we've had for this program.”

The fundamental lesson is that, when change is systematic, it is also lasting. And so, TD has created — and supports — formal initiatives focusing on many different points of friction in the transition towards greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. TD is sponsoring, for example, the Rotman School of Management Back to Work program, with a particular eye towards raising awareness of the challenges and implicit biases that affect women taking absences from work, what Page refers to as “the maternity gap.”

At the Bank, a new focus on intersectionality, she is confident, will help to strengthen the organization in the future. “We need to be conscious that good leadership comes in a huge array of shapes and characters, that may not always match what we grew up in North America thinking a leader would look like, or talk like, or act like,” says Page. “As we evolve and refine our approaches to diversity at TD, I look forward to emphasizing the importance of diversity in leadership styles, which can only come from having that diversity across intersectional groups.”

Leadership at TD today is working to reflect and celebrate Canadian diversity. And, while more work is required to dismantle existing barriers, there are currently several programs in place at TD focused on helping to methodically identify and help eliminate them in a formal, deliberate, and measurable way. Progress, after all, does not come by accident. And, with whole-hearted institutional support, it can be unstoppable.

Learn more about TD’s initiatives to challenge gender inequality, and to promote diversity in all its forms, by visiting td.com/ca/en/ about-td/ who-we-are/ diversity-andinclusion/

This article was sponsored by TD Bank.

We need to be conscious that good leadership comes in a huge array of shapes and characters, that may not always match what we grew up in North America thinking a leader would look like, or talk like, or act like.

At the heart of it, there is a very practical way in which diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential in terms of attracting and retaining talent as well as achieving business outcomes.

Christine

Morris Group Head & Chair of Women in Leadership, TD Bank Group

Jennifer Page, VP & Head of Treasury Modelling and Stress Testing, TD Bank Group

A Women’s University? It’s More Important Than Ever

For over 100 years, Brescia University College in London, Ont. has aimed to develop leadership competencies in women and encourage students to lead with wisdom, justice, and compassion. Its small campus size of 1,400 students allows faculty and staff to specialize in holistic education while nurturing confidence and character.

Brescia students benefit from an inclusive and supportive culture with rigorous academic standards. As an affiliate of Western University, students can access a variety of resources and programs offered on its campus. However, the unparalleled experience at Brescia is the intentional recognition of every student’s potential. Each course fosters critical conversations and challenges students academically while emphasizing strong values and character development.

Today, a women’s university remains critical, especially in a post-pandemic world. Brescia provides opportunities to consider and practise inclusive systemic changes in a variety of fields. For example, the recently-launched Centre for Leadership serves students at the University while building resources and advocacy for diverse women’s leadership in London and beyond.

Bringing everyone together

This initiative stems from Brescia’s influence in impacting various communities. “The Centre invites community members and organizations to partner with Brescia in research and advocacy about gender, intersectionality, and leadership. We aim to transform organizations in all sectors with our knowledge and expertise through micro-credentials and professional development,” says Dr. Lauretta Frederking, Brescia’s President.

The Centre also unites students, faculty, and staff at Brescia. “By partnering with local organizations, we can grow opportunities for diverse women,” says Dr. Frederking. “By offering our expertise, we can bridge gaps throughout our community, so women are successful and organizations thrive.”

To learn more about Brescia, visit brescia.uwo.ca

Additionally, the University has launched future plans through its $10 million LEAD WITH US campaign. This funding will increase scholarships, faculty research, academic programming, and more. “We’re always looking to break down barriers and increase accessibility for anyone who is interested in higher learning,” explains Dr. Frederking. “With this funding, we can implement the right resources to educate tomorrow’s leaders.”

Inspiring the next generation of women

Brescia is committed to transformative education. “We want students to achieve academic excellence, build commitment to a more equitable and just society, and grow holistically — in body, mind, and spirit,” says Dr. Frederking. “That’s how Brescia students become brilliant future leaders.”

SCWIST Tackles Challenges for Women and Girls in STEM

Camila Castaneda

The pandemic’s disproportionate effects on women are a clear call to action to remove barriers affecting women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math). The Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST) has delivered high-impact programs to support diversity and promote representation in STEM since 1981.

SCWIST advocates for the next generation of women in STEM to ensure they have a more inclusive and equitable experience by empowering girls to be confident and instilling a sense of belonging in these fields at an early age. The society has broadened its influence in the last 40 years.

ms infinity, SCWIST's longest-running program for youth, includes the Quantum Leaps conferences, e-mentoring, workshops, and outreach to Indigenous communities. The program is currently overseen by JeAnn Watson, SCWIST's Youth Engagement Director. Originally a biochemist, Watson switched to project management after completing her master's degree. She began her career in Jamaica and recalls that there was limited discourse on what options were available to her. “This motivated me to spread awareness of what's possible in the sciences. I was lucky to have a female supervisor who supported me in my journey,” she says.

“SCWIST volunteers have made it possible to expand to Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta. Our volunteers are role models actively engaged in shaping the future of the next generation of STEM leaders,” says Dr. Anju Bajaj, SCWIST Manitoba Chapter Lead. “Encouraging more girls to participate in STEM is a way to reduce the gender gap, resulting in better access to financial security, as well as ensuring a diverse workforce.” She received the Prime Minister’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2021.

To support newcomers, BIPOC, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, SCWIST offers programs like Make DIVERSITY Possible, Immigrating Women in STEM, and the recently-launched Supporting Safe STEM Workplaces in partnership with WomanACT.

In my current role at Microsoft, I focus on empowering health care professionals and researchers with the technology they need to improve outcomes, whether in clinical or health and life sciences.

This means I am constantly learning about new technologies or solving challenges that help health care organizations improve care. It is rewarding, but it was not an easy path to get here. I can speak firsthand to the challenges that women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) face. And now that I am here, I am passionate about helping pave the way for other women to enter (and stay!) in careers in STEM fields.

One way to create more pathways for women to enter STEM-focused areas is to engage and educate all genders, not just women. Events and job fairs specifically designed for women in STEM can go a long way towards raising awareness and educating around the biases (both conscious and unconscious) that some women face every day. But if these initiatives only bring together groups of women who are already well versed on the issues, then it is pushing at an open door. All genders need to be in the room if we are going to break through to realize positive change. We need to educate all leadership, hiring managers and decision-makers to recognize the gender gaps that exist so they can extend their support.

This also extends into the power of mentorship. If leaders allocate their time to mentor young women, it can help break the cycle of dropout that we typically see at the graduate study and director levels. I had many mentors throughout my career who have supported me as a woman in tech and also a woman of colour. During challenging times, these dedicated mentors helped me move forward by focusing on goals rather than roadblocks and this guidance stayed with me throughout my career.

Finally, we need to foster a “learn-it-all” mentality as opposed to a “know-it-all” mindset. This means encouraging self-learning and fostering an open mindset to reward individuals for taking on new challenges that are out of their comfort zone. The world is changing at a rapid pace. We all must be learning all the time, even at senior levels, so I encourage young girls and women to ask questions, build their professional networks and portfolios, and expand their skillset. In addition, I invite leaders and mentors from all genders to support the courageous and curious women who want to succeed, and more importantly learn.

At Microsoft, we call this leading with a growth mindset, where stretching outside your comfort zone is not only welcome, but also encouraged. This gives employees a certain level of freedom to define their role and focus on what excites them. Designing and leading a team to deliver the Research Centre of Excellence on Cloud offering, a framework that I developed employing the same mindset, excites me as it is empowering the research and life sciences community to solve existing challenges and accelerate innovation. We need to embrace this approach to make room for the next generation of professionals in tech who are going to make the next innovative discovery, that could help researchers cure cancer or reimagine health care through AI and precision medicine.

Canada’s

only

women’s university secures its rank as a powerhouse institution as it outlines exciting targets and initiatives.

This article was sponsored by Brescia University College

Dr. Lauretta Frederking President, Brescia University College

Katherine Cappellacci

Find out about SCWIST's programs at scwist.ca

JeAnn Watson Biochemist, Project Management at Genome BC and Youth Engagement Director, SCWIST Dr. Anju Bajaj STEM Educator, Associate Principal, Research Scientist, Prime Minister’s Teaching Award Recipient & Manitoba Lead, SCWIST This article was sponsored by SCWIST

Dr. Helia Mohammadi Chief Data Scientist, Healthcare Industry Lead, Microsoft Canada

This article was sponsored by Microsoft.

Paving the Way for Women in Tech

Dr. Helia Mohammadi

All genders need to be in the room if we are going to break through to realize positive change.

Empowering Women in the Workplace: Q&A With TSX Trust President and CEO, Claire Johnson

TSX Trust — a wholly owned subsidiary of TMX Group, and operator of the Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, and the Montreal Exchange — is the largest Canadian-owned Transfer Agent and provider of Corporate Trust Services.

Readers may be familiar with TSX Trust if they invest in companies that send them dividend cheques or proxy mailings during annual general meeting season; TSX Trust performs those services on behalf of issuers.

As of December 31, 2021, approximately 70 percent of leaders at a director level or higher at TSX Trust were women.

As a mother of five children — ages 7 to 19 — Claire understands the challenges women face in achieving their career aspirations while maintaining a work-life balance.

Mediaplanet recently spoke with Claire to get some of her insights on women and leadership and learn more about how TSX Trust is empowering women.

would occur during the integration of two complementary businesses. We connected with our employees through team meetings, newsletters, town halls, and education sessions. However, transparency is a two-way street. While I do my best to provide transparency to the team, I also expect it from them, since, without it, we cannot succeed together.

At the end of the day, we wanted our employees to know that we have confidence in them to do their jobs and make good decisions during times of change.

What are some initiatives at TSX Trust that empower women in the workplace?

CJ: I am particularly proud of the fact that women hold 70 percent of director and 60 percent of management positions at TSX Trust. These numbers speak to the ability of our organization to engage, empower, and retain top female talent.

The high percentage of women in leadership is the result of a combination of things.

I think it starts with the hiring process. At TSX Trust, we value hiring the whole person, not just their technical skills and work experiences on a resume. We also look at things like interpersonal relations and life experiences because those are factors that can be critical indicators of long-term career success.

After joining our organization, we have well-established training and development programs, as well as evolving succession planning strategies to retain our female talent and do the work to prepare them for leadership roles.

I’m also proud of the fact that female leaders at TSX Trust have built a fellowship, encouraging their female employees to get out of their comfort zones and seek growth opportunities.

Finally, we know women are more likely to balance family obligations — including child-rearing and elder care — than men. Women at TSX Trust benefit from our culture that embraces and encourages work-life balance so that employees can manage their work and personal lives together.

Over the past year, TSX Trust has been through a major transition with the acquisition of AST Canada. What’s an important leadership lesson you've learned over the past year?

CLAIRE JOHNSON: Empathy took centre stage this past year.

As workloads increased because of our recent acquisition of AST Canada, it was important for me to regularly connect with team members as individuals, learn about their families and things they care about to best support them.

Additionally, as a management team, we were transparent about the changes that

Organization-wide, TMX Group is committed to promoting gender equality. In 2021, we were proud to partner with Women in Capital Markets to provide 12 paid memberships for TMX women to be included in the group’s coveted mentorship program.

Initiatives like this show we aren't just stating our targets on paper but putting them into action and making commitments.

How do we ensure that the activities and conversations about workplace equality that take place around International Women’s Day continue year round?

CJ: I think this is an important question. International Women's Day is an opportunity to celebrate women leaders inside and outside the organization. It is also an opportunity to have important discussions about "where can we improve equality; how do we better support women; and what can we learn from other organizations?

But discussions, around one day of the year, are not enough.

It’s important to take those learnings and embed them into our systems and processes — year-round — for hiring and developing our women.

What advice would you give other women aspiring to be executives in the finance industry?

CJ: My advice to women who aspire to be in leadership positions is to raise their hand for new project opportunities. The challenge and the experience will allow you to grow, showcase your capabilities, and give you the confidence to take on more.

Ask for help from others around you. Seek feedback. Pay for services or find ways to share tasks with family or friends to manage your work-life balance.

I was fortunate to work for leaders, many of whom were men, who actively sponsored women, thought deeply about development, and gave them opportunities. I worked parttime for seven years, took on progressively senior roles, and found ways to balance my home life, with support from my family. The path was not a straight line, but it is an adventure that I would love to see more women be supported to achieve.

We all have a role to play in improving diversity in the workplace.

Claire Johnson is a CPA who has spent her career in the financial sector, honing her leadership skills through a variety of senior management positions that spanned operations, relationship management, product, marketing, finance, and strategy. In 2018, after a 20-year career at CIBC Mellon, Claire joined TSX Trust as its President and CEO.

Anne Pamphel and Andy Radia

Claire Johnson President & CEO, TSX Trust

Q&A With Laurie Clark

As the pandemic draws on, how have entrepreneurs continued to adapt?

The pandemic was tough. Employers had no choice but to let people work remotely. While in-person service suffered, entrepreneurs found the proverbial silver lining. I launched Onyen in March 2021, a year into COVID-19, because regulations and calls for responsible investing didn’t stop. Onyen offers all companies innovative software to meet ESG reporting obligations, improving their companies' profile and helping them gain access to funding. Online companies met our needs with highly-qualified freelancers, allowing us to hire expediently from a huge global pool of talent. I love that, a world away, some brilliant person is completing what I need by the time my day starts.

As fintech remains a male-dominated industry, what efforts are being made to empower women in the field?

Women in fintech don’t need to be empowered — they’ve proved themselves. But investors need — and Canadians deserve — an end to the “old boys’ network” to find great people and ideas and to end attitudes like: “Diversity should not be a goal, but rather a happy biproduct that occurs over

time. It took 150 years after the abolition of slavery for the U.S. to elect a Black president. I’d like to think he was elected because he was competent and qualified, not because he was Black. Diversity takes time and cannot be forced.” Seriously?

This was a comment on a February 2022 article describing findings from a study funded by Women Get On Board Inc. (which I’m a part of) that showed that until we have more women in senior roles (CEOs, specifically), there won’t be much movement in the boardroom, where things can really change. My mission is to ensure that women of all colours are invited to challenging, senior roles. At Onyen, we have a large contingent of women who are bright and talented at all levels of the company, and, of course, we’re a female-led company, which resonates with our shareholders. We salute the men who champion Onyen, women, and their ideas. That’s all it takes.

What advice do you have for women attempting to start their entrepreneurial careers?

First, your product needn’t be complex. It simply has to meet a need. I co-founded Canchek in 2015 to help financial institutions comply

with AML/ATF (anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing) rules, comparing disparate files. Then we added artificial intelligence tools: Canchek-eID enables remote client verification via iPhone and Android. Second, prepare for each step. Do more. Don’t give in or be daunted by naysayers. Be prepared for a really hard road. Act tough and have thick skin. No crying in public.

The good news is you have — we have — allies and heroes to inspire us. Just last month, a Black woman, against all odds, was nominated for one of the most important and prestigious of jobs — Supreme Court Justice of the United States. She's supremely qualified, much more so than many others. This U.S. Supreme Court nominee has been a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, spent eight years as a trial court judge in the District Court for the District of Columbia, served 15 years as a public defender, was a Harvard Law grad and editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, clerked for three Supreme Court judges, and was vice-chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She's several magnitudes beyond at the very least one recent appointee, and thus she really demonstrates the distance in excellence women entrepreneurs must travel to meet their goals.

St. Lawrence College's Alumni are Leaders in their Industry

St. Lawrence College (SLC) is proud of its alumni making waves across industries. Melissa Phelan and Christine Bruce are two of many women who are passionate about their profession and dedicated to transforming their respective industries for the better.

Welding is a woman's world

Melissa Phelan is a skilled tradeswoman who is leaving her legacy in the welding industry. Graduating from SLC's Welding and Fabrication Technician Apprenticeship diploma program, she is now an entrepreneur and self-employed welder who champions young women entering this industry.

"My experience at SLC was phenomenal!" Melissa Phelan exclaimed.

Melissa enjoyed every bit of her experience at SLC by learning from knowledgeable professors who fostered a supportive environment. The program prepared her by teaching relevant industry knowledge, such as welding processes (mig, tig, stick, oxy-fuel) that she still uses today.

The entire experience helped her build confidence to tackle an industry predominantly run by tradesmen. Of course, this has changed with women like Melissa, who won the Premier's Award for her leadership and impact in this industry.

Her dedication to expanding opportunities for young women and individuals has fueled her entrepreneurial spirit. With plans to use her shop to host introductory welding courses, she uses her expertise to teach safety and promote education in welding to the public.

Melissa's advice to women interested in welding is to acquire the right credentials through schools like SLC, network with women in trades, and shadow

someone doing the welding job they are curious about.

The industry is evolving and Melissa hopes that sharing her accomplishments in trades sparks interest in women and young individuals.

Management in the medical lab profession

Christine Bruce is a passionate leader in the Medical Lab Professional (MLP) industry. Graduating from SLC's Medical Laboratory Program, she is now the Senior Director of the Laboratory Medicine Program at University Health Network (UHN).

Christine's education at SLC prepared her to advance in careers across private and public roles by

teaching the value of MLPs beyond the job. MLPs are responsible for providing 70 percent of patient information —without them, informed decision-making is not possible in treatment.

Christine's ultimate career goal was to lead the lab medicine program at UHN. On this path, she took the time to understand how to influence the broader laboratory system stakeholders, which laid the foundational knowledge of how the laboratory industry lives and breathes, and where opportunities exist to enhance it, as well as how the patient experience can be improved. This perspective allowed her to stand out when competing for leadership roles. She notably co-led the establishment of the first hospital laboratory to test for COVID-19 in Ontario, under the mentorship of Dr. Tony Mazzulli by making local decisions at the Mount Sinai/UHN Microbiology Laboratory that ultimately benefited the entire province, before transitioning to her current role at UHN.

The typical barriers women may face in male-dominated professions are not true to this women-led industry. However, advancement in leadership roles are competitive and challenging due to the responsibilities of managing enormous and complex workforces.

Christine advocates for women who are interested in leadership roles within this industry to understand the value of delivering care to patients.

SLC prepares women for leadership Melissa and Christine are exemplary of the mindset that is cultivated at St.Lawrence College. Offering robust curriculums through 100 plus programs, SLC prepares graduates to move the world with confidence in their knowledge and ambition to make a difference.

This article was sponsored by Canchek Corporation and Onyen Corporation

Serial entrepreneur Laurie Clark is the founder of three fintech companies: Canchek Corporation, Smarten Up Institute (the SmartDirect System), and Onyen Corporation. She shares her perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurs and women in fintech.

To learn more about St. Lawrence College, visit stlawrence college.ca

This article was sponsored by St. Lawrence College.

Sabrina Seecharran

Alumni of St. Lawrence College, Melissa Phelan and Christine Bruce, share their impact in the Welding and Medical Lab industry.

The entire experience helped her build confidence to tackle an industry predominantly run by tradesmen.

Christine Bruce Senior Director, Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network

Melissa Phelan Entrepreneur & Welder

Female and Job Searching? Achieve a Prosperous Skilled Trades Career

To secure a bright future, the

Katherine Cappellacci

On International Women’s Day in 2018, the Government of British Colombia allocated funding to two projects supporting women in skilled trades — one of which led to the inception of the B.C. Centre for Women in the Trades (BCCWITT).1

Focused on assisting and advancing women in skilled trades, BCCWITT is a partnership led by labour and industry representatives and tradeswomen. Specializing in career development, they provide programming to support women entering the trades sector every step of the way — via training opportunities, funding, childcare, transportation, and more.

Uplifting women is more important than ever, as they only represent four percent of the skilled trades

workforce in B.C.2 In a sector that’s destined to face massive worker shortages, adjusting workplace culture, habits, and outlooks to suit the other 50 percent of the Canadian population is paramount for this industry’s survival. 3

A social shift

Women in the field often struggle to overcome longstanding prejudices perpetuated by a predominantly male workforce. A toxic workplace environment may inhibit women from accessing career advancement opportunities, thus lowering retention rates. Plus, workplaces may lack standard female washrooms or properly fitted personal protective equipment. Beyond ensuring a prosperous future, BCCWITT strives to uplift equity-seeking groups and

promote diversity. Aside from helping women and marginalized peoples enter trade fields, they’re also committed to making these workplace environments more inclusive.

“Our Be More Than a Bystander program is based on the belief that men need to be standing up for women,” explains Karen Dearlove, BCCWITT’s Executive Director. This successful program helps employers adjust their business practices to suit women, such as their hiring processes and policy placements. “We aim to teach men in leadership positions about how to be better allies — to identify and remedy the impediments women face under their supervision.”

Bringing tradeswomen together

A Red Seal Electrician, Becky Lupton joined the BCCWITT Governance Committee to help women in trades overcome barriers. “I wanted to see other women enter the trade. They’re out there, but they need support.”

That’s why BCCWITT has a Tradeswoman Network, where women in trades can connect and assist one another. Their Regional Representative Program helps tradeswomen develop leadership and mentoring skills, with the goal of increasing diversity.

Becky knows firsthand that women may not realize they can build a successful career in skilled trades.

“If you can’t see others like you doing it, it’s difficult to believe you can,” she says. “There are jobs in skilled trades you could love, get well paid for, and build a satisfying career through.”

BCCWITT encourages businesses to develop policies that support women. “Creating safe workplaces goes beyond occupational health and safety — it’s having the correct policies in place,” Karen explains.

Increasing inclusivity

From helping women enter the workforce to uplifting those already in the field, BCCWITT is dedicated to revitalizing the skilled trades arena. Plus, they’re breaking barriers by training company leaders and male coworkers to realize, address, and solve issues hindering the women in their field.

“Creating respectful, safe, healthy workplaces doesn’t just help women; it helps everybody,” Karen says.

3Ibid.

We All Rise With More Eyes

In spite of the incontestable excellence of female athletes globally, there’s still a massive disparity in the coverage they receive.

Aglobal survey by DAZN, conducted in partnership with The Female Quotient, found that 64 percent of consumers don’t watch women’s sports because of three key reasons:

Don’t know enough about the athletes and teams.

The Irony of Recognition

Catherine Miner

When I was asked to write an article about women in leadership, I was initially thrilled about the conscious effort to advance women in the workplace but also quite disappointed that we were still in need of having this dialogue. I feel the same way when I read announcements for the “first woman” to have a particular role of power. My initial reaction is “you go girl” followed by, “isn’t it a shame that we feel the need to call it out.” That somehow highlight the fact, for example when Brenda Lucki was appointed RCMP Commissioner, diminishes the appointment. We would all think that it is absurd to have an announcement like, “Christian, Caucasian Man appointed CEO…” I look forward to the day when a woman, a person of colour, or of any religion, race, or sexual orientation is appointed to a position of significant power and there is no reference to it. I think then we will have arrived at a point of recognizing the person for their merits.

At Shadow Lake Group, our focus is trying to deliver the best results for our clients by adapting our thinking and approach to match what the situation and client demands. To be able to do that effectively, it is critical that our team be diverse, open-minded, and flexible in our thinking. As a result, we have a team that is diverse in age, gender, religion, ethnicity, education, and experience. All of which creates a very healthy and productive environment for driving results.

Don’t have as many opportunities to watch.

Aren’t aware altogether of where they can catch the events that are available.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can pursue a career in the skilled trades, check out bccwitt.ca for more information.

This boils down to the following universal trends:

A significant lack of yearround primetime women’s sports broadcast and news media coverage.

Minimal year-round promotion of women’s sports events.

Storytelling coverage falling short on consistently engaging fans.

However, audience and sport fan interest is there with 66 percent of the total population stating they’re interested in at least one women's sport.

As a broadcaster, DAZN believes we all rise with more eyes and is committed to improving the global visibility of women’s sports and female athletes — by giving fans easier and better broadcast access, surround-sound content, and behind-the-scenes storytelling.

Karen Dearlove Executive Director, BCCWITT

Government

This article was sponsored by B.C. Centre for Women in the Trades.

This article was sponsored by Shadow Lake Group Inc

Catherine Miner Managing Partner, Shadow Lake Group Inc.

Sports management is not only a rapidly-growing industry, it’s also gender-diverse and inclusive, and has high female leadership representation. “About 43 percent of executive positions in national sport are occupied by women, compared to about 19 percent for the rest of corporate Canada,” says Erin Pearson, Professor at the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., and PhD candidate at Western University.

Partly driving this trend is the increased media coverage of women’s sports and the fact that more women in general are becoming sports fans. “I think the old-school mentality of sports being just for the boys is out the window,” says Patrice Whiffen, Marketing, Events, and Multimedia Specialist and Professor at Fanshawe’s Lawrence Kinlin School of Business.

Another driver is sport organizations “recognizing the untapped market potential of women’s sport and the value that women’s perspectives, opinions, and ideas bring to their bottom line,” says Pearson. “This has translated into more women being represented in sports organizations, and we expect this trend to increase,” adds Whiffen.

Preparing students for a sports management career

To help students and employers capitalize on this trend, Fanshawe College recently launched an innovative one-year Graduate Certificate program called the Sport and Event Marketing program through the Lawrence Kinlin School of Business.

“The program offers a variety of courses designed to prepare students for industry work,” says Bill Reid, Program Coordinator of the Sport and Event Marketing Graduate Certificate and Professor, Human Resources at Fanshawe College. Though open to all genders, the program was created with gender diversity and inclusion in mind — from course content to gender-balanced faculty to ensuring diversity on the advisory committee.

Versatility, experiential learning, and building industry connections

Practicality and experiential learning are key elements of the program. “Many courses contain what we call live client interactions, project-based work, and experiences that help students achieve course learning outcomes and develop essential employability skills that are aligned with industry work requirements,” says Reid. The program culminates in a 490-hour industry internship.

Upon completion of the program, students have acquired functional knowledge and practical skills in core sports management areas, including professional and amateur sports organizations, minor sports associations, private and public sports facilities, notfor-profit groups, telecommunications companies, and other sports-related businesses.

In September 2022, the program will also be offered as a part-time online option. “This additional delivery method will give students even more flexibility and opportunity to complete the program,” says Reid.

Finding your place in the industry

As for career paths, the sky's the limit with multiple paths to success — from working in the charitable or non-profit sector to the Olympics to business and operations to the technical and analytics side. Best of all, you don’t even have to be a sports fan. “The sports industry is so much more than just what’s played on the field, on the ice, or on the courts,” says Whiffen. “It’s a massive industry, and there are so many different ways for women to be involved.”

About 43 percent of executive positions in national sport are occupied by women, compared to about 19 percent for the rest of corporate Canada.

Learn more about how you can cultivate an exciting career in a growing and cutting-edge field at Fanshawe College.

This article was sponsored by Fanshawe College.

Patrice Whiffen Marketing, Events, & Multimedia Specialist & Professor, Lawrence Kinlin School of Business, Fanshawe College

Erin Pearson Professor, Lawrence Kinlin School of Business, Fanshawe College

Bill Reid Program Coordinator & Professor, Human Resources, Lawrence Kinlin School of Business, Fanshawe College

Anne Papmehl

NEW UFC CHAMPION

JULIANNA PEÑA

ON RESILIENCE AND MANIFESTATION

Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña is a fighter through and through. Not only did the 32-yearold Washington native recently become the UFC Bantamweight Champion in what many are calling the biggest title upset in UFC history, she also fully epitomizes a fighter and champion mentality. This mentality — built around passion, resilience, and never giving up — has a lot to teach us all.

A source of inspiration

“For me, being a fighter means being able to enforce your will and to inspire people who feel like maybe they can’t do something in life,” says Peña. “I want to help them realize that they can do it and that they’re actually a lot stronger than they think they are.”

Peña is a prime example of the power of committing to a dream, working hard, and achieving a goal beyond what you may have thought possible. In December, she shocked the mixed martial arts (MMA) world with an incredible win against Amanda Nunes, the defending UFC Bantamweight Champion, who is widely regarded as the greatest female mixed martial artist in history.

Nobody saw it coming, but Peña never doubted herself. “My mom always told me that you can do anything you set your mind to,” she says. “If you’re passionate about something, you can obtain it.”

The

power of manifestation

Even before claiming the physical belt marking her new status as Bantamweight Champion, Peña was espousing that champion mentality. “I was thinking and acting like a champion before I became one,” she says. “It sounds corny but you have to ask, believe, and achieve. First you have to figure out what it is that you want, and then you have to believe that you can have it — and not just believe that you can have it, but believe that you already are it and that you already

have that kind of life. Every day, I’d wake up and say, ‘I’m a champion.’ It was just a matter of time before I got that physical belt, but that belt is not indicative of who I am in my heart and who I am in my spirit. I already am a champion.”

Every day, I’d wake up and say, ‘I’m a champion.’ It was just a matter of time before I got that physical belt, but that belt is not indicative of who I am in my heart and who I am in my spirit. I already am a champion.

A focus on family

Peña credits her success to her relentlessness and her never-give-up attitude. She also comes from a large Hispanic family who she says motivated her to do her best. Today, providing for her family is a major source of Peña’s drive and inspiration — and this drive has only grown now that she has her own daughter, four-year-old Isa.

“Becoming a mother has given me more to fight for and a reason to fight harder,” says Peña. “Even before I had children, I used to talk about being a mama bear fighting for her cub. People would be like, ‘What is this girl talking about?’ But I was using it theoretically.” The mama bear instinct comes naturally to Peña, who is the first woman to win a UFC championship after giving birth.

How does she balance motherhood with a career as one of the hottest MMA fighters in the world? “You just find a way to make it work,” she says. “My daughter comes with me everywhere I go. She comes with me to every practice. We’re a package deal.”

Exciting news ahead

The future is bright for Peña, and she’s at the peak of her career as one of the most exciting UFC fighters. “In the UFC, women are main events, women steal the show, and women get Performance of the Night bonuses just like the men,” she says. “We’re on the same platform as men and are treated as equals for the most part.”

Peña is also geared up to coach opposite Nunes on the next season of the UFC reality show The Ultimate Fighter, which she herself won back in 2013. The show culminates in a fight between the two coaches, and the rematch with Nunes is expected to be the biggest women’s fight of all time, according to UFC President Dana White. “I’m so excited that something I was manifesting came to life,” says Peña.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña is a trailblazer and a powerful source of inspiration for anyone with big dreams.

Tania Amardeil

PHOTO:

PHOTO: CHRIS UNGER/ZUFFA LLC