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Shelley Brown

Partner, Deloitte

Shelley Brown has spent more than 30 years in public practice and was responsible for several of Deloitte’s major audit clients in Saskatchewan. She recently transferred to the Vancouver office where she focuses on the mining and forestry sectors. Brown started her career in Calgary where she spent 10 years working primarily with clients in the energy, manufacturing and technology sectors. She later transferred to Saskatoon and recently completed a five-year term as engagement partner on Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan. Brown is past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan and past president of the Saskatoon United Way. She sits on the national board of Deloitte and chairs the firm’s governance committee. She is also on the board of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.

Karimah Es Sabar

CEO and president, Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD)

Before taking on the lead role at Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), Karimah Es Sabar was senior vice-president, business and strategic affairs, responsible for leading and building national and international partnerships across industry, government and academia. Prior to joining CDRD, she was president of LifeSciences BC, a non-profit industry association devoted to the promotion and development of the biotechnology industry. Es Sabar has held numerous senior management positions, most notably as director of the international division and of marketing and business development at Connaught Laboratories Ltd. (now Sanofi Pasteur). She sits on a number of local, national and international boards and advisories, and has her master’s degree in neurochemistry from the University of London. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry/chemistry from the University of Salford, just outside Manchester.

Susan Glass

Partner and national leader, valuations & litigation services, KPMG

As national leader of KPMG’s valuation and litigation services practice in Canada, Susan Glass specializes in business valuation and damage quantification. She is responsible for appraising remedy claims, shareholder disputes and other litigation matters such as income tax reorganizations, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and financial reporting. She also takes care of quantifying damage related to contract disputes, patent infringement and anti-trust violations. Glass has been an expert witness before the Ontario Court, Québec Superior Court, Tax Court of Canada and Commercial Registration Appeal Tribunal. She has acted as a full- and part-time lecturer at Hamilton’s McMaster University over a 13-year span. She is also on KPMG’s board of directors and was former chair of the board of KPMG

in Canada.

Catherine Karakatsanis

Chief operating officer, Morrison Hershfield Ltd.

Armed with 24 years in progressively senior roles at Morrison Hershfield, Catherine Karakatsanis has extensive engineering and management experience under her belt. In her current role, to which she was appointed in 2012, she is responsible for the company’s international and domestic operations and oversees 800 professionals in offices across North America. She has been active in the engineering community for more than two decades and is past president and chair of Engineers Canada. She also sits on the board of Engineers Without Borders. Last year, Karakatsanis was awarded the Engineering Medal of Management and was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineering as a Fellow. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering science from Western University in London, Ont.

Diane Kazarian

National financial services leader; partner, audit and assurance group PricewaterhouseCoopers

Diane Kazarian has almost 30 years of experience in the financial services sector, and specializes in the development and monitoring of legal risk policies and procedures, as well as credit risk management processes. She has extensive knowledge of international financial reporting standards (IFRS), U.S. accounting principals and Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, and leads teams for several of PwC’s largest financial service clients. Kazarian is a CA and CPA, and speaks at a variety of IFRS industry and client events. She is an instructor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and is frequently cited by media on emerging issues in IFRS and banking capital markets. Kazarian is on the board of Kingsway College School in Toronto and is one of the leaders in the SickKids Foundation’s industry initiative.

Lisa Kimmel

General manager, Edelman Toronto

In addition to overseeing operations and financial performance at Edelman Toronto, Lisa Kimmel is responsible for recruiting and retaining talent, new business development, client services and reputation management. Under her leadership, the Toronto location has almost doubled in size. Kimmel has been instrumental in developing award-winning programs for clients and helping foster a workplace culture based on teamwork and integrity. She sits on the steering committee of Edelman’s Global Women’s Executive Network and is a member of the agency’s global strategy committee. She is also on the board of directors at Harbourfront Centre and Sketch, an organization dedicated to helping street kids, in Toronto.

Rosemary McCarney

CEO and president, Plan International Canada

As head of one of the largest international agencies in Canada, Rosemary McCarney has been recognized around the world as a leading executive in the non-governmental organization sector. Under her direction, Plan initiated the call for an International Day of the Girl as part of its Because I am a Girl campaign. The day became a reality on Oct. 11, 2012. Before joining Plan, McCarney was executive director of Street Kids International. She has worked in more than 100 countries during her career, and her international economic development experience includes stints with the World Bank, International Finance Corp. and both the U.S. and Canadian agencies for international development. McCarney has a law degree from Western University in London, Ont., and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She has taught both international and constitutional law.

Monique Mercier

Senior vice-president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary, Telus Corp.

Throughout her 29-year career, Monique Mercier has held senior roles across various industries, including information technology, health and communications. Before joining Telus, she was in progressively senior positions at Bell, where she negotiated and executed international mergers and acquisitions, and practised corporate and securities law. She later joined Emergis in 1999 where she was responsible for its legal services team and then went on to lead human resources. In her current role at Telus, she supports the legal services and compliance teams. Mercier has been awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal and also made Canada’s Most Powerful Women list in 2012. This year, she was honoured with the Lexpert Zenith Award for Women Leaders in the Legal Community. Mercier sits on the boards of Stornoway Diamond Corp. and the Canadian Cancer Research Society. She is past president of the advisory board of the University of Montreal Law School.

Rebecca Ng

Financial controller, Xstrata Nickel

Rebecca Ng is a seasoned finance executive in the global mining industry, with more than 12 years of senior-level experience in finance, controllership, governance and reporting at various multi-national and Canadian miners. Ng was the financial controller at Xstrata Nickel from 2006 to 2013 before its merger with Glencore International PLC in May. Prior to that, she was group controller at Noranda Inc. and Falconbridge Ltd. before their acquisition by Xstrata in 2006. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hong Kong and is qualified as a chartered accountant in Ontario. Ng is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. In September, she was appointed chief financial officer of Century Iron Mines Corp.

Kathleen Ryan

Partner, Davis LLP

As a senior litigator, Kathleen Ryan has extensive experience at all court levels in Alberta. Her expertise is in consumer and injury litigation, professional malpractice, employment and commercial litigation. Ryan is an elected member of the Law Society of Alberta and has been recognized as a leading practitioner in Canada by Lexpert (2010-2012). She is also past president of the Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers and St. Thomas More Lawyers Guild. Beyond the legal world, Ryan is active in her community, sitting on the board of Safe and Caring Schools & Communities and recently spent three years as chair of Creating Safe Spaces Anti-Bullying Breakfast. Ryan earned her law degree from the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Lisa Vogt

Partner, and chief diversity and engagement officer, McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Lisa Vogt has opened many doors for females in her profession as a mentor and advocate. She has held a series of leadership roles at McCarthy Tétrault, including regional managing partner, B.C., and national group leader. Her current role as chief diversity and engagement officer has already earned her national kudos. In 2012, Vogt was recognized as a Canadian Diversity Champion and she was lauded by the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund for her leadership in advancing women in law. Vogt will appear in the 2014 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada and in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a top lawyer in the property development area. She earned her law degree from Vancouver’s University of British Columbia from which she also received a Law Alumni Award of Distinction. Vogt earned a spot on Canada’s Most Powerful; Women list in 2010.

RBC CHAMPIONS

Jane Allen

Partner, global leader, renewable energy; chief diversity officer, Deloitte

Jane Allen has more than 25 years of experience in the energy sector. She consults with energy clients in Canada and abroad and has led major energy companies in the areas of organizational restructuring and operational improvement. She headed Deloitte Canada’s Power & Utility practice for six years before taking on her current role as global leader, responsible for building the company’s entire practice in the renewable energy sector. As chief diversity officer — the first position of its kind in Canada — Allen ensures the company’s strategy for improving diversity and inclusiveness is implemented across the firm. In 2012, she was selected as the Catalyst Canada Honours Diversity Champion. Prior to joining Deloitte, Allen was a senior policy advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Energy and with the Ontario Women’s Directorate. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from McMaster University in Hamilton.

Susan Allen

Assurance partner, international team leader, global assurance quality group, PricewaterhouseCoopers

With more than 30 years in the Audit and Assurance Group at PwC, Susan Allen has worked with public and private companies across North America, specializing in the technology and consumer product industries. She is currently on secondment with the Global Assurance Quality Review Group where she advises and supports member firms on the quality of their assurance practices. Allen is a founding member of the company’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Council. She recently completed an eight-year term as an elected member of the PwC Canadian Partnership Board and a four-year term with the Global Board where she was the first-ever woman elected. Allen also spent two years in Silicon Valley during the tech boom and is the founder of the highly successful annual Vision to Reality conference, which brings together CEOs of emerging Canadian software companies.

Debby Carreau

CEO and founder, Inspired HR Ltd.

Debby Carreau has spent the past two decades helping businesses across North America make the best decisions regarding human capital. Using her past experience as a senior executive in operations and human resources, she advises companies on implementing strategies to get the most out of their employees. Her company provides HR support to more than 30,000 workers in industries such as real estate development, hospitality, health and wellness, IT and insurance. Carreau is a sought-after speaker on workplace issues and has been closely involved with Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In Foundation, a women’s advocacy group, from its very inception. As one of the few female members of the Young Presidents Organization, she often consults on gender issues with CEOs globally. Carreau recently founded Respect Solutions, a consulting firm that helps businesses eliminate bullying, harassment and maltreatment.

Jenny Gulamani-Abdulla

Owner and president, Gulamani-Abdulla & Co.

As a member of the International Bar Association and a registered Canadian immigration consultant with more than 18 years of experience, Jenny Gulamani-Abdulla is well-equipped to provide the latest information on immigration law, procedures and practices. Gulamani-Abdulla is also the president of the Business & Professional Women’s Club of Calgary, and the vice-president of Federation Promotion at BPW Canada. In 2012, she received the Distinguished Alumna Award from the Women’s Resource Centre at the University of Calgary where she earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. She is a member of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and was recognized as a Volunteer of the Year by the Calgary branch of the United Nations Association of Canada in 2010.

Sharon MacLeod

Vice-president, marketing, Unilever Canada

As a member of the Unilever Canada leadership team, Sharon MacLeod has been a big part of programs such as the Dove Self-Esteem project, Becel’s healthy heart initiative and Hellmann’s Real Food Movement, as well as the opening of the first-ever Pleasure pop-up store with Magnum ice cream. Her marketing work with Unilever has been recognized by consumers and industry peers alike. Among her many accolades are two Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Advertising Awards and Brand of the Decade for Dove by Strategy. MacLeod is a founder of the renowned women’s leadership program, Chocolate Villa. She is a global diversity champion at Unilever and a great supporter of the company’s sustainable living plan.

Janice McDonald

President, iStyleOriginals

A serial entrepreneur in the music and apparel/accessories industries, Janice McDonald is a sought-after speaker on leadership and a mentor to women in communications. She is chair of the National Board of Canadian Women in Communications and received its National Leadership Award in 2011, complementing the World of Difference 100 Award she received in Washington, D.C., from the International Alliance for Women. McDonald is an advisor for Cornell-Queens Executive MBA program and Carleton University’s Centre for Research and Education on Women and Work at the Sprott School of Business. She works with international executives on new venture/management consulting projects and is chair of the International Women’s Forum, Ottawa Chapter. She is also president of the Organization for Women in Trade, Ottawa Board.

Lynn McGrade

Partner and Toronto regional leader, investment management group, Borden Ladner Gervais

With extensive experience in merger and acquisition transactions in the investment industry, Lynn McGrade is also a recognized expert on investment products, securities registrant regulation, compliance and fund governance. She represents both Canadian and foreign fund managers on ongoing legal issues in the investment management industry. At BLG, she chairs the business development committee and sits on the committee for women’s leadership development. McGrade is chair of the Canadian committee of the National Society of Compliance Professionals and past chair of the IBA Investment Funds Committee. She is also president of the Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Association. Throughout her career, McGrade has earned coveted spots on numerous top lawyer lists in Canada, and this year received the Lexpert Zenith Award, honouring women leaders in the legal profession.

XSTRATA NICKEL TRAILBLAZERS & TRENDSETTERS

Stacey Allaster

Chairman and CEO, Women’s Tennis Association

Recently named one of the Most Powerful Women in Sports by Forbes, Stacey Allaster has held virtually every role in the world of tennis. As current head of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), she is focused on maximizing the fan experience through a series of on-court and digital innovations. She has secured a record number of new global sponsors and is vigilant about enhancing the health and well-being of athletes through her work in streamlining the tennis calendar and directing new programs such as on-court coaching and electronic line calling. With her input, a new strategic plan for WTA has already increased prize money by more than 51%. In her advocacy role, Allaster has been instrumental in securing equal prize money for male and female athletes at all four Grand Slam events.

Samia Barakat

Associate dean, professionalism and diversity, and professor, department of psychiatry, University of Manitoba

Dr. Samia Barakat has successfully completed a 10-year term as the department head of psychiatry at the University of Manitoba and medical director at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s Mental Health Program. Previously, she was director of the Mood Disorders Program at Health Sciences Centre, a director of the university’s post-graduate education program in psychiatry and a member of the Canadian Psychiatric Association’s education council. Barakat is a consultant in professionalism and professional boundary issues and has lectured extensively on these topics and others such as mood disorders and gender issues in medical practice. She is a past president of the Manitoba Psychiatric Association and past chair of the Psychiatry Test Committee for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Debbie Baxter

Chief sustainability officer and vice-president of workplace services, LoyaltyOne

Debbie Baxter oversees all aspects of corporate responsibility and real estate at LoyaltyOne, whose services include managing the Air Miles program. Trained by environmental pundit and former U.S. vice-president Al Gore, she is committed to raising public awareness of climate change and has led a range of initiatives to “green” all business operations at LoyaltyOne. Baxter is a member of the Network for Business Sustainability and sits on the boards of the Nature Conservatory of Canada and Stewardship Ontario. Prior to joining LoyaltyOne, Baxter was chief operating officer at Green Rewards, an eco-conscious loyalty business that is now part of Air Miles. She is a Certified Management Accountant and holds a Corporate Directors designation. This year, Baxter received the Clean50 award and is a recipient of the 2011 Green Living award for corporate responsibility.

Tanya Chernova

Founder, Courageous Living & Progressive Neural Resolution Therapy

As a speaker, best-selling author and business coach, Tanya Chernova has travelled to more than 40 countries as a corporate educator to some of the world’s biggest brands. Her motto is “know your power, live your purpose, feel your passion,” and she has successfully worked with numerous business leaders to transform their company’s culture. Chernova began her career in the skin care industry at the age of 14, and went on to launch the No. 1 selling natural non-surgical face-lift kit, which set record sales of more than $1 million in its first year on the market. She is also co-founder of Courageous Living, a series of personal empowerment workshops, coaching and events. Over the years, Chernova has contributed more than $250,000 to the United Way.

Sally Daub

CEO and president, Vixs Systems Inc.

Under Sally Daub’s direction, Vixs Systems has matured from a small startup to a major provider of media processing semiconductor technologies that are at the centre of today’s consumer audio/video products. A chemical engineer and lawyer, she started her career as a patent attorney at Smart & Biggar in Toronto. She went on to specialize in IP licencing, strategy and corporate development at Nortel Networks Corp. before taking on the role of chief legal counsel at ATI Technologies Inc. Daub co-founded Vixs with three other partners in 2001 and assumed the CEO and president titles at its inception. Since that time, she has been consistently recognized for her accomplishments. Daub has earned spots on Canada’s Most Powerful Women, RBC’s Women of Influence and the Profit Top W100 list.

Marie Delorme

CEO, Imagination Group

In addition to leading the Imagination Group of companies, which help organizations operate more efficiently and profitably, Marie Delorme is vice-chair of the Mount Royal University’s board of governors in Calgary and serves on the RCMP Foundation. She is also an active member on the Premier’s Council on Alberta’s Promise. With an MBA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and a PhD from the University of Calgary, her research work focuses on inter-cultural leadership. Delorme has been recognized for her contributions to business and the community through various awards, including the Alberta Centennial Medal, Calgary Chamber of Commerce Salute to Excellence Award and the Métis Nation Entrepreneurial Leadership Award. She also owns Nation Imagination, a gifting company that features the works of Aboriginal artists.

Joan Durrant

Professor, department of family, social sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology, University of Manitoba

Joan Durrant’s research and community work, which focuses on the prevention of violence against children, has garnered international recognition. She has consulted to governments and organizations around the world, and presented at the United Nations headquarters in both New York and Geneva. Durrant was the principal researcher and co-author of the Canadian Joint Statement on Physical Punishment of Children and Youth, a document endorsed by more than 480 professional organizations in Canada. She co-edited Eliminating Corporal Punishment: The Way Forward to Constructive Discipline, which became UNESCO’s position statement on corporal punishment of children in schools. She recently collaborated with Save the Children to develop a program that helps parents use a non-punitive approach to discipline, which is being implemented in more than 25 countries. Her accolades are extensive and include the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Health Promotion and Innovation Award of Excellence from the Canadian Institute of Child Health and a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award.

Leanne Hall

Vice-president, human resources, Noront Resources Ltd.

As well as heading Noront Resources’s human resources department, Leanne Hall oversees its mandate to invest in the economic and social well-being of the company’s surrounding Aboriginal communities and others. Before joining Noront in 2010, Hall had a 20-year track record in the areas of diversity and Aboriginal inclusion, as well as human resources and corporate responsibility. She established and directed Woodland HR Inc. in northern Alberta, where she focused on providing professional career development programs and services for First Nations and Aboriginal communities, which in turn helped tens of thousands of youth. Hall is on the boards of the Mining Association of Canada, Women in Mining Canada, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and the Noront Resources First Nations Advisory. She has a bachelor’s degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont.

Nandini Jolly

Founder, CEO and president, CryptoMill Technologies Ltd.

In this era of mobile devices and exploding data, Nandini Jolly’s focus at CryptoMill Technologies is to keep fostering technological innovations that will protect critical information. As the company head, her mantras are “security with usability” and “keeping it simple.” Before founding CryptoMill, Jolly held senior roles in the financial services sector. She was vice-president of Global Treasury Services and Financial Risk Management for Bank of America, as well as a director at Deloitte, where she was part of the national financial services industry group for risk management team. Jolly has a master’s degree in international finance and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the London School of Business.

Alison Loat

Co-founder and executive director, Samara

Through Samara, Alison Loat is helping to improve political and civic engagement across the country. Canada’s first-ever series of exit interviews with former members of parliament was conducted through Samara, and the non-profit has initiated other research and educational programs that encourage Canadians’ participation in public life. Loat is also co-founder of Canada25, an organization that successfully engaged thousands of Canadians under 35 in the development of public policy. She has been lauded for her public-service work with the Public Forum’s Youth Leaders Award and the Queen’s Jubilee Gold Medal. Loat has degrees from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Mass. She is an associate fellow and instructor at the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto.

Lucy Miller

CEO and president, United Way of Calgary and Area

In her role as the top executive at the United Way of Calgary, Lucy Miller works with the city’s corporations, government and broader community. She serves on the Calgary Homeless Foundation, Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative, Safe Communities Opportunity Resource Centre and Premier’s Council on Alberta’s Promise. Miller was the chief superintendent for the Calgary Catholic School District and has experience as a teacher, principal and superintendent in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta. Her efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. She was recognized with the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence, Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership Award and papal Benemerenti Medal.

Pascale Pageau

President, Delegatus Services Juridique Inc.

Pascale Pageau was a litigator for two major law firms in Montreal before founding Delegatus Services Juridique in 2005. Her firm is based on two concepts that initially shocked the legal market in Quebec but are now lauded for their cleverness. The first is to serve clients better by aligning their business imperatives to the firm’s cost structures, and the second is to attract experienced lawyers with entrepreneurial spirit and whose aspirations aren’t being fulfilled in traditional legal settings. Today, Delegatus has 20 lawyers who have made the leap from large firms and Pageau continues to practice as a litigator. A mother of four, she is also committed to mentoring young female professionals and has been recognized with many accolades from the legal and business communities.

Susan Patten

Chair, A. Harvey Group of Companies

As chair of the A. Harvey Group of Companies, Susan Patten is involved in the diversified industrial business her grandfather founded in 1865. She has been credited for helping to diversify the company over the years and she has also served the business community in Newfoundland in general. She has been actively involved with the Girl Guides on a provincial, national and international level, serving as provincial commissioner and later treasurer of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. She also served as chair of the Lieutenant Governor’s Advisory Council on the Family. Patten received the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2004 and the Order of Canada the year after. This year, she earned an honorary degree from Memorial University in St. John’s for her humanitarian efforts, which joins one from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax.

Heather Payne

Founder, Ladies Learning Code & HackerYou

As founder of the non-profit Ladies Learning Code, Heather Payne facilitates workshops for women who want to learn programming and other computer skills in a fun and collaborative environment. The company now has chapters in 10 cities across the country with more coming next year. HackerYou, meanwhile, is Canada’s original programming bootcamp and to this day is the only one of dozens around North America that is run by women. Payne spent a year working on a youth-focused project for Mozilla Foundation that recently garnered a $365,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. She was also an early investor in e-commerce provider ShopLocket, and helped startups such as Pinpoint Social and Shopcaster acquire their first users.

Rauni Salminen

Co-founder and executive director, Philip Aziz Centre For Hospice Care, Emily’s House

Rauni Salminen’s extensive experience in palliative care, HIV support programs, international community initiatives and chaplaincy have served her well in helping set up and sustain the Philip Aziz Centre, a non-profit hospice for children and adults that was established in 1995. She has led all aspects of the organization, from environmental scans/research and policy development to staffing and fundraising. She also launched the centre’s 10-bed pediatric palliative care hospice, Emily’s House, which was the first in Toronto and sixth in Canada. An ordained minister, Salminen has a bachelor’s degree in education and master’s in theological studies. She also holds a diploma in social work.

Ratana Stephens

Founder and COO, Nature’s Path Foods

Ratana Stephens and her husband, Arran, started North America’s largest organic breakfast company in 1985 from the back of their small but prospering vegetarian restaurant. Today, with 350 employees and four production facilities, the Richmond, B.C.-based business is still family-run. Under Stephens’ direction, the company’s mandate is threefold: social responsibility, environmental sustainability and financial viability. In addition to overseeing the company’s operations, sales and finances, Stephens is active in her community and her sustainability causes. In 2009, she was recognized with the YWCA Women of Distinction Award and is considered a role model for women entrepreneurs who are committed to meeting the needs of people and the planet.

Hali Strandlund

Senior vice-president, residential, mortgage investments and broker relations, Fisgard Asset Management Corp.

Hali Strandlund is founding director of one of the largest private mortgage investment corporations in Western Canada. A licenced realtor and mortgage broker since 1989, she has an accredited mortgage professional designation and is frequently asked to speak on the topic of private and alternative lending. Strandlund is past chair of the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals and past president of the Mortgage Brokers Association of British Columbia (MBABC). She was a director of the Mortgage Investment Association of B.C. and the Canadian Home Builders Association (Victoria). She has received numerous kudos to date, and is the youngest recipient of the MBABC Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement in the mortgage industry.

Eleanor Taylor

Major, Department of National Defence, Canadian Armed Forces

Eleanor Taylor enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1994 as an infantry officer from Antigonish, N.S. She had her first deployment in 1999 to Kosovo as a rifle platoon commander and earned her jump wings when she was promoted to captain of the battalion’s assault pioneer platoon. Since then she has worked in Bosnia and Afghanistan, and served as aide de camp for the army commander in Ottawa. Her work on the special operations staff of Joint Task Force 2 earned her a Commander CANSOFCOM Commendation, and her efforts as a combat team commander in Afghanistan were recognized with the Meritorious Service Medal. Taylor is now working in the army’s Ottawa headquarters. She is a graduate of Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont.

PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERS

Mary Ackenhusen

COO, Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health

In her role at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Mary Ackenhusen oversees a wide scope of health-care delivery services for the city. Her responsibilities encompass community and tertiary hospitals, residential care, mental health and addictions services, home and community services and public health services. Her ongoing challenge is to continually improve health outcomes and care for patients within the financial constraints faced by government. Prior to joining VCH, Ackenhusen served on the Fraser Health Authority’s leadership team for almost a decade, where she led facility planning and real estate, systems analysis and performance improvement, as well as new business development. Ackenhusen holds an MBA from Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Mass., and has undergraduate and graduate degrees in industrial engineering from West Virginia University in Morgantown.

Krista Brodie

Commanding officer, 1 Service Battalion

Lieutenant-Colonel Krista Dawn Brodie graduated in 1993 as an army logistics officer, promptly posted to 1 Service Battalion in Calgary and served deployments in Croatia and Bosnia. Returning to Canada in 1996, she joined the Third Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, where she battled against floods, ice storms and forest fires before being posted to the Canadian Parachute Centre as second-in-command. Brodie was promoted to her current rank in 2008. Three years later, she became the first woman to command the home station of the Combat Service Support Warriors of the Army in the West, the largest unit in the field force. She concluded her command this past June and is currently chief of staff at the Canadian Materiel Support Group in Ottawa.

JoAnne Butler

Vice-president, electricity resources, Ontario Power Authority

Prior to joining Ontario Power Authority in 2008, JoAnne Butler was president of TransAlta Mexico, where she oversaw the operations of two electricity generating plants. Before relocating to Mexico, she was the company’s general manager for western operations in Calgary and responsible for four new generating stations. Butler spent 21 years in the oil and gas exploration sector with Amoco Corp., with assignments in Egypt, Tunisia and a five-year stint in the United Arab Emirates. She was with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce for six years in Mexico, two of those as president. She sits on the boards of the Ontario Shores Centre for Medical Health Sciences and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority of Ontario. Butler has a civil engineering degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

Karen Chad

Vice-president, University of Saskatchewan

Karen Chad leads the University of Saskatchewan’s innovation agenda and her mantra is “discovery with impact.” Along those lines, she is a strong advocate for private-public post-secondary partnerships that address national and global challenges. She has chaired or overseen more than 100 key boards, committees and programs that target the economic prosperity of Canada and beyond. She recently established a number of world-class centres that tackle issues related to sustainable food, water, energy and health. An accomplished scholar, Chad’s research findings have assisted communities in creating effective alliances to address health and quality-of-life issues. Her efforts have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Master Teacher Award, International Innovation in Research Award, YWCA Women of Distinction Award and the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal.

Krista Connell

CEO, Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation

Krista Connell’s task is to provide the professional guidance needed for Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation to meet its mandate of improving the health of Nova Scotians through research. She is a founding member of the National Alliance of Provincial Health Research Organizations and is often called upon to speak at national and international events regarding the benefits of health research. Connell sits on external review committees for other health research-related organizations and is a member of various groups, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research President’s Advisory Board for Patient-Oriented Research and Trials. She is also chair of the Canadian Cochrane Network Centre Advisory Board. Connell holds a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Alberta in Edmonton and completed Nova Scotia’s Executive Leadership Development Program.

Marilyn Emery

CEO and president, Women’s College Hospital

Marilyn Emery has led Women’s College since 2007 and is currently leading a $500-million redevelopment project that is expected to advance women’s health, prevent and manage complex, chronic conditions and deliver better health-system solutions. She has more than 20 years of management experience, including a stint as CEO of Markham Stouffville Hospital and St. Joseph’s Health Centre, where she initiated innovations in quality service, patient satisfaction and financial performance. Under her direction, St. Joe’s attained the greatest improvement in patient satisfaction ever achieved by an Ontario hospital. Emery has been honoured as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women twice before. She holds a master’s degree in nursing education from Western University in London, Ont.

Joanne Keselman

Vice-president (academic) and provost, University of Manitoba

Before assuming her current post, Joanne Keselman served as associate vice-president and then vice-president (research) at the University of Manitoba, from where she also received her doctoral degree. A professor of psychology, her area of expertise is applied statistical analysis and she has published at length on related topics. Keselman’s board experience is also extensive. She is on the executive committees of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Premier of Manitoba’s Economic Advisory Council. She is co-chair of Manitoba’s Innovation Council and a member of the Government of Canada’s Tri-Agency Panel on Responsible Conduct of Research. She spent a seven-year term as a member of the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council and executive committee, including five years as vice-president. She has also served on the boards of ArcticNet, ISIS Canada and the International Centre for Infectious Diseases.

Jill Marrack

Captain (Navy), deputy commander, Naval Reserve, Quebec

Captain Jill Marrack enrolled in the Naval Reserve in 1983 after completing the summer youth employment program at Naval Reserve Division HMCS Griffon in Thunder Bay, Ont. After earning an honours degree in geography from Lakehead University, she went on to teach school in Barbados. Following her return to Canada, she assumed the duties of logistics officer within the former Training Division Two in Esquimalt, B.C. Marrack later relocated to Vancouver and served in a number of senior positions such as training officer and executive officer (second in command) on HMCS Discovery. From there, she transferred to Victoria to serve as executive officer of HMCS Malahat and then moved to Thunder Bay where she assumed command of HMCS Griffon. Marrack in 2007 joined the Naval Reserve Headquarters as a staff officer and was promoted to her current rank and position in 2013. She holds an MBA from Alberta’s Athabasca University and is a three-time winner of Thunder Bay’s Sibley Ski Tour.

Michele McKenzie

CEO and president, Canadian Tourism Commission

With some 30 years of experience working in Canada’s tourism sector, Michele McKenzie has become an internationally recognized expert in hospitality, tourism and marketing. Since being appointed to her current role with the Canadian Tourism Commission in 2004, she has helped it evolve into a respected and competitive brand marketing organization. Under her leadership, the CTC earned the Marketer of the Year title from Marketing in 2009 and contributed to Canada’s No. 1 position on FutureBrand’s Country Brand Index. The recipient of several awards for management excellence, McKenzie recently accepted the 2013 Leading Management Change Award from Canadian Government Executive. Before joining the CTC, McKenzie was Nova Scotia’s deputy minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. She holds a designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and an honorary degree from Humber College in Toronto.

Anne Sado

President, George Brown College

Anne Sado has led George Brown College since 2004 as the institute’s first female president. During her leadership, George Brown has more than doubled in size and become one of Canada’s most diversified colleges. Early this year, she became chair of Polytechnics Canada and was also named to the Order of Canada. Sado was recognized as one of YWCA’s Women of Distinction in Education in 2012 and made the list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in 2010 and 2012. She is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work at George Brown and its impact on Toronto’s socioeconomic vitality. Sado holds an MBA and honorary doctorate of laws from the University of Toronto. She sits on several boards and is chair of the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network and past chair of Trillium Health Centre.

Joan Sproul

Executive vice-president, corporate; chief financial officer, Mount Sinai Hospital

Joan Sproul is responsible for the planning and management of Mount Sinai Hospital’s annual $500-million budget, as well as the development of alternative revenue streams, strategic planning and counsel. She is also the executive liaison for a number of key board committees. Sproul joined the Toronto-based hospital as director of finance in 1996, was named vice-president, finance, two years later and assumed her current post in 2012. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, she was fiscal advisory director at the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and also held several senior financial positions in the hotel industry. Sproul is a chartered accountant and has a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Toronto.

Leslee Thompson

CEO and president, Kingston General Hospital

Leslee Thompson started her career as a critical care nurse and has extensive executive leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. In addition to her role at Kingston General, she is an assistant professor at Queen’s University. She is chair of the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario, vice-chair of the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and also on the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research’s board. She is a certified board director and was named one of Canada’s inaugural Diversity 50 candidates in 2012 by the Canadian Board Diversity Council. Thompson was recently honoured with the Facing Cancer Together Award of Honour for her commitment to empowering women with cancer and helping to bring the Look Good Feel Better program to Canada.

Lori Wanamaker

Deputy minister, Ministry of Justice; deputy solicitor general, Province of British Columbia

Lori Wanamaker is accountable for all of B.C.’s correctional services, emergency management, police services, liquor policies, victims’ services, crime prevention and coroner’s services. Working with the province’s deputy attorney general, she also oversees all other aspects of the justice system, including court, prosecution and legal services. As deputy minister of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts from 2009-2010, Wanamaker was integral in the government’s planning and staging of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler. Prior to this appointment, she was the deputy minister of Labour and Citizens’ Services. Wanamaker is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia and holds an MBA from Royal Roads University in Victoria.

SUN LIFE FINANCIAL ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Nini Baird

Chair, Telus Vancouver Community Board

A long-standing reputation as an arts administrator and advocate is backed up by Nini Baird’s wealth of management experience in the arts and educational broadcasting, as well as corporate and private philanthropy. She’s a former Canada Council Board member and chair of the BC Arts Council, and now chairs B.C.’s public broadcaster Knowledge Network Corp. in addition to her role at the Telus Vancouver Community Board. Baird is also on the board of British Columbia Film and British Columbia Film Foundation. Last year, she received the Diamond Jubilee Medal, complementing a slew of other accolades, which include the Keith Kelly Award for Cultural Leadership and the President’s 40th Anniversary Award from Simon Fraser University. Baird holds a degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, and became a member of the Order of Canada in 1993.

Susan Chalmers-Gauvin

Founder and CEO, Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada

The powerhouse behind Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, Susan Chalmers-Gauvin has positioned the organization as a major force in the international market with tours throughout Europe and the U.S. With more than 20 years of management and consulting experience in the not-for-profit sector, Chalmers-Gauvin focuses on business development, innovation and export. She is constantly pursuing collaborations with a variety of partners in the education, technology and social sectors. Chalmers-Gauvin recently spearheaded the development of an award-winning national initiative that uses ballet/art as a vehicle for discussion and action on the issue of violence against women and girls. Before founding Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, she was president of Stellar Communications Group, which helped organizations implement community-based programs and evaluation procedures. She is a frequent speaker on performing arts management and the importance of arts and culture to the Canadian economy.

Kathy Cheng

Founder, Redwood Classics

Kathy Cheng heads a full-service apparel manufacturer that has produced extensive products for the likes of Holt Renfrew, Polo Ralph Lauren, J. Crew and Gap. The company has also produced Olympic apparel for both Roots and Hudson’s Bay Co. Under Cheng’s direction, Redwood Classics recently launched its retail fashion line, The Heritage Collection, which is now available at select stores across Canada. Cheng is an advocate for social responsibility and mentorship. She collaborated with the international Pay it Forward Movement as its first apparel partner and sits on the board of Toronto Fashion Incubator. Last year, Cheng received the first-ever Momentum Award from Promotional Product Professionals in Canada. She was also honoured in Toronto’s Mille Femmes Exhibition in 2008.

Marilyn Denis

Host, Marilyn Denis Show, Bell Media

As host of the country’s No. 1 daytime lifestyle series, this veteran broadcaster continues her winning streak in Canadian television and Toronto radio. The first female DJ at KRPL in Moscow, Idaho, Marilyn Denis has always been a trailblazer. After taking on several television roles in Calgary, where she reported on weather and entertainment at CFCN-TV, Denis in 1986 landed at Toronto’s CHUM FM, where she co-hosts the city’s top-ranked radio show, Roger, Darren & Marilyn, to this day. A triple Gemini Award winner, she received the 2006 Rosalie Award, which honours Canadian women who have paved the way for others in broadcasting. Denis is a big advocate of preventing/treating ovarian and breast cancers and was one of the first members of the SickKids Constellation, a group of celebrities who support the efforts of the SickKids Foundation.

Ana Lopes

Chair, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation

Ana Lopes is the director of Toronto-based business strategy consultant Tapscott Group and draws from some 25 years of experience working in senior positions in both the private and public sectors. She is a social innovator and entrepreneur who has led several not-for-profit transformations. Lopes is chair of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation and a former chair of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She has been a director of many organizations, such as Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Trent University and Business for the Arts, and has earned numerous awards, including the 2009 Fundraising Volunteer of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Greater Toronto. Lopes has a degree from the University of Toronto and joined the Order of Canada in 2011.

Shahrzad Rafati

Founder and CEO, BroadbandTV Corp.

Shahrzad Rafati is credited for pioneering both the technology and business model that has propelled BroadbandTV to become the first profitable network on YouTube with more than one billion monthly viewers. This year, she closed a strategic partnership with Europe’s largest media conglomerate, RTL Group, and has driven successful former deals with major media companies, professional sports leagues and Google. Shahrzad was recognized by Fast Company as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. She is also the founder of VISO Give, the first online channel that lets viewers donate to charities by simply watching YouTube videos about them. Throughout it all, she maintains her tranquility as co-founder of the world’s first Chopra Yoga practice in partnership with holistic health guru Deepak Chopra.

Sandie Rinaldo

Anchor, CTV

Sandie Rinaldo has been the weekend anchor for Canada’s most-watched national newscast for more than 25 years — and part of the CTV team for 40 years. One week after graduating from York University, she joined the crew as a junior secretary and quickly jumped to the role of researcher. In 1980, she became the first woman in the country to anchor a daily network newscast. In 2009, she took on anchor duties for CTV News Channel (now called Direct), where she hosts regular discussion panels that cover a diverse range of topics. In addition to her role behind the desk, Rinaldo also goes out into the field to report on stories for CTV’s investigative news program W5. Over the years, she has received numerous national honours and recognition for her news coverage, including several awards for best newscast.