Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 2022 Award Winners

I was proud and honoured to have been selected for the BMO Entrepreneurs category of the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Top 100 Canada's Most Powerful Women Awards. The award ceremony was held in Toronto on November 17, 2022, and it was such a pleasure to celebrate in person. Sherri Stevens, owner and CEO of WXN, and her team hosted an amazing event, and it was exciting to attend a large gala after so many gatherings have been cancelled over the past two years.

As a mechanical engineer in a leadership role, there are often as few as 5% of women in corporate meetings, executive retreats, or industry events. Many women have stories of what a challenge this can be, but I have been lucky to have been surrounded by so many supporters and friends, that I felt being unique was more a benefit than a detriment, with many men to thank for my success and development over the years. My style has always been to take pride in my technical knowledge and leadership strengths to fit into the business discussions, but to always be true to myself and not try to be “one of the guys.” I was happy to see WXN’s theme of Live your Truth reflected in this year’s celebration.

It was a pleasant change to be in a room consisting mostly of women with a huge diversity of backgrounds, to hear their stories and celebrate their accomplishments. It was fascinating to see how these women’s contributions to Canada’s industries, communities, academia and the economy shapes how we think and act. My only wish was that I had more time to talk to everyone, but the women I met were truly amazing in their accomplishments. Thanks to the role of karma in the seating plan, I sat beside Shannon Byrne Susko for our champagne brunch. With a bubbly personality and astute business insights, Shannon has grown and sold several companies and translated her formula for success into numerous books, including “Metronomics”. I’m very excited to read about her “3HAG” – a highly-achievable, three-year goal, and driving the discipline to achieve that goal for our business.

So, thank you WXN for the Top 100 Award and for hosting a fantastic event, and for showing the grit, diversity, and accomplishments that women in Canada are achieving today.