Women in Business Spring 2019

SPRING 2019

WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT: PROPORTION IS UP BUT PARITY STILL ELUSIVE

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CONTENTS

10

SPRING 2019

WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT: PROPORTION IS UP BUT PARITY STILL ELUSIVE

WOMEN IN THE BOARDROOM: REPRESENTATION IN SENIOR LEADERSHIP SITS AT ABOUT 20%

VALUES-BASED LEADERSHIP

FEATURES 6 PUSHING FOR PARITY Child care tops the list of barriers for female politicians 10 THE FACE OF B.C. LEADERSHIP It’s changing, but not fast enough 20 HINDSIGHT 20/20 20 past Influential Women in Business honourees share wisdom gleaned from remarkable careers

6

26 HIGHER PURSUITS With women still vastly under-represented in executive ranks, how important is an MBA to their success?

28 LETTING GO OF LABELS No need for stereotypes to be obstacles, say female leaders COLUMN

Strehlke—14

COLUMN

Douglas—18

HINDSIGHT 20/20: INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS LOOK BACK

MBAS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

PRESIDENT: Alvin Brouwer EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER; VICE-PRESIDENT, GLACIER MEDIA: Kirk LaPointe EDITOR: Meg Yamamoto DESIGN: Randy Pearsall PRODUCTION: Rob Benac CONTRIBUTORS: Laurel Douglas, Elaine Grotefeld, Baila Lazarus, Brigitte Petersen, Tina Strehlke, Hayley Woodin PROOFREADER: Christine Rowlands DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING : Pia Huynh SALES MANAGER: Laura Torrance ADVERTISING SALES: Benita Bajwa, Blair Johnston, Aileen Mortimer, Corinne Tkachuk, Chris Wilson OPERATIONS MANAGER: Michelle Myers ADMINISTRATORS: Katherine Butler RESEARCH: Anna Liczmanska, Carrie Schmidt Women in Business Spring 2019 is published by BIV Magazines, a division of BIV Media Group, 303 Fifth Avenue West, Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1J6, 604-688-2398, fax 604-688-1963, biv.com.

COLUMN

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MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

THE LONG PATH TO PARITY Welcome to the latest edition of Women in Business magazine. This issue coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Influential Women in Business Awards.

In honour of this milestone, we share reflections and wisdom from 20 past honourees in our “Hindsight 20/20” feature.

We also take this opportunity to examine how we stand in terms of gender parity in government and in the boardroom.

Twenty years ago, in 1999, just over 20 per cent of Canada’s elected MPs were women; in the last federal election, the proportion was 26 per cent – an improvement of six percentage points in two decades. As Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Mitzi Dean says in “Pushing for Parity,” Brigitte Petersen’s story on female representation in government, “we have a long way to go.”

T he nu mbers a re worse i n the

boardroom: as Hayley Woodin reports in her story “The Face of B.C. Leadership,” the proportion of women in the boardrooms and executive levels of B.C.’s biggest companies sits at about 20 per cent.

So how do we really move the dial? Tina Strehlke, CEO of Minerva BC, suggests several ways forward in her column “Advancing Women’s Leadership,” while Women’s Enterprise Centre CEO Laurel Douglas lays out a method to help change our thinking around gender equality in her column “Moving Mindsets.”

Writer Baila Lazarus explores the benefits of executive education in furthering women’s careers in her story “Higher Pursuits.” In “Letting Go of Labels,” Brigitte Petersen talks to female executives in male-dominated fields who have busted stereotypes to lead in their sectors. And Odgers Berndtson partner Elaine Grotefeld, in her column “The

Sarah Bird Partner

Power of Getting Together,” writes about how women working in the fast-growing clean-tech sector are supporting each other and sharing purpose and camaraderie in a networking group she started.

The statistics can be discouraging. The World Economic Forum, in its recently released Global Gender Gap Report 2018, predicts that, based on current rates of change, it will take 108 years for the global gender gap to close – and 202 years before we achieve economic gender parity.

However, if the remarkable women of B.C.’s business community featured in this and every edition of Women in Business have anything to say about it, we will prove them wrong.

Meg Yamamoto Editor, Women in Business myamamoto@biv.com

Cherie Mah Partner

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2019 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

PUSHING FOR

PARITY

Child care tops the list of barriers for female politicians

BRIGITTE PETERSEN

WOMEN ARE 51 PER CENT OF OUR OVERALL POPULATION. IT IS TIME THAT IS REFLECTED IN ELECTED OFFICE j Jenny Kwan Member of Parliament, Vancouver East

W

omen in government have made significant strides toward reaching gender parity in recent years, yet there is room for improvement when it comes to female representation, according to some of B.C.’s leading female politicians.

While the last provincial and federal elections saw record numbers of women elected – and both B.C. and Canada now have gender-equal cabinets – parity remains elusive, with 39 per cent of B.C. MLAs and 26 per cent of federal MPs being women.

Women have made more progress municipally in Vancouver, where voters set a record last year by electing eight women to the 10-member city council.

Vancouver-born Coun. Adriane Carr was re-elected to her third term in the last municipal election. Co-founder and former leader of the BC Green Party, Carr says she believes the diversity of different party representation and having more female councillors has led to a more productive council.

“Research shows that women are more collaborative in their decision-making. Women come across party lines to serve the public interest.”

Carr, 66, says female leaders at the municipal level have

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a “natural affinity” with many of the issues important to Vancouverites, such as housing, child care, education, immigration, health care and the environment.

“The nurturing of family is very much a part of civic governance.”

Carr, who encourages face-to-face interactions with citizens, says one of the biggest obstacles for women in politics is online harassment on social media platforms.

“Politics is a very personally exposed profession, and it’s amplified through social media.”

PROVINCIAL STRIDES First elected to provincial politics in 2017, Esquimalt-Metchosin NDP MLA Mitzi Dean is “proud” of the B.C. government for having a gender-balanced cabinet, but she says there is more work to be done.

“We have a long way to go,” says Dean, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, noting that reaching a

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ABOVE:

Vancouver East MP

Jenny Kwan •SUBMITTED

LEFT:

Re-elected to her third

term last fall, Coun. Adriane Carr is one of eight women on Vancouver’s 10-member city council •CHUNG CHOW

BELOW LEFT:

Esquimalt-

Metchosin MLA Mitzi

balance in cabinet has “taken a long time” and women in politics still face barriers.

One of the ways to make entering politics easier for women is to improve child care, Dean says, citing as an example the province’s decision in March 2018 to allow children on the floor of the chamber while the legislature is in session.

B.C. needs more support for women in politics, says Dean, emphasizing the need for more diversity to better represent the province’s populace and to encourage a game-changing way for B.C. to conduct business.

“Having women in politics might even change the nature of politics.”

The province’s inaugural annual report on gender equity is expected to be released in March, shortly after the provincial budget is finalized.

LEADING FEDERALLY Elected as Vancouver East’s NDP MP in 2015, Hong Kongborn Jenny Kwan has been a politician for more than 20 years, at all three levels of government.

Kwan says she has experienced both sexism and racism over the years. She was “immensely proud” to be one of the first Chinese-Canadians elected to the B.C. legislature, but when she began speaking in Cantonese during her bilingual maiden speech, an MLA laughed at her.

“Memories of all the ways that my family and I have experienced racism throughout our lives all came flooding to the forefront of my mind, and I cried,” says Kwan, recalling a media interview afterwards.

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Dean: “having women in politics might even change the nature of politics” •SUBMITTED

Kwan says being heard as a woman is a battle she continues to fight every day.

“The biggest challenge that I faced as a woman in government was being a mother to my daughter,” says Kwan. “My daughter was born when Joy MacPhail and I were the only two opposition MLAs in the legislature.

For this reason, I could not afford to take any time off.”

Kwan says she supports Churchill-Keewatinook Aski MP Niki Ashton, who raised the issue of the lack of childcare provisions for MPs. “If we can find resources to have an ice rink in front of the Parliament Buildings, we can find resources to establish a child-care facility for the elected officials and the

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2019 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

PUSHING FOR PARITY

staff that often work long and sometimes unpredictable hours,” says Kwan.

Kwan, 51, says one way to get young women and girls interested in politics is to ensure their voices are heard.

“Our elected officials should reflect the faces of our community. Women are 51 per cent of our overall population. It is time that is reflected in elected office.”

Vancouver Centre MP Hedy Fry – Canada’s longest-serving female MP – cites the need to travel between

ridings and Ottawa as the main barrier for women entering federal politics.

“For a lot of women with families, the distance is a huge problem,” says Fry, 77, who was first elected in 1993.

She says she supports changes to allow MPs to stay in their ridings longer. Teleconferencing options would allow MPs to stay closer to their families and their constituents, Fry says, and would encourage more women to run for federal seats. É

B.C. PROVINCIAL ELECTION QUICK FACTS ■Women were elected to 29 per cent of B.C.’s legislative seats in 2009, 35 per cent in 2013 and 39 per cent in 2017, or 34 of the 87 politicians elected.

Vancouver Centre MP Hedy Fry, Canada’s

■In the 2017 provincial vote, the NDP led the other parties with 19 female MLAs out of its total caucus of 41 (46 per cent). That compares with one-third of the MLAs from the two other main parties being women: 14 of 43 Liberals and one of three Greens.

longest-serving female MP •SUBMITTED

■More than 100 women ran for office in the 2017 election. Half of the NDP candidates were women, compared with 41 per cent for the Liberals and 37 per cent for the Greens.

■The share of women in the B.C. legislature didn’t rise above 11 per cent until the mid-1980s.

SOURCE: EQUAL VOICE BC

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2019 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

THE FACE OF

B.C. LEADERSHIP It’s changing, but not fast enough

HAYLEY WOODIN

THE REAL CHALLENGE FOR US IS GETTING BETTER REPRESENTATION IN TRADES FIELDSBASED ROLES FOR WOMEN j Jody Drope Vice-president of human resources, FortisBC

F

emale representation in boardrooms and on the senior leadership teams of B.C.’s biggest companies tends to hover at around 20 per cent. “What we always say is there are no big changes in this report,” explains Tina Strehlke, executive director of Minerva BC. Each year, the Vancouver-based non-profit takes stock of gender diversity at 50 of British Columbia’s largest companies, including whether those companies employ diversity mandates or quotas. The resulting Face of Leadership report keeps score of how successful local companies have been in diversifying their senior ranks at a time when just 13 per cent of corporate board seats in Canada are held by women, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The average among OECD countries sits at 20 per cent.

“Some years we go up in one area of women in senior leadership, and then we go down. And I think it speaks to the impact of small numbers,” says Strehlke.

Minerva BC’s latest report shows that, among the 50 companies studied, women hold 22 per cent of company board seats, which represent industry leaders in areas such as retail, finance, resources and health care.

Overall representation in senior executive management sits lower, at 17 per cent.

00_Women in Business Spring 2019_32p_01.indd 10

And of course some sectors perform better than others.

The telecommunications sector has no women sitting on senior executive teams, and women hold just seven per cent of seats on the boards of real estate firms. At the other end of the spectrum, women take up nearly half (47 per cent) of board seats among financial services companies, and 41 per cent of the sector’s senior executive teams are female. Women make up a third of executive teams in health care.

“You’ll find this right across the country. It is an industry where there are a lot of women working in it,” says Rob Chiarello, chief privacy officer and vice-president of human resources at Pacific Blue Cross. “We’ve always had a ton of women on our executive team, and I think a lot of that has been organic.”

Pacific Blue Cross and Lululemon Athletica are the two companies in Minerva BC’s report that have female executives holding half or more of leadership positions. Fifty per cent of Pacific Blue Cross’ leadership is female, and the company was among the first group of organizations

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TOP:

Pacific Blue Cross is

one of two companies in Minerva BC’s 2018 Face of Leadership report where female executives hold half or more of leadership positions. Its executive team (from left): Naveen Kapahi, president of D.A. Townley; Heidi Worthington, senior vicepresident and chief revenue officer of Pacific Blue Cross and chief operating officer, BC Life; Leza Muir, senior vice-president and chief operating officer; John Crawford, president and CEO; Rob Chiarello, vice-president,

to sign Minerva BC’s Diversity Pledge, which commits companies to gender parity.

Internally, it has formed a diversity and inclusion committee that explores both concepts more broadly, raises awareness on issues of diversity and inclusiveness and develops educational modules around them.

“We wanted to start moving the needle on other elements of diversity,” explains Chiarello, who shares that he is the first publicly gay vice-president at the company.

“The real challenge for us is getting better representation in trades fields-based roles for women,” says Jody Drope, vice-president of human resources at FortisBC Energy Inc., explaining that because the company hires and promotes from within, it spends time working with organizations like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to encourage more women to get started in the field.

At 45 per cent, female senior executive representation at FortisBC is 4.5 times that of the materials and energy sector average, and Drope says the tone is set at the top: FortisBC’s parent company expects its subsidiaries to not let female representation drop below 35 per cent.

“It’s certainly been very refreshing as a woman going in, making presentations to the board and subcommittees, to have that distribution in representation at the board level,” says Drope, who has been with the company for 11 years.

While certain sectors and companies have managed to buck certain trends, there is still plenty of room for progress provincewide.

For example, Minerva BC’s report notes that women

00_Women in Business Spring 2019_32p_01.indd 11

human resources, and chief privacy officer; Lizanne Mailhot, interim chief financial officer; and Barry Rivelis, senior vice-president and chief strategy and information officer •HAMID ATTIE

rarely represent more than 30 per cent of company board members. It has also found a consistent trend in which women take up only one or two board seats in a given organization.

The number is startlingly low for women of Indigenous descent.

“I’ve been in many leadership positions where I’m the only woman in the room,” says Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and former chief of the Hupacasath First Nation, who sits on the boards of Clean Energy BC and BC Ferries Services Inc. Sayers is one of only two Indigenous women serving among the 267 possible board seats reviewed in the Face of Leadership report.

“It can be challenging at times – very challenging,” she says. “There are times when you’re put down, there are times when you’re ignored and there are times when

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2019 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

THE FACE OF B.C. LEADERSHIP

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you’re listened to, but that can be rare.”

Sayers adds that sometimes all it takes is a willingness to think about Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal diversity objectives – be they around Council, and board gender diversity, Indigenous inclusion or both – to spark a change. member, Clean Energy She a lso suggests severa l ideas BC and BC Ferries: “I’ve around hiring to fill senior executive or board directorship positions. For exbeen in many leadership ample, many organizations use skills positions where I’m matrixes, which could be modernized to include new skill sets, such as exthe only woman in the perience in First Nations consultation room” •MELODY CHARLIE or engagement. Many companies also rely on the Rolodexes of corporate headhunters for leads; a more diversified Rolodex could lead to a more diversified result.

Strehlke says the increasing number of organizations that are disclosing and sharing their diversity information is encouraging. In Minerva BC’s report, the number of companies with a gender diversity policy in place has doubled in the last four years, to 18 per cent from nine per cent.

Listening, reinforced by a corporate culture that is safe and willing to change, is key, says Sayers, who acknowledges that in large organizations, change requires the organization as a whole to buy into a new vision, and that can be difficult.

“Are companies willing to change?” asks Sayers.

“I think you need a change in mentality. You need a recognition that women have some really great skills and different skills that bring a different perspective into a corporation, or into an organization or a government, that you won’t get anywhere else.” É Judith Sayers, president,

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2019 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

ADVANCING WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP We don’t need to “fix the women”; we need to challenge biases and allow women space to develop their leadership identity and unique strengths

TINA STREHLKE

“Was there just a baby shower in here?”

That was the question recently posed by a colleague to a group of women after they filed out of the corporate boardroom at a financial services company. In fact, the women had just attended a leadership lunch-and-learn session hosted

by Minerva BC. The topic was “Women and Leadership: What Gets in the Way?” The comment, which was intended to be conversational and friendly, illustrates perfectly what gets in the way for female leaders. How women are perceived – at home, in the community and in the workplace – is influenced by the persistent and subtle gender bias that exists in our society. Put simply, there is a mismatch between how women are seen and the characteristics people usually associate with leaders. For whatever reason, their colleague thought it more likely that the group of women were meeting in the boardroom for social reasons than for business reasons.

How women are perceived – how they dress, how they talk, how they lead – has been the focus of many programs and initiatives to help get more women to the top. Coaches, consultants, public-speaking instructors and image and branding experts are in high demand.

The argument is that women have not been socialized to compete successfully in the world of men, so they must be taught the skills and styles that will lead to success.

In academic articles, this approach has been referred to as “fix the women.”

The flaw in this approach is that it does not allow space for women to develop their leadership identity or step into their unique strengths. It often creates a values conflict and results in wrong-turn career moves.

When natural leadership styles and approaches do not match the dominant culture in the boardroom, women are more likely to self-select out of these work environments. Worse, they may conclude that “leadership” is not for them.

We’ve often heard it said that “representation matters” and “you can’t be it if you can’t see it.” The more we learn about the human brain, and the implicit biases we have, the more we realize how deeply held our beliefs about leadership are. With women holding only 15 per cent of CEO positions in Canada, it is no wonder that our perception of leadership is defined by masculine characteristics.

To increase the number of women in leadership roles, we must move past teaching the “right skills and competencies” and stop expecting women to emulate the current generation of senior executives. Organizations should invest in leadership development opportunities

00_Women in Business Spring 2019_32p_01.indd 14

that help women develop their unique voice and identity.

This work involves exploring and articulating core values, defining strengths and identifying preferred styles of communication and management. As women become grounded in who they are and the unique value they offer, their confidence and motivation to lead increase.

This is borne out by Minerva’s experience delivering values-based leadership programming for the past eight years. More than 70 per cent of program participants accept promotions or take on new leadership challenges after completing the values-based program.

In addition to investing in the right kind of leadership development, organizations need to make room for different leadership styles and approaches. This is where challenging norms, assumptions and bias comes in. As we embrace a diverse and inclusive workplace, we must recognize that changing the face of leadership is not just about who is at the table. It also means accepting leadership that looks, sounds and feels different from the existing brand of leadership. Every organization is different in its culture, but likely all have a dominant and preferred style that is modelled, rewarded and encouraged within the organization. Usually this tone is set from the top.

For female leaders, one way to challenge these cultural norms is to embrace the complexity and clearly articulate how your identities (gender, profession and role) add value for you and for your organization. Focus on the synergies rather than the conflict. What are the benefits of being a woman in your sector? What are the benefits to the company of someone who has your blend of skills and experience? Consider how your unique perspective helps create value for your organization and offers you a competitive advantage as a leader.

For CEOs and other top-level leaders, the call to action is to examine the cultural norms in your organization.

Does it encourage or discourage diverse leadership approaches? Does it favour behaviours that are more common in men? If so, your culture may be sending out not-so-subtle messages that women are not cut out to be leaders. Understanding what leadership behaviours are valued in your organization is the first step to identifying opportunities for more inclusive leadership. The benefits of doing this hard work include more access to skilled talent, increased profitability and greater innovation.

And maybe, just maybe, baby showers for men. É Tina Strehlke is CEO of Minerva BC, a non-profit dedicated to developing and promoting women’s leadership. Minerva delivers programs for girls and women and works to inspire organizations to accelerate women’s leadership through the Face of Leadership initiative. Strehlke believes that gender balance in leadership will lead to better outcomes for individuals, organizations, communities and the world.

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With the help of UBC Sauder’s Full-Time MBA program, Kimberley Zatlyn went from an advertising account supervisor to a senior position with eBay London and Salesforce San Francisco.

Kimberley Zatlyn Director of Product Marketing, Salesforce UBC MBA, 2012

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2019 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

MOVING MINDSETS Four questions to ask to help women in business SOAR

LAUREL DOUGLAS

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, I was head of strategic planning for a $20 billion global telecommunications firm, and one of the only women in a senior management role. Today, I meet powerful women every day who are running successful companies.

Is the gender equality mission accomplished? Sadly, no. Based on the current pace of change, we will have to wait until 2234 to achieve gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2017.

At Women’s Enterprise Centre, we help women launch, lead and scale their businesses. An underlying factor that affects their business performance and growth is mindset. And one of the things that impacts corporations’ effectiveness at being inclusive is their mindset toward why and how they are helping create an equal future for women.

One of the ways the federal government makes sure that it treats diverse groups fairly is by reviewing all of its programs using gender-based analysis plus (GBA+).

At a recent GBA+ summit, Sarah Kaplan, who heads the Institute for Gender and the Economy at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, pointed out that gender-based analysis results in innovation.

The mindset shifts needed for entrepreneurs to think big and for corporations to be inclusive can be helped using SOAR – strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results – analysis, a forward-thinking alternative to the old SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. SOAR focuses on aspirations and results in place of weaknesses and threats. Using this framework, I suggest four new questions that may help you shift your mindset around gender equality.

STRENGTHS: What is our most valuable tool to create change?

Gender inequality affects all industries, levels of government and pay grades, so collaboration is our superpower. Women are really good at this!

For the past five years, business leaders, students and politicians have collaborated on the We for She

movement in B.C. Last year’s forum, held in Vancouver in November, hosted almost 1,500 people coming together to jointly create a more equal future for all in this province.

A few years ago, I was invited to a women’s entrepreneurship roundtable by an international partner. The host was shocked when the reps from each organization showed up and already knew each other. Our entrepreneurial ecosystem is strong in B.C., and it can be a valuable tool for moving the dial. That’s collaboration!

OPPORTUNITIES : Where are the gaps, and who can we form alliances with to fill them?

According to a 2017 McKinsey & Co. report, only 15 per cent of CEOs in Canada are women. As much as women lean in, they cannot expect to drive change without engaging men in a positive way.

At We for She, Jake Stika of Next Gen Men suggested using empathy as a gateway to change. Men are affected by gender bias too – think of the stigma surrounding paternal leave, for example. Stika suggests we “call people in, don’t call people out,” and focus on opportunities to raise awareness, rather than nitpicking and paralyzing the conversation with the fear of getting it “wrong.”

Female entrepreneurs help bridge the gap, being driven by passion and opportunity. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, women invest 90 per cent of their income back into their families and communities. Many female entrepreneurs amplify their economic power by entering leadership roles in politics, on boards, as mentors or as volunteers.

In stepping up, they fill gaps in leadership and act as powerful role models.

ASPIRATIONS: What should our future business community look like?

I believe it needs to be diverse and inclusive – through commitment to both of those elements in parallel. Inclusion means not only inviting diverse people to the table but also giving them a voice (and paying them equally!).

A big part of change is challenging the status quo. For gender equality, this means questioning traditional gender roles, redefining our concept of what makes an

AS MUCH AS WOMEN LEAN IN, THEY CANNOT EXPECT TO DRIVE CHANGE WITHOUT ENGAGING MEN IN A POSITIVE WAY

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effective leader and reimagining who the role models are. These unconscious cues may seem secondary to policy, but they are a huge part of cultural change. Left unaddressed, they perpetuate bias and limit the mindset of all genders, with real-world implications. Women will continue doing the “domestic chores” around the office, and people will continue having a hard time naming a successful female entrepreneur.

The 2017 Canadian Credit Conditions Survey found that male-owned businesses receive nearly twice as much financing as their female-owned counterparts – but they also ask for more ($348,000 on average, versus $196,000). The fact is, many female business owners perceive barriers to accessing financing, and that impacts how much they ask for. In 2017, fewer than 30 per cent of female entrepreneurs surveyed by Women’s Enterprise Centre felt that traditional lenders recognized and responded to their goals, wants and needs.

Furthermore, fewer than 10 per cent felt they were properly reflected in lenders’ marketing. This indicates bias in business lending. In B.C. In 2018. Let’s change that!

RESULTS: How will we know when we’re making progress?

The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, announced

last October by Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion Mary Ng, strives to double the number of female-owned businesses in Canada by 2025. This is a tangible target, and government is investing in female business owners. I’m not sure we’ll meet that target, but we can strengthen female-owned businesses across this country by leveraging the above strengths, opportunities and aspirations.

To deliver on this vision, companies, government and individuals all need to be accountable, because we all play a role.

As we’re witnessing in current events, positive systemic change won’t happen if it’s divisive, competitive or reactionary. A SOAR analysis focuses on potential.

As we strive for lasting improvements, let’s think about possibilities, embrace our unique corporate and social cultures and focus on our similarities to find common ground. É Laurel Douglas is CEO of Women’s Enterprise Centre in B.C. and a director of Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada. She represents Canada on the W20 engagement group of the G20 and speaks nationally and internationally on women’s leadership and access to capital. She is co-founder of the WEB Alliance of Women’s Business Networks and an organizing partner of We for She.

Happy 20th Anniversary to Minerva BC! Blazing the trail for inclusive leadership Twenty years ago, a group of forward-thinking women, including Nancy McKinstry, Sue Hammell and Danna Murray, used their energy and connections to create a foundation that would change the face of leadership in BC. Today, Women’s Enterprise Centre is proud to work alongside Minerva to help girls and women leaders and business owners acquire the skills, confidence and opportunities to make an impact in their communities.

Congratulations to Tina Strehlke and her whole team on continuing this great work—see you at the party!

WE FOR SHE NextGen Leaders Program

womensenterprise.ca

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WE FOR SHE NextGen™ Leaders Program Presented by Minerva, in partnership with Women’s Enterprise Centre Together, we can advance diversity and help girls gain the skills and confidence to make bold career choices. Learn more at weforshenextgen.ca Women’s Enterprise Centre is supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2019 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

2019 WINNERS Congratulations to the 2019 Influential Women in Business honourees: JANICE ABBOTT CEO, ATIRA WOMEN’S RESOURCE SOCIETY KAITY ARSONIADIS-STEIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL MARITIME CENTRE JILL EARTHY HEAD OF GROWTH, FEMALE FUNDERS KATE FURBER PARTNER, PWC SUSANNAH PIERCE DIRECTOR, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, LNG CANADA SARAH MORGANSILVESTER (LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT) CORPORATE DIRECTOR Honourees are profiled in Business in Vancouver issue 1528; February 12–18. A gala event on March 8 at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver will celebrate the 2019 winners and the Influential Women in Business Awards’ 20th anniversary; for information and to register, visit biv.com/iwib.

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HINDSIGHT 20/20 20 past Influential Women in Business honourees share wisdom gleaned from remarkable careers

B

usiness in Vancouver’s Influential Women in Business Awards have been recognizing leaders in the B.C. business community for two decades. To celebrate the awards’ 20th anniversary, Women in Business magazine asked 20 past honourees – remarkable women, all – to reflect on their careers and answer the following question:

What’s the one thing you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

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Don’t be afraid to be different.

Like anything worth doing, not conforming requires effort and perseverance.

Take the path less travelled. Embrace diversity. Cherish your own identity and respect differences in others.

AMIEE CHAN PRESIDENT AND CEO, NORSAT INTERNATIONAL 2011 HONOUREE

Always trust your gut. Whether you’re unsure about an idea or a person, there is always a reason for the doubt. Don’t second-guess your instincts, as they are usually bang on. I’ve also learned through trial and error that it’s best to address issues right away. It only gets worse the longer you leave it. I now know that a key to success is to stay attuned and be proactive. That’s what works for me.

A targeted and deliberate investment in networking is critical to success – both persona lly a nd professionally. I wish I had started earlier with networking, building up invaluable connective tissue within the women-in-business communities both in Canada and across the major global markets. As women have a natural propensity to trust other women in business, we, collectively, and I, certainly, could have succeeded farther, faster.

The lone wolf eventually starves wh ile the well-organ ized pack thrives. I wish I’d known much sooner about the concept of “the speed of tr ust” a nd that I was never a lone wolf while residing in a community full of incredibly talented people and well-connected entrepreneurs.

Women supporting other women in business is a key success factor that should be promoted and leveraged sooner. The early support of women employees, colleagues,

friends, club members, etc. becomes quite profound and invaluable. Eventually, we figure this out.

I just wish I had understood this earlier and embraced and trusted in the sisterhood sooner.

CAROLYN CROSS CHAIRMAN AND CEO, ONDINE BIOMEDICAL INC. 2015 HONOUREE

I f you re a l ly wa nt to a c h ieve something fantastic, and if your intention is truly honourable, the whole universe will conspire to help you achieve it (to paraphrase Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist). At the beginning of my career I truly believed this, and I still believe it. I just wish I had known in those early years that I did not need to achieve the fantastic thing all on my own, that in fact I could mobilize a team to co-achieve together and make it a huge, shared, fantastic thing.

I also wish that I had understood the power of socializing my ideas and strategies, both up and down the organization and externally, to mobilize support for that next great project and to more easily pave the way for its implementation and success.

KARIMAH ES SABAR CEO AND PARTNER, QUARK VENTURE INC. 2016 HONOUREE

NATALIE DAKERS CEO, ACCEL-RX 2017 HONOUREE

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HINDSIGHT 20/20

Being a leader doesn’t mean weighing in on every possible matter. You can and should lead from behind when possible. Good leaders give opportunities to others.

Muster your facts and include the

I wish I’d better understood that leadership is a mindset and not a role. Everyone has the opportunity to show leadership in everything that they do. It’s really about how we show up, not the office we show up to.

numbers. Make a cheat sheet if you have to, but it is better to internalize the data so you have it ready when you need it. It is hard to beat crisp, confident, relevant data.

Avoid weakening words such as (unless necessary) “sorry” along with its cognates “pardon,” “excuse me” and the like. “Just” is another, along with its cousins “only” and “simply.” Instead of “I feel,” say “I think.” Instead of suggestions, make statements. Don’t venture.

Say. Ask someone you trust for advice on how you come across. My friends give me this kind of feedback, and they are still my friends.

Read widely. Beyond the obvious reasons we read, delving deeply into complex characters and overlapping stories trains us to absorb the experience of others and empathize with other people, hear them better, understand them better and ultimately make better decisions.

You can only do so much yourself, so finding success means building the best team and a winning culture.

Hire people who are better than you are, and appreciate them. With that great team: confidently embrace opportunity, take risks and compete intensely to win.

JUDI HESS CEO, COPPERLEAF 2017 HONOUREE

ANNE GIARDINI CHANCELLOR, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY 2018 HONOUREE

One’s career is like an unknown journey. At the beginning, one is at the railway station ready to board the train, filled with excitement, apprehension, hope and anxiety.

Throughout this journey there are many station stops, some longer than others, some unexpected, all with different sceneries en route.

My career path did not go as I had thought or ever imagined it would from my first job offer. It evolved and morphed into opportunities that I had never planned or thought possible.

Be open to opportunities that come your way, and take risks in career choices. The world is much more complex, exciting and challenging than you imagine. Have the confidence to believe in yourself, be open to challenges and have a

positive attitude and a sense of humour. Your career becomes a most enjoyable journey. Never worry about where the destination ends.

EVA KWOK CHAIR AND CEO, AMARA HOLDINGS 2005 AND 2016 HONOUREE

DEBRA HEWSON PRESIDENT AND CEO, ODLUM BROWN 2015 HONOUREE

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One thing I would go back to teach my younger self is a lesson on building credibility. When I was starting my career, I wanted to be an invaluable part of the team – someone who was keen to help and be useful – so I offered to do many tasks around the office that didn’t necessarily contribute to building a meaningful resumé.

I think many women can fall victim to this. My advice to them is not to say no, but to take the time to understand what your organization truly values. Be deliberate and prioritize tasks that will help you to build credibility in those areas. For professional services firms, this was building my book of business and a greater focus on operational roles.

You only have so much time in a day, so make sure you’re spending it in a way that allows you to make

the biggest difference to your organization’s success.

FIONA MACFARLANE MANAGING PARTNER, B.C., AND CHIEF INCLUSIVENESS OFFICER, EY CANADA 2015 HONOUREE

Don’t get bogged down in the details. I spent the first half of my career being my own worst critic.

I strived to be the best I could possibly be, and that meant my work had to be perfect. High standards are great but, in fact, 80 per cent of the way there on three key goals is almost always better than 100 per cent perfection on one. Unless you are performing surgery or landing on the moon, that last 20 per cent is rarely a productive use of time.

Better to move on to the next project, spend some time thinking about the big picture or go have fun with your family and friends. I wish I had figured that one out much earlier.

Early in my career, my boss coached me to “act more like a man” to get ahead. I shifted my collaborative style to model his directive approach. When promotions came, he held me back because he felt my style wasn’t “ladylike.” I learned I needed to speak my truth and live my truth.

I wish I’d understood how unconscious bias impacts gender equity and to activate for change sooner. Now, together with a fabulous community of B.C. women, we have created We for She to inspire and support women to speak our truth and live our truth for an equal future.

SARAH MORGAN-SILVESTER CORPORATE DIRECTOR 2010 AND 2019 HONOUREE

LOIS NAHIRNEY CEO, DNAPOWER INC. 2012 HONOUREE

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As I look back at my career and reflect on the path that unfolded before me, I have no regrets. I loved to go to work every day and had the privilege of working with an amazing group of colleagues and clients. I had wonderful mentors, teachers and bosses from whom I learned – those who were quick to support me and the first to scold me if I overstepped a boundary. If there is anything I would do differently, it would be to be a little more patient with myself, to take more time to enjoy the journey. I would try to be still, to savour the gifts of friendships, family and the community.

There will always be challenges as you go through your career, that is a given; how you handle them and learn from them is your capital.

NANCY MCKINSTRY CORPORATE DIRECTOR AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER 2004 AND 2015 HONOUREE

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HINDSIGHT 20/20

recognition or to be at the table.

Today I acknowledge that many people, especially women, feel this way and that there is a confidence gap that needs to be closed. I now embrace fear rather than avoid it and purposely put myself outside my comfort zone on a regular basis.

I also recognize that I don’t need to have all the answers. To be an effective leader, I put aside any ego and hire people smarter than me in their respective areas of expertise and let them shine.

I think “knowing” ruins the fun, sense of adventure and hunger in one’s career. I suppose it would have been good to appreciate that missed opportunities and failures are opportunities in and of themselves, if you’re willing and able to be motivated by them. Persistence (and patience) are good qualities to have.

LAURA NASHMAN CEO, BC PENSION CORP. 2017 HONOUREE

I have a boy and a girl. Both have grown up with a mom who happens to be a CEO and a dad who happens to be stay-at-home. Same nature.

Same nurture.

Yet my kids approach opportunity differently.

When my son was in high school,

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I wish I had known about the impostor syndrome, the phenomenon whereby h ig h-ach iev i ng individuals feel they don’t belong or are frauds not deserving the

Whether working as a camp cook and wrangler in remote northern B.C. as a teenager, being the first woman to work on the “shop floor” in labour relations in one of Canada’s largest auto manufacturers, or finding my way through the legal profession, there was one constant – I spoke up. I let folks know when I needed help, when I agreed or disagreed with something, when I was grateful – and when I was not.

What I did not appreciate in my early years was the importance of taking a clear, respectful stand on issues, conditions, conduct, opportunities or ideas. I was raised to do this and will be forever grateful to my parents for instilling this in me. As I have appreciated over the years the importance of a clear and thoughtful voice in the room (not in the hallway), I am instilling in

he would sometimes come home with average marks on a casual effort but would still high-five himself on his endless possibilities.

My daughter, in contrast, will work endlessly at the kitchen table, committed to perfection, and will either kill herself trying or take herself out of contention if she thinks her work is not good enough.

I finally just asked her, “Why is your behaviour different from your brother’s, given everything about your upbringing has been same?”

And she told me: it’s because of

CYBELE NEGRIS CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, WEBNAMES.CA 2010 HONOUREE

my daughters, and the young men and women I know, the importance of their voice and of using it wisely, persistently and thoughtfully.

SUE PAISH CEO, CANADA’S DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY SUPERCLUSTER 2004 AND 2018 HONOUREE

other girls at school and in social media.

Learning to love ourselves and being confident in the face of imperfection is a skill that is enhanced when girls are kind to girls and grow up to become women who have each other’s back. Role model that behaviour.

LAURIE SCHULTZ PRESIDENT AND CEO, ACL SERVICES LTD. 2014 HONOUREE

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I’ve spent a lot of time helping organizations look forward, but at a personal level I’ve largely lived in the moment. My career has generally been “unplanned,” and I wish I had spent a bit more time thinking about my future. While my work has been incredibly rewarding, and I wouldn’t change a single step along the way, I think I could have been more prepared for certain circumstances. So, looking back, I would have taken more time to map a development plan and to upgrade my skills along the way.

And I would also have reached out to more sponsors for their ideas on my career.

MARCIA SMITH SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT, SUSTAINABILITY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, TECK RESOURCES LTD. 2016 HONOUREE

Balance.

When one is young and starting out on an exciting career path, the last thing you want to hear is any talk of balance or moderation. And yet, this is a lifelong skill better learned early.

I remember as a newly elected municipal councillor, married with a three-year-old babe, being told by a much wiser, older politician not to burn myself out in my attempt to be everything to everyone. “If you do,” she said, “you will be of no use to anyone.”

Why did it take me so long to learn that everyone works better, more creatively, more successfully, if you pace hard work with time for family, friends, exercise – whatever brings you some joy and peace?

CAROLE TAYLOR FORMER B.C. FINANCE MINISTER AND FORMER CHANCELLOR, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY 2002 AND 2009 HONOUREE

I wish I’d known enough to buy more Vancouver real estate.

Seriously, I wish I had known that success is not about making goals.

It’s not about an achievement or a milestone. It’s a way. How you do things is as important as what you do, but I always undervalued the way. Process is paramount.

It’s important to me to define success on my own terms. Nobody can do that for you, and if they try, they’re going to give you the what.

They won’t give you the how.

Also, comfortable shoes are important. It’s hard to focus when your feet hurt.

TAMARA VROOMAN PRESIDENT AND CEO, VANCITY 2009 HONOUREE

Time goes by fast, and although there always seems to be a lot of time to achieve the things that we want, I would have wanted to know to start things sooner and take action with urgency and more perseverance. I think what goes along with this is to reach out to people you know to help you achieve your goals. Building a network is great, but could I have leveraged those relationships much better, sooner?

Perhaps my learning is more about surrounding yourself with smart

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and experienced people who can see your vision and help you execute it faster and more efficiently. As a young manager, I thought there was lots of time, but I wish I had been more aware of how fast things change and how important it is to take action and make something happen, and not wait for the perfect plan.

KARI YUERS PRESIDENT AND CEO, KRYTON INTERNATIONAL INC. 2012 HONOUREE

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HIGHER

PURSUITS

With women still vastly under-represented in executive ranks, how important is an MBA to their success?

BAILA LAZARUS

T

he quest for executive positions can follow a long road of career development, but for many it can be blocked without an executive degree. Caroline Nevin is one such example. Nevin left her position as executive director of the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch at the end of 2018 and is now CEO of Courthouse Libraries BC. She had been at the bar association as director of communications for several years when she realized she needed more than a communications background to further her career.

Caroline Nevin says she believes her MBA enabled her to become the first female and first non-lawyer executive director of the Canadian Bar Association BC Branch •SUBMITTED

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“I was getting more involved in the senior management team and management decisions,” says Nevin. “It was clear to me because I didn’t have a law degree that I needed something comparable to advance.” Up until Nevin took the role, the executive director had always been a lawyer and male.

Being a working mother, Nevin chose to earn her master of business administration through long-distance learning with Athabasca University.

“It brought discipline and different perspectives to how I was looking at solutions to solving problems,” says Nevin. “I had always been an innate problem solver but I didn’t have the rigorous thinking on how you approach a problem, and the MBA gave me that.”

She sees the postgraduate degree as almost a requirement to generate the credibility necessary for advancement, unless you have the equivalent in years of experience.

Nina Bagri also came to an MBA long after university. The director of sales for cell culture products at Stemcell Technologies has worked for the company

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LEFT:

Shannon Sterling,

director of MBA programs at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business: an MBA offers fast and effective training to help in leadership decision-making •SUBMITTED

TOP RIGHT:

Lee Ann Keple,

academic coach, marketing

for just over 13 years and rose to her current position a year and a half ago. It wasn’t until she had been working at Stemcell for eight years that she decided to go to the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business for an MBA. “I loved what I was doing but I didn’t feel I had everything I needed to advance my career, based on the confidence level I felt in a lot of meetings and conversations,” says Bagri. “I knew I was capable of having a senior position, but I didn’t feel equipped.”

The MBA gave Bagri the confidence to pursue an executive position, and credibility from an additional tool in her tool belt.

“A large part of my role is leading a high-achieving team,” says Bagri. “It’s a huge asset that I gained from the MBA program that I’ve been able to carry on in my career.”

While some might think an MBA is relevant only for business operations, the breadth of knowledge in the program lends itself to a variety of skill sets, according to Shannon Sterling, director of MBA programs at the Sauder School of Business.

An MBA offers a “fast and effective manner to leverage their breadth of knowledge … and drill down to determine the right data and right information to help inform their decisions as a leadership executive,” says Sterling.

Besides key foundational courses, such as finance, entrepreneurship and accounting, an MBA is key for leadership skills.

“People are the most valuable resource that executives have to draw from,” Sterling says. “They need the emotional intelligence, intercultural fluency and team management they get out of an MBA program.”

Lee Ann Keple, academic coach, marketing and strategy, for the MBA program at Athabasca University (AU), says an MBA can go a long way in helping women advance in their careers.

“An MBA from a good school signals that you are ambitious and willing to put in the work to learn more about current best practice in business,” says Keple.

“It’s also a confidence builder for those who succeed in an MBA program.

“We don’t have gender parity at the executive level in North America yet. The so-called glass-ceiling effect

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and strategy, for the MBA program at Athabasca University, says an MBA can go a long way in helping women advance in their careers •SUBMITTED

RIGHT:

Nina Bagri, director

of sales, cell culture products, Stemcell Technologies: “I knew I was capable of having a senior position, but I didn’t feel equipped” •SUBMITTED

is still a reality for too many women. The AU MBA helps open doors, and as we often say in the cases where it does not, our grads will have the skills and motivation to make their own opportunities.”

While formal executive training was in the cards for some, others – such as Cybele Negris, co-founder and CEO of Webnames.ca – found their education in the school of hard knocks.

After completing a degree in psychology, Negris realized her passion was business. Though she thought about pursuing an MBA, she got hired into a pharmaceutical startup.

“I kind of got thrown into the fire,” says Negris. “I feel like I got my MBA on the ground.”

Negris co-founded domain registrar Webnames.ca in 2000 and became too busy to go back for a higher degree. Now, she doesn’t feel an MBA would help her in her business, and she says it hasn’t closed any doors for her. She is on the board of the Royal Canadian Mint, is in her ninth year on the B.C. government’s Small Business Roundtable and was recently asked to do a guest lecture for the executive MBA program at York University.

“I think education is always helpful,” says Negris, “but given the choice between an MBA or hands-on experience, I think I would choose the hands-on experience.” É

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LETTING GO OF LABELS No need for stereotypes to be obstacles, say female leaders

BRIGITTE PETERSEN

W

ith increasing calls for diversity in the C-suite and on boards, women are continuing to rise above stereotypes by not only working in male-dominated industries but also leading them.

PEOPLE WILL KICK YOUR TIRES AND SEE HOW YOU RESPOND. I NEVER LET IT HAMPER MY ABILITY TO MOVE AHEAD IN MY CAREER j Susan Yurkovich President and CEO, Council of Forest Industries

Workplace stereotypes include labelling women as mother figures or office housekeepers and treating them as outsiders who threaten the norm, according to research compiled by Catalyst. The non-profit found that women cope with stereotypes by distancing themselves from colleagues, accepting male cultural norms by acting like “one of the boys” or leaving the industry.

The Truth about Canadian Women, a 2018 study

by McCann Worldgroup Canada and Ipsos, reported that workplace equality is challenged by stereotypes.

When asked which three attributes were most valued in a woman and in a man, surveyed Canadians chose looks, family orientation and intelligence for women and ambition, leadership and strength for men.

Ann English, CEO and registrar of Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC) and a professional engineer, has encountered stereotypes along her career path. One of only a few women in her mechanical engineering cohort at the University of Manitoba, she noticed stereotypes while working in the early 1980s, when engineering jobs with a field component were commonly viewed as unsuitable for women.

“This was also given as a rationale for why women

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engineers should be paid less than their male counterparts,” says English, noting she was discouraged from being a project manager. “I pushed to be able to be considered and given the chance to prove myself and was granted the job.”

Excluded from networking and team-building opportunities, female engineers were not invited to client or corporate functions, recalls English, former director of interconnections at BC Hydro.

“Back then, places like the Petroleum Club and other business clubs weren’t open to women,” she says.

With just over 14 per cent of professional engineers in B.C. being women, English says she is inspired to help improve this number. EGBC has committed to raising the percentage of women among newly licensed engineers to 30 per cent by 2030.

“I firmly believe that, for our communities and economies to thrive in the future, we need to cultivate a deep, diverse and innovative talent pool today,” English says.

English advises women to never accept gender stereotypes and to confront them head on. She also recommends maintaining a network of supporters, including mentors, and reaching out to human resource

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ABOVE:

Ann English, CEO

and registrar of Engineers and Geoscientists BC, has encountered stereotypes along her career path but says engineering is becoming a more welcoming field for women •SUBMITTED

LEFT:

Judy Leung, CFO

of real estate developer Westbank, doesn’t

departments, senior management and professional organizations. She encourages women to pursue engineering and geoscience careers.

“Overall, I believe that employer mindset is moving to a culture of inclusion where the expertise of women and the benefits of diversity in the workplace are recognized,” she says.

Susan Yurkovich, president and CEO of the Council of Forest Industries and president of the BC Lumber Trade Council, agrees that diversity makes organizations stronger and says stereotypes are bad for business.

“Everybody brings something to the table,” says Yurkovich, a 2015 Influential Women in Business honouree. “When you have a big problem, you’re more likely to have a better solution.”

As a former executive vice-president at BC Hydro and former vice-president of corporate affairs at Canfor Corp., Yurkovich is an experienced leader in male-dominated fields.

The University of British Columbia MBA holder says that while she is sure she has experienced stereotypes, she never paid much attention to them and kept moving forward.

“People will kick your tires and see how you respond,” she says. “I never let it hamper my ability to move ahead in my career.”

While the forest industry is a male-dominated field,

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particularly at the senior level, the sector is working to attract more women. Due to technology, jobs that once required brawn are being replaced with those demanding computer skills and smarts, Yurkovich says, opening up more opportunities for both women and men.

“We have to make sure we’re building a pipeline of people, men and women, who are ready to take on the roles of leadership,” says Yurkovich, who encourages women to be resilient, speak up and search for organizations that align with their values and are a “good fit” for them.

Judy Leung, CFO of real estate developer Westbank Corp., says she doesn’t “buy into” gender stereotype issues and there is nothing preventing hard-working women from succeeding. Leung, a 2018 BC CFO Award winner, says she has never felt any ceilings or obstacles and does not attribute being female as a reason for success or lack of success.

“I have also always just put my head down and did the best I could with anything that I do, so I don’t notice any sort of stereotypes or obstacles,” she says.

Leung says she believes people should be assessed as individuals, based on merit. Women can choose to have children and careers or focus on other aspects of life, adds Leung, who urges both women and men to take responsibility for their choices. É

“buy into” gender stereotype issues, saying nothing prevents hardworking women from succeeding •CHUNG CHOW/ BIV FILES

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS—SPRING 2019 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

THE POWER OF GETTING TOGETHER Women in Cleantech networking group brings together executives, directors and next-generation leaders from across the fast-growing sector

ELAINE GROTEFELD

As an executive search consultant focusing on clean tech and purpose-driven leadership, I have learned that my role is not to change the world, but to find leaders who do. Since starting an informal Women in Cleantech networking group five years ago, I have also learned that some of our most inspirational leaders in this space are women – and it keeps getting better.

Our first event was held in a mother-and-daughterrun café space that was happy to swap from fair-trade coffee to organic Prosecco for an evening. With two weeks’ notice for a December event, we invited all the women in leadership roles I had met to date in clean tech – a grand total of about 30. About 24 turned up, and anyone who organizes events will know this is an astonishing ratio. A large number of these women were CFOs; others led large teams of engineers or ran human resources or communications departments. None of them seemed to know each other. I asked why. There had been no specific group like this before, they told me.

They worked hard, then wanted to get home to their kids.

They didn’t realize there were other amazing women in clean tech for them to meet. But now they do, and they have been reconvening ever since.

There is no LinkedIn group or Facebook page. We bring purpose-driven, like-minded women together, face to face in the real world, in an informal, non-corporate environment after work, three or four times a year.

Since those early days, we have evolved to invite women from across the entire clean-tech ecosystem, including environmental non-profits, educators, board members, government and think tanks. Some are established C-suite executives or board directors; others are next-generation leaders. We have got so much positive feedback on the strong sense of camaraderie and atmosphere of warm welcome, the sense of shared purpose and values, the eagerness to help each other and the absence of conspicuous egos in action (no offence, guys).

Success is defined in different ways by the women I’ve come to know through our clean-tech group. Some are or aspire to be CEOs – and these are all inspiring change-makers. Others prefer other kinds of leadership.

Take Sabina Russell, for example. She was the director of product engineering at Ballard Power Systems, managing more than 90 engineers and scientists. This is one of the

highest clean-tech engineering roles in Vancouver. Russell chose to leave this senior leadership role to co-found a boutique engineering consultancy, Zen Clean Energy Solutions. She was drawn to the idea of playing a bigger role in deploying clean-energy technologies, helping to shape policy and working with a broader range of impactful technology solutions. She didn’t need the title or the big team to do what she wanted to do. Others in our groups are powerhouse CFOs who love what they do. For many talented and ambitious women in clean tech, there are other paths to power and influence than being a CEO. Outside of our informal gatherings, recognition of women in clean tech has made great strides in the past few years, and this helps bring profile to this exciting, vital and high-growth sector. The BCBusiness Most Influential Women 2018 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) list features six clean-tech leaders – five of whom attend our group. With a national mandate, MaRS Discovery District in Ontario organized the first national Women in Cleantech Challenge in 2018, selecting six startup CEO finalists for funding and support. One of them – Julie Angus – is from B.C. We are entering an exciting time for women in clean tech, reported to be the fastest-growing sector in B.C. Innovative clean-tech companies need engineers and scientists but also leaders and professionals in finance, communications, project management and human resources. They need to diversify their boards, which have been traditionally male in clean tech, and like it or not, they know this has to change. Increasingly, government and investor funding requires it. Yes, they need domain expertise, but they also need specialist skills in commercialization, raising capital, legal areas, etc. We have all of these roles and many more represented in our Women in Cleantech group. Not only is the work interesting, but it is helping to save the planet.

One of B.C.’s very few female clean-tech CEOs – and a regular guest at our get-togethers – is Grace Quan of Hydrogen in Motion. Quan believes that “women in clean tech, female entrepreneurs and women in STEM need co-op or internship opportunities, networking and development forums, mentorship and social groups to develop and learn from others.” We agree. É Elaine Grotefeld is a partner, technology, clean tech and sustainability, with executive search firm Odgers Berndtson.

For more information about the Women in Cleantech group and future events, contact her at elaine.grotefeld@ odgerberndtson.com.

FOR MANY TALENTED AND AMBITIOUS WOMEN IN CLEAN TECH, THERE ARE OTHER PATHS TO POWER AND INFLUENCE THAN BEING A CEO

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Your business, our priority.

It’s true – no two small businesses are the same. For that reason, we will work to get to know you and your business so that together, we can create a plan that’s right for you. Ultimately, you want your business to thrive and so do we.

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104201 (01/2019)

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Odlum Brown is a full-service investment firm providing disciplined investment advice and objective research with a singular focus on clients. For all your investment needs including financial, retirement and estate planning*, call 604-669-1600 or toll free at 1-888-886-3586, or visit odlumbrown.com for more information. *Offered through our wholly owned subsidiary, Odlum Brown Financial Services Limited.

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