The Women in Leadership Conference brings together professional women to talk about the challenges that they face, exchange views, and learn from peers and leaders.

The event provides an invaluable opportunity to listen to industry leaders as they share best practices and insights to help women in leadership roles become more effective leaders and be on top of their game.

Join us at this in-person event. Learn, connect & reconnect, and have fun!

KAREN ADAMS (Keynote Speaker)
CEO
WCB Nova Scotia

Making your ripples matter

Women in leadership still don’t always have a seat at the table. Karen Adams will deliver actionable advice on what to do and what not to do based on her experience as a CEO many times over in the private and public sectors, both in Canada and globally.

• • Making your own seat
• • Sitting confidently in the seat you already have
• • Ensuring other women also have a seat

Dr. KRISTA JANGAARD
President and CEO,
IWK Health Centre

Influence: The measure of leadership

Effective leadership is often characterized by the ability to “get things done” and to advance the objectives of an organization. While there are many styles of leadership, the ability of leaders to get people to follow is critical. Influence can be broadly described as the skill of getting others to carry out the tasks necessary to move forward the vision of the influencer. Leaders should consider the following:

• • Acknowledging and understanding the scope of their influence
• • Identifying the pitfalls of influence to avoid
• • Finding a balance between influencing and being influenced in creating psychologically safe workspaces

JESSICA MADIA
Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
J.D. Irving Limited Moncton

Diversity in leadership

The impact of diversity in Leadership is exponential; it’s valuable for businesses and the people inside them, but like anything that impacts the culture of business; change management takes time, it needs to be authentic and fully sponsored to be successful. Recruiting or appointing diversity anywhere in the organization is challenging when the foundation of equity and inclusion are not present. This conversation will include a discussion of:

• • The people impact; beyond the business case
• • The barriers to achieving diversity in leadership and how to overcome them
• • What tools and practices have been most useful to measure progress

Supt. DUSTINE RODIER
Officer in Charge, Administration and Personnel
RCMP Nova Scotia

Bringing resilience into your life and career

Learn how personal and professional adversity sparked resilience, unity and continued growth that will have a lasting impact on employee wellness in the RCMP. Supt. Dustine Rodier will share her personal journey and navigating leadership through immense tragedy, ultimately learning to not only survive, but thrive. This session will explore the challenges of balancing family and supporting teams in the face of overwhelming external and internal pressure. Through her personal experience, you will learn how perspective can shift adversity from challenge to opportunity and how this can affect meaningful organizational change and fulfilling personal growth.

• • Authentic leadership includes being comfortable with being vulnerable
• • We cannot be successful on our own, accepting help is not a weakness
• • Addressing the stigma of mental health through compassion and open communication

JANICE AMIRAULT
Registered Holistic Consultant/Coach

Managing women’s common health issues for better life-work balance

Women often face unique health challenges and proactive management of these health issues can not only improve women’s quality of life but also enhance their productivity and job satisfaction. By taking some simple steps, women can better manage their health and work-life balance. Employers can support women by offering flexible work schedules, creating a supportive work environment, and providing access to health education, resources and wellness programs. Three ways women can improve their overall health:

• • Adopt a balanced diet
• • Engage in regular physical activity
• • Manage stress and prioritize mental health

PINKI KUMAR
Partner
Deloitte

Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome

On occasion, each one of us has felt like an imposter in our own workplace. This is particularly true when we start a new job, progress to a more senior position, or lead a new team or project. Pinki Kumar will share her own experiences with the imposter syndrome, and share tactics that have helped her overcome it.

• • Come prepared
• • Believe in what you say
• • Act first, feel second

Dr. MARY-LYNN WATSON
Emergency Physician, QEII HSC, Halifax Infirmary site
President, Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons

Difficult conversations: Navigating tough conversations and feedback

Difficult conversations are one of the challenges of leadership. They are inevitable, the approach is significant to any leader but of particular relevance to females in leadership positions. How you have these conversations, impacts further interactions with not only that specific person, but the team. After this session, Dr. Mary-Lynn Watson hopes you have the building blocks to frame feedback in terms of a coaching model and how to provide specific approaches to those difficult situations.

• • How to approach leadership as coaching
• • How to provide feedback in difficult situations
• • How to determine your coaching style and use this insight to assist you in your approach to difficult conversations
• • What are the barriers to feedback and how to overcome them in tough conversations

FOLAMI JONES
Lawyer
McInnes Cooper

Is ESG a path to authentic leadership or a guise for inflated metrics? Unveiling the racial power structures in leadership

This presentation will explore how race and ethnicity intersect with ESG across various industries. Drawing from personal experiences as a Black woman lawyer leading in a predominantly white industry, the discussion will offer actionable insights on leading with purpose and challenging systemic racism.

• • Understanding the role of authenticity in promoting ESG principles while challenging systemic racism
• • Strategies for setting and achieving ESG-aligned goals that genuinely reflect diversity and inclusion
• • Unveiling the racial power structures in leadership and fostering resilience to drive ESG initiatives

DAVID BENOIT
President and Chief Executive Officer
Build Nova Scotia

Making a difference through volunteerism

The gift of volunteering one’s talent and time is an essential ingredient in “making a life”. The impact, value and transformative nature of this selfless act, enriches the life of the benefactors and the giver. Through this presentation, it will hope to shed some light on how much of a difference involvement makes through:

• • Mentorship
• • Volunteerism
• • Daily acts of kindness

NICOLE DEVEAU (Morning Chair)
Partner
Grant Thornton

Dr. CHRISTY BUSSEY (Afternoon Chair)
Medical Executive Director
Central Zone
Nova Scotia Health