The Women in Leadership Conference brings together professional women to discuss the challenges they face, exchange perspectives, and learn from peers and industry leaders.

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

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

MARTHA CASEY (Keynote Speaker)
Chief Operating Officer
EfficiencyOne

Navigating challenges through adaptive leadership

Through adaptive leadership, organizations and teams can navigate uncertainty effectively, foster professional development, and cultivate a culture of agility and learning.

• • Recognizing the nature of change: How today’s challenges don’t have a playbook, and can be unpredictable, fast-moving, and why a “one size fits all” approach will often fall short.
• • Why do we need to approach challenges differently? How do we identify challenges, spot the discrete issues, engage the right stakeholders, and change our approach in a dynamic situation?
• • Building resilience and empowering others: How adaptive leaders foster team resilience, encourage innovation, and cultivate an environment where people can adapt and thrive together.

LESLIE PHILLMORE
Associate Vice President, Academic
Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Dalhousie University

The science in leadership

Leadership is not only an art shaped by experience and intuition, but also has elements of science. Many aspects of leadership can be tested with evidence, allowing leaders to adapt their styles to different challenges. In this session, Dr. Leslie Phillmore will discuss the science in her leadership.

• • How leading a laboratory and working with students connect to her leadership style
• • What parts of being a scientist have helped and hindered her as an academic leader
• • Common themes between science and academic leadership

ADRIENNE POWER
Olympian
Financial Advisor
Edward Jones

Driving world-class performance

High-performance mindsets aren’t reserved for elite athletes – they’re the foundation of consistently strong leadership and sustainable business growth. In this session, Adrienne Power shares how the principles that drive world-class performance can directly elevate your leadership presence. Participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen confidence, sharpen focus, and lead with intention.

• • How to apply high-performance habits to everyday leadership and decision-making
• • Strategies to build a presence that inspires trust, credibility, and followership
• • Tools to stay focused, resilient, and aligned while driving growth and performance

TERRAH KEENER
Dean, School of Access, Education and Language
NSCC

Engaging cross-functional teams

This session explores strategies for creating, igniting and sustaining high‑impact cross‑functional teams by grounding them in a clear, shared purpose, even when that purpose is not immediately clear. Participants will gain practical approaches to uncover alignment, build momentum across diverse roles, and collaborate with intention.

• • Defining a shared purpose through focused conversations and interactions
• • Fostering alignment by leveraging diverse strengths and building trust
• • Elevating collaboration through inclusive practices, keeping teams focused and moving forward

Dr. KATRINA HURLEY
Assistant Dean, Faculty Wellness
Faculty of Medicine
Dalhousie University

Leading well without losing yourself

Effective leadership balances responsibility with authenticity, allowing people to guide others without abandoning who they are. Trust grows when leaders act consistently with their beliefs while remaining adaptable and open to feedback. This approach shows that influence is strongest when personal integrity and professional impact reinforce each other.

• • Leading from clearly defined values 
• • Fostering trust through authenticity 
• • Measuring success by long-term impact

STEPHANIE MCGRATH
Chief Strategy Officer
VERB Interactive

Embracing the loneliness of leadership

Leadership in any form is a great gift and, oftentimes, a lonely challenge. When you are at the top, the outcomes rest squarely on your shoulders. This reality can feel daunting, and it’s often why we hesitate to step up, accept the role, and seize the opportunity. Reframing the solitary nature of leadership as an opportunity to build resilience and competence offers a positive, empowering way to prepare for leadership. In this talk, Stephanie McGrath will share:

• • Real, scary, amusing, and totally true anecdotes about the times when leadership has come calling
• • How it feels to sit with that loneliness
• • The process for transforming it into a source of empowerment 

TRACEY ALLEN
VP Finance & Product Integrity
Nature’s Way of Canada

Fostering a growth mindset to unlock leadership potential

Success in leadership is less about having all the answers and more about embracing challenge, learning from setbacks, and nurturing continuous improvement – in yourself and others. Discover the power of a growth mindset and how it can transform your leadership journey. Equip yourself with tools to unlock your potential and inspire those around you to learn, stretch and succeed.

• • The difference between a fixed and a growth mindset and why this shift matters for women leaders
• • Strategies to challenge self-doubt, overcome imposter syndrome and view feedback as a springboard for development
• • Practical ways to build a growth mindset in yourself and your team

ROSHANAK SADEGHI-ZADEH
Vice President, People, Culture & Belonging
Halifax International Airport Authority

Practicing reflective decision-making

Practicing reflective decision-making is the habit of slowing down to thoughtfully examine choices before, during, and after they’re made. It blends self-awareness with critical thinking, helping individuals move beyond reactive decisions and toward choices that align with values, goals, and evidence. Over time, this practice leads to better judgment, learning, and more consistent outcomes. The session will explore:

• • Core Framework: We will discuss a framework that is simple, repeatable, and human.
• • Biases: Biases are like tinted glasses. You don’t notice until someone points it out. 
• • Reflective Questions and Decision Making: How do we step onto the balcony to see the whole dance floor?

ANITA SWAMY
Senior Vice President Operations
Medavie Blue Cross

Championing ethical leadership in a complex world

In today’s volatile and highly scrutinized environment, ethical leadership is no longer theoretical – it is a daily, high‑stakes practice. This interactive session challenges women leaders to examine how values, power, and pressure collide in complex decision‑making, drawing on real‑world examples from well‑known organizations and CEOs. Participants will leave with practical tools and renewed confidence to lead with integrity when the answers are not clear and the consequences are real.

• • Exploring how ethical leadership is shaped by culture, incentives, and bias through real corporate case studies
• • Examining the unique ethical expectations and pressures faced by women in senior leadership roles
• • Applying practical frameworks to make principled decisions under uncertainty and competing demands

Dr. NATALIE CHENG (Morning Chair)
Medical Site Lead
Dartmouth General Hospital

SHELLY DAUPHINEE (Afternoon Chair)
Chief Engagement Officer
Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia